Injury Prevention & Recovery

A Brief Guide to Practices and Products

FLEXIBILITY
Why Flexibility Is Important

When elite runners are interviewed, they will often talk about the importance of "taking care of the little things." One of the most important "little things" in our sport is flexibility. Flexibility is vital to increasing and maintaining your stride length and range of motion, and is also a major factor in injury prevention. The best way to improve flexibility is through stretching. Different athletes stretch in different ways, but the two most effective types for runners are static and active isolated. In the traditional static method, the muscle is stretched through a long, continuous effort. Active-isolated stretching is a newer technique. The muscle is isolated and the stretch is assisted by contracting the opposite muscle. For example, the quadriceps should be flexed during a hamstring stretch.

The technique for these two types of stretching differs, but the preparation for each is the same. An easy jog of 10 to 15 minutes is recommended to warm up the muscles. Stretching is not effective and can even cause injury if performed with cold muscles. An alternative to jogging is to do some light exercises: squats, leg swings, etc. You should try to stretch both before and after a run for at least 10 minutes, but if pressed for time, focus on post-run stretching.

There are many stretching aids on the market that will help runners get the most out of a regular stretching routine. It is important to follow the instructions provided with these products carefully in order to prevent injury while improving flexibility.

     —Zika Palmer, Director ZAP Fitness

MASSAGE
Why Massage Is Important

Though the immediate and long-term benefits of massage are difficult to prove, many top runners are certain that regular treatment at the hands of an experienced sports-massage therapist aids in their recovery. For those who want to train hard and repeatedly during a week, it is often between-workout practices and habits that determine how effective their labors ultimately become. Anything that facilitates recovery, a lack of scientific evidence notwithstanding, is certainly worth investigating.

Ideally, everyone could get regular professional massages, but most of us have limitations in the time and money necessary. Learning to work on your own muscles is a valuable training and recovery adjunct. Working diligently on your calves, hamstrings and quads while you relax in front of the TV or even in front of your computer at work can be worth the effort. You can rely only on your own 10 fingers or include such devices as the well-known "Stick" or those shown here to help loosen chronically tight or troublesome areas. For best results, ask your massage therapist for tips.

     —Kevin Beck, Competitive Marathoner