Running is great for keeping fit, but it can also leave your muscles feeling tight and stiff. Use this mobility workout to stay flexi and prevent injuries.
Introducing: the other morning after. The one where you wake up after a run and discover that every joint in your body appears to have seized up like a bicycle left out in the rain. Even worse? That same feeling after four hours solid spent sitting at your desk. No happy endorphins or smug Instagram #RunningLife selfie…just the knowledge that you were hunched over your computer for so long that your body froze in place. A moment of silence for your hopes and dreams.
Glued To Your Chair
“We have become a nation of sitters,” says Raeesa Solwa Mehtar, a biokineticist, running coach and 2016 Next Fitness Star top ten finalist. “Our hip flexors have hijacked our healthy pelvic position by shortening and losing flexibility.” This doesn’t just mean you’ll struggle to touch your toes. It can affect every aspect of how you move, including running and even walking. “Tightness in these tissues stops the hip from fully extending,” Raeesa explains. “This can affect how a person walks but has a greater impact on running mechanics – limited hip extension flexibility can reduce running efficiency and performance and lead to injury.”
READ MORE: 6 Kilojoules-Blasting Moves That’ll Make You A Better Runner
The Better Runner Mobility Workout
The exercises in this workout, created by Raeesa, are designed to mobilise the hip, ankle and spine. In other words, they’ll help these body parts move more effectively, improving your running and helping you prevent injuries.
Watch Raeesa perform the moves:
READ MORE: Become A Better Runner With This Warm-Up Workout
Your Moves:
— Lunge with Side Lean x 10 each side
— Half Split Hold x 10-15 sec hold Do 15
— Standing Hamstring Stretch with Toe Lift x 10-15 sec hold Do 10 each side
— Pigeon Pose with Back Extension x 20 sec hold Do 5 each side
— Downward Dog with Single-Leg Calf Raise x 10 each side
Looking for more? Here’s hour beginner’s guide to running for weight-loss.