Five-minute stretch routine to properly prepare for a run, according to world champion and Team GB coach

WE each cognize we should stretch earlier a run.

It boosts show and reduces our hazard of wounded aft all.

But a fewer halfhearted lunges simply won't cut, experts say.

To decently hole your assemblage for a race oregon adjacent a casual jog, we truly should beryllium spending astatine slightest 5 minutes doing dynamic stretches.

James Thie, from run coaching app Coopah, the authoritative grooming spouse of the Royal Parks Half Marathon connected October 13, said: "The pre-run oregon contention warm-up is each astir preparing the assemblage and caput for the task successful hand.

"The purpose is to debar injuries, beryllium acceptable to execute astatine our champion and beryllium confident.

"Stretching is an important portion of the warm-up and this is champion done done dynamic movements successful cardinal musculus groups, not static ones held for agelong periods.

"It's champion to deliberation astir starting astatine the caput and moving your mode down to your feet truthful warm-up stretches are maximised and nary country is forgotten.

"The champion clip to see the stretches would beryllium aft a airy warm-up jog (15 to 30 minutes earlier the commencement of a race) which has somewhat raised the bosom complaint and humor flow.

"You tin past usage a bid of elemental stretches to let question activation and mobility.

"This champion mirrors the demands of moving to follow, erstwhile the contention weapon goes."

Here, James, a middle-distance runner and World Masters Indoor Champion astatine 1,500m, shares 7 of his favourite pre-run stretches.

1. Shoulder shrugs

James, 46, said: "Start with your shoulders, doing a elemental motion up and down.

"Do 5 backwards followed by 5 forwards."

2. Arm swings

"Then determination onto the arms," James said.

"Rotate the arms successful large circles, some going the aforesaid direction.

"Or you tin trial your coordination by moving 1 limb forwards and the different backwards.

"Again, bash it 5 times some ways."

3. Hip rotations

James said: "After that, determination onto the hips.

"Stand with your feet wider than your hips, with your hands connected your hips, and bash large ellipse rotations.

"As always, bash 5 1 mode and 5 the other."

4. Side lunges

"Now widen the legs somewhat for a broadside lunge," James, Team GB's manager for the Tokyo Olympic Games successful 2021, said.

"Bend your extracurricular genu arsenic acold arsenic you tin until you consciousness the stretch, past determination to the different side, doing 5 connected each leg.

"Remember to support your value resting connected the bent knee."

5. Forwards/backwards lunges

"There are 2 options for lunges," James said.

"You tin bash a guardant lunge, reasoning astir keeping that genu consecutive forwards.

"Or if you person immoderate problems with your knees oregon if you privation to instrumentality the unit disconnected your knees, you tin bash a backwards lunge, touching the backmost genu to the crushed earlier lasting backmost up.

"Do 5 connected each side."

6. Hamstring sweeps

James said: "To bash a hamstring sweep, basal with your feet unneurotic and enactment 1 bottommost somewhat forwards with your toes lifted to the sky.

"Then crook over, expanse your arms either broadside of your ft and consciousness the agelong up your hamstring.

"Do 5 connected 1 broadside past 5 connected the other."

7. Ankle rotations

"And finally, the past workout focuses connected the ankles," James, elder lecturer and show manager for athletics astatine Cardiff Metropolitan University, said.

"Stand connected 1 limb with the different retired successful beforehand of you.

"Point your toes past rotate the ankle 5 times 1 way, past 5 times the other, past power to the different ft and bash the aforesaid with that ankle."