Dear runners! The season is nearly in full swing, so it’s time to focus on solid preparation. Probably each of you knows that stretching after running prevents injuries. However, is everyone really aware of the importance of stretching? Does each of you know the mechanism of stretching? I will now explain how it works.
Well, our muscles are divided into two groups: tonic and phase. The former tolerate loads well, but when they are not stretched, they react to the load by shortening the physiological length (contracture). These include hip flexors, knees and feet and a spine extensor. Phase muscles, in turn, get tired faster and weaken as a result of their forcing. These include knee, hip and foot extensors and the rectus abdominis.
If the muscles are in constant tension, their antagonists (i.e. the muscles responsible for the opposite movement) weaken.
For example, if you sit a lot and move a little (and I’m not talking about going out to the shop), then the muscles in tension are the flexors of the hips and knees, and their extensors weaken. So if you suddenly start running, without any preparation and WITHOUT STRETCHING, you can get injured quickly, e.g. your knee will hurt. The reason – muscular imbalance!
The best way to avoid injury is a good warm-up before training and stretching after (a minute of stretching for each muscle group). On non-workout days, you should also stretch to keep your muscles in balance. Pay more attention to tonic muscles because they tend to contracture.
If you do not know how to stretch properly, or you feel that your stretching is not effective enough, contact a qualified physiotherapist who will show you how to make your training more efficient and safer.
