During my youth, I was a soccer player. Over time, this resulted in strong legs (great) but a pretty stiff lower body as well (not great).
Stretching was always an afterthought, and I suppose for most amateur soccer players it’s the same. Now, a couple of years later, I wish I had paid more attention to it earlier on.
The good news is that since taking running more seriously, I’ve come to appreciate a good stretch more.
Before I started running, I always thought it was just an endurance sport. But to become a good runner, you actually need to become well-rounded in three areas: Endurance (duh), strength, and flexibility. The latter two are especially important for long-term injury-free training. I’m speaking from experience here since I’m still recovering from a knee injury that was caused by a lack of strength in my left leg.
The thing is, you can actually combine them. There is this great video by one of my favorite fitness YouTubers that goes in-depth about it:
The core info of the video is that in order to get more flexible (and stay flexible), the goal is to become stronger in the end of your range of motion.
For the classic toe touch position, this means folding over until the hamstrings and calves contract and then purposely contract them even more. Doing this regularly for a couple of reps improves the flexibility and strength of the legs simultaneously. And the feeling after getting out of such a stretch is always a relief.
Apart from the hamstring stretch, my other current favorites are:
- Calf stretch on stairs
- Pigeon stretch
- Dead hang from a pull-up bar
- Butterfly stretch
Another approach I’ve learned from a different YouTuber is to simply try to integrate the same movements you’d do during a flexibility session in everyday life.
My favorite here is sitting cross-legged when watching TV to open up the hips. Or getting into a deep squat when I have to grab something from the floor.
Additionally, stretching can even be part of a meditation or a breathing exercise. This makes it even easier to integrate it into daily life.
In short, flexibility is way more than a necessary evil. And even if I still enjoy my runs more, my daily stretches have grown on me recently as well. Now you know why.