Stretching & Massage
Trail Running
Stretching
Stretching can help with flexibility. And there is some benefit to the body as a whole of incorporating full body stretching into your weekly schedule. Targeting multiple muscle groups including the upper body which is an area often neglected by runners. Perhaps incorporate yoga or pilates into a self maintenance regime, to keeping our bodies and muscles ready and provide positive health and wellbeing benefits.
Static stretching of the legs may have no real benefit for running as it only requires movement within a small functional range. In fact static stretching just before a run is not recommended. The muscles are likely to be cold and tight and at risk of being pulled or torn. After a run when muscles are warm and more pliable you may feel some relief from stretching out areas that are particularly tight, the calves, hamstrings hip flexors etc. and if that’s the case go for it.
It is important to note that your stretching should only provide a feeling of slight discomfort, if you feel pain stop and if you suspect you have an injury don’t stretch and seek professional help.
Warming up
Before a run it is most important to warm up and loosen the muscles you will be using during the run to help prevent injury and improve performance and preparing the body to run and recover. This is where dynamic stretching can be beneficial. Walking or light jogging for 10 minutes prior to a run, incorporating high knees, butt kickers, leg swings and lunges will help prepare the muscles and joints, improving their range of movement.
Massage
We all love a good massage, even the deep intense ones make us feel great afterwards, even if we are grimacing, clenching our fists in an attempt to hold back the tears and our whimpers at the time. But afterwards we feel more relaxed and move with much more freedom. It releases tight muscles, and is reported to reduce the intensity of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), minimise inflammation and aid recovery. Incorporating regular massage into your schedule, and not just following a strenuous run, can aid recovery. Treating tight areas before they become problematic, leading to improved performance and helping to keep your body in balance. However recovery aside, it also helps to relieve the tension and stress resulting from busy work and personal lives.
Don’t have the budget for regular trips to the masseuse? Self massage offers many of the same benefits and can supplement these visits.
SMR: Self Myofascial Release
Using a foam roller or ball can help to loosen muscles. The idea being to use your body weight, in conjunction with the roller or ball to slowly ‘roll’ over the muscle, applying pressure to a specific muscle/muscle group. When you find the tight unconformable point, the ‘trigger’, you stop on it, relaxing (easier said than done) until the discomfort eases and the muscle ‘releases’. And then you move on to find the next trigger point. If the area is too sore, apply pressure to the surrounding area to help loosen it.
And remember to BREATH! Be careful not to overdo the pressure, deeper isn’t necessarily better and can cause the muscles to tighten.
My preparation for recovery: stretching and massage
I undertook a self myofascial release course to assist with my own recovery.
My confession: I don’t do it after all my runs and strenuous workouts, I don’t have the time. I know how important it is and my body definitely feels the benefits when I do. So this is definitely a ‘do as I say and not as I do moment’. Taking the small amount of time to do a ‘rolling session’ and making it a habit has enormous benefits.
In my defence however I do have regular sessions with a masseuse, chiropractor and acupuncturist who all help me keep my body feeling great and aligned.
For those living in Melbourne check out Wellbeing, these guys are awesome at keeping my body moving, especially in the lead up to and following DU135.
How I can help you
I provide both face to face and ‘virtual’ SMR programs for runners. I can provide you with a personalised program that can be done in your own home so contact me to learn more.
