Why do runners need to stretch?

Should you stretch before or after your run?

There seems to be an endless debate in the running world of whether stretching before and after a run is necessary or not. One camp suggests stretching before a run avoids injury and protects the body from the harshness of the road, while the other camp believes stretching offers little benefits and in fact can actually cause injury to runners. But which side is correct?

So who's right?
Well both camps are right to a point. Stretching, when done properly, can decrease the chances of an injury but if not performed properly, can actually increase your chances of an injury.

Stretching is one of the most important aspects of any training programme. It reduces the risk of injury to the muscles, joints and tendons, and it can improve your athletic performance. Care should be taken when stretching - if you stretch too quickly the muscle can contract and increase tension. Therefore, muscles should always be stretched slowly. In order to perform stretches carefully and correctly you may need to do them as part of a separate training session when you are fresh and the stretch should then be held for approximately 30 seconds, this way the muscle tension falls and the muscle can be stretched further.

When stretching don't 'bounce' the muscle! It's a common mistake but doing it can pull or tear the muscle you're trying to ease. Don't stretch if you feel tightness in the muscle or if you feel any pain or discomfort.

Stretching should also form part of your training session, both before and after, your run.

The kind of stretching that you do and at what time in the session is also important. Your warm up will prepare you for training. You will raise your heart rate and body temperature. Your mind will be ready for activity too. At this point you should put in some dynamic stretches. These are stretches that are performed whilst you are on the move. Examples of these are walking lunges or high knee skips. Once your training session is over you should perform static stretches as this is the time to bring your heart rate and body temperature down and to relax your mind.