5 Mid-run Stretches That Will Keep You Going

The burning in your lungs will pass moments after you finish. The pain in your legs will disappear a few days later, but the glory of finishing a new personal best will last forever.

The problem is, running can leave your muscles tight and inflexible, which is why we’ve come up with do-anywhere yoga-style stretches that double as a core-stabilizing plan you can do in the middle of a run.

It might even help ease your aches because research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that regular stretching, such as yoga, was linked to better back function and significantly less back pain.

Here’s your step-by-step training plan for stretching mid-run so you finish your workouts strong and flexible.

1. Single Leg Stretch 

A) Stand on your left leg with your knee straight, then reach behind you with your right arm and grab your right ankle. Pull upwards with your right arm until your foot is level with your shoulders. Tense your abs to make sure you hold your balance.

B) Slowly extend your left arm out in front of you with your elbow straight. Hold for one or two minutes, switch legs and repeat.

2. Single Leg Hold

A) Stand on your left leg and raise your right leg slightly off the ground. Bend your right knee in toward you and grab it with your right hand.

B) Try to straighten your right leg and hold your left arm away from your body at approximately shoulder-height, but use it to hold on to a support if you struggle to balance.

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3. Side Lunge

A) Stand with your feet together, then take an oversized step outward to your right. Hold your hands in front of your body and keep your back straight. Gently hold this position for two minutes.

B) Repeat this position on the opposite leg.

4. Quad Stretch

A) Stand on your right leg while placing your right arm to your side. Bend your left leg behind you and grab it with your left arm.

B) Use your left arm to pull your heel to your glutes, then raise your right arm toward the sky, elbow straight. Hold for two minutes on each leg.

5. Side Plank Hold

A) Place your right hand on the ground and position your body in a side plank position where your body is lifted off the ground and your legs are straight so your body is diagonal to the floor without letting your hips sag.

B) Raise your left arm off your side and extend it away from your body so it’s in line with your right arm. Now raise your left leg off your right leg and hold it in a position that’s slightly wider than hip-width apart.

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