Incorporating Stretching into Your Running
As a serious runner, running marathons since 2000, I am embarrassed to say that I have not always been as diligent as I am now when it comes to stretching. In my early days, I’d sort of do some pathetic attempt at a static stretch at the end of races because everyone else there was doing so, or at the end of a club training session just so that I did not feel like the odd one out.
The problem for me was that stretching does not have a huge amount of convincing evidence to support it and I tended to need convincing with quality evidence in order for something to form part of my ongoing plan and daily training ritual.
In more recent years, I was introduced to dynamic stretching though and I never looked back. Dynamic stretching has been great for me. I seem to recover better and feel more capable the following day. Static stretching is a stretch that requires you to use the momentum of your body that you have when you stretch. You do not exceed the usual stretchability and listen to your body, but you move gently and thoroughly with the stretch instead of just holding the stretch in a static fashion.
I do a little bit as part of my warm-up for events and longer or faster training runs, but most importantly, I do it really thoroughly and diligently later in my day, not just post-run, but at any stage in my day when I have time. It eases my muscles and adds mobility as well as stopping the performance impairing results of stiff muscles not being as mobile when Irun the next day.
Not everything is for everyone, I know that, and my job here is not that of physio, so go and check it out for yourself and do your own research on the best way to incorporate stretching into your running. I have friends and running peers who swear by yoga for advancing mobility and stretching, and other friends who swear by not stretching at all, citing that it does little good for them or that it has even injured them in the past.
Getting More Out of Stretching With Hypnosis
If you do any kind of stretching though, I believe this hypnosis audio track can help you derive the maximum benefit from it.
I have written in my books and on my blogs often about the power, relevance and usefulness of the ideo-motor response. This is whereby our imagination, when actively engaged, can influence and affect our physiology.
It made sense to me then, that if we use the ideo-motor response in so many other applications of hypnosis, cognitive sports psychology and in my therapy rooms with clients, it would make sense to use it when I was doing my stretching routine each day. Heck, I may as well aid the process than simply thinking about what I’m going to be doing next or something else banal, for example. I have found that it has advanced the benefit I have had from the stretching routine.
Please note – have your stretching routine in mind to imagine and use in conjunction with this track.