- According to new research We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back Health - Injuries, regular stretching can do more than prime your muscles for action and prevent injury—it can also reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
- Lying Hamstring Stretch stretching increases your blood flow and reduces the stiffness in your arteries.
Nutrition - Weight Loss, faster recovery, and DAA Industry Opt Out. But new research in the Health - Injuries Standing Quad Stretch.
Researchers looked at 39 men and women who were assigned to either a control group without stretching or a group tasked with performing leg stretches five days a week for 12 weeks.
The stretches they did were passive, sometimes called static—rather than the more active type, also known as dynamic or resistance-based—and involved five sets of four specific stretches done for 45 seconds each, with a 15 second rest between.
Runners would easily recognize the stretches study participants performed, which include:
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- Standing Quad Stretch
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- Lying Hamstring Stretch
After the 12 weeks were up, those in the stretching group showed increased blood flow in their lower legs and upper arms, and reduced arterial stiffness, leading researchers to conclude that this type of stretching could help prevent diseases related to vascular issues—like heart disease and diabetes.
Additionally, researchers noted that there was significant improvement in ankle and knee joint range of motion for the stretching group.
RW+ Membership Benefits COVID-19 global pandemic, the study’s authors stated that increased stretching could be especially helpful now that we’re generally staying in our homes more, as a way to improve risk factors for heart disease, stroke, We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.
If you’re ready to incorporate more passive stretching into your workout routine—which can also help reduce running-related soreness and assist in muscle recovery—be sure you’ve got the timing right, according to Should You Run Before or After a Strength Workout., owner of Minneapolis-based Fit Studios.
He told Runner’s World Dynamic Stretches to Practice Before Every Run dynamic stretches before exercise and passive stretching after. The static stretches can help during a cool down to help you lower exercise-related stress on the body, and also helps extend and elongate muscles that have been shortened during a run.
By contrast, dynamic stretching before a workout should replicate what you’re going to do next, Leventhal said. For example, if you’re going to run, you should consider doing walking lunges to prep the legs and hips for that type of movement.
[Stay injury free on the road by getting on the mat with Harry Styles Breaks 3 Hours at the Berlin Marathon.]
Not only could you make your runs more efficient by focusing on stretching correctly, but it seems you could be doing your heart a favor as well.
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.
