Everyone knows that running posture is crucial for running. If the running posture is incorrect, it not only fails to achieve the effect of strengthening the body but also brings certain harm to health. Especially in long-distance races, some runners tend to experience posture deformation while running.
Running requires you to engage all parts of your body, including your head, shoulders, legs, arms, and hands. Among these, the hips play a very important role, acting as a crucial pivot point. The hip joint is the only joint connecting the trunk and the lower limbs, playing a pivotal role in coordinating the force between the trunk and the lower limbs.Tight hip joint capsules or limited range of motion, restricted stretching of connective tissues and muscles around the hips, and other common hip issues not only affect the completion of running movements but also increase the likelihood of sports injuries.
Therefore, for runners, regular hip stretching and relaxation are also crucial. Below, I recommend four core stretching exercises to relax the hips.These four exercises are specifically designed to stretch the hip flexor muscles and include six deep rotator muscles, the quadratus lumborum, and the latissimus dorsi.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Stand with one leg in a lunge position, right knee behind. Inhale, keep your chest straight, and tighten your abs. Exhale, push your body forward, and thrust your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your hips. Inhale, slightly relax your whole body. Once again, exhale and oscillate to stretch the hips. Repeat this breathing method and hip stretch until you feel the soft tissues in your hips are more relaxed.
Continue to stretch the hips along the anterior fascial chain of the body. Inhale, while raising your right hand up, oscillate to stretch the hips, push your torso forward, and slightly arch your back. Lower your right hand, inhale, relax your body, and return to the starting position.
Continue to stretch the hip flexors along the lateral fascial chain of the body. Maintain natural breathing, tilt your upper body to the left, and gently push your hips to the right. Inhale, relax your body, and return to the starting position.
Return to the upper body left-tilted position, continue to twist your upper body by rotating your chest upwards. Raise your right hand up, with the palm facing the ceiling. Exhale, and pay attention to rotating your arm.
Repeat the above actions until you feel your body moves freely. During the stretch, you should feel a stretch in the hip joint on the same side as the leg extended backward, the groin on one or both sides, the back, the other hip, and the shoulder on the side where the arm is raised.
Gluteal Muscle Complex Stretch
Start in a lunge position, lower your hips, sit on the ground, and bend the knee of the front leg until the sole of the foot touches the knee of the back leg.
Place both hands on the ground in front of your body, in a push-up position, with arms straight, stretching your torso towards your head.
Exhale, lean your upper body forward until you feel a slight stretch in your knee, then inhale, and undulate your spine segment by segment, lifting your torso.
Repeat step 3 until your torso can easily bend forward. When bending your body, you can also lower your head and rest it on your hands, feeling your body undulate slightly with your breath, which can enhance the stretching effect.
Maintain the hip-grounded position described in step 1, place both hands on the ground in front of your body, and alternately stretch the sides of your torso upwards and outwards. This stretch can relax the gluteal muscles and lower back area.
Slowly exhale, rotate your body backward towards the side of the back leg, and move your hands with your body until you feel a slight stretch in your torso.
Rotate your body back to the front, inhale, relax your body, then exhale, and rotate your body backward towards the side of the back leg again; rotate back and forth repeatedly. As your body gradually relaxes, gradually increase the range of rotation. While rotating, pay attention to how different parts of your body respond. If the movement in one direction is more restricted, focus on repeatedly stretching in that direction.
While doing this set of stretching exercises, imagine the stretching wave propagating up your spine to the top of your head, then down to the floor, and then back up to the top of your head.
Quadratus Lumborum Stretch
Following the ending position of the previous movements, lift your torso; exhale, and stretch your torso outwards towards your head.
Twist your body to the right and backward, with your right forearm on the ground, and your left arm on the right side of the floor. Exhale, and try to expand the quadratus lumborum and the lateral fascial chain.
Latissimus Dorsi Stretch
Continuing from the previous position, inhale, raise your left arm over your head, and exhale.
Rotate your torso towards the ceiling, with your chest facing up, and exhale, while continuing to stretch your left arm outwards. Rotate your wrist so that your left palm faces up.
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*The content of this article is sourced from "Stretch to Win: A Flexible System for Flexibility Assessment and Performance Enhancement," published by People's Posts and Telecommunications Press.