“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”.  We’ve all been there, feeling like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz a morning after a long run.  What if we told you it doesn’t have to be that way? 

You don’t have to feel achy or creaky as you get out of bed in the mornings. 

Yes, Our bodies are like well oiled machines...at least in an ideal world.  We know that as we live active lives and age, our bodies need maintenance.  Maintenance for our bodies range from rest, hydrating and eating well, stretching, mobility drills, strength exercises.  If we neglect our bodies with the maintenance and care we need and deserve we might not age as gracefully as we would like.  

In this article we will show you the 3 best mobility exercises for runners to perform for self maintenance to reduce pain and improve performance. 

Running can be great, or running can cause problems and injury if you have any mobility limitations that are left unaddressed. Address these three common areas of limitations to help with knee, back, foot, and ankle pain.

Let’s take a look at mobility exercises below. 

 Ankle Circles

• Bring feet as close as possible, slightly bend knees over toes and trace big circles in one direction, then switch to the other direction.
• 10x each direction

Hip flexor stretch

• Squeeze butt (glutes) on the back leg for a more optimal stretch at the front of the hip joint.
• 10x for 10 seconds each leg

Figure Four 90-90 hip stretch 

• Stretching front leg glute and hip joint
• Explore around with a tall chest and lean forward to find the area of best stretch.
• 1 minute each side

These can be incorporated into your warm up before a run or as a cool down after a run, or both! Remember, maintenance and mobility don’t necessarily need to be a super long time commitment, but with a consistent commitment daily or every other day you should see change and improvement of motion and movement quality. These are general recommendations and not meant to be a catch all or medical advice but it’s absolutely a place to start. 

Are you eager to add in more mobility drills recommended for runners? Read our blog From Good to Gait: The 3 Mobility Drills Runners Should Be Doing which includes more to explore and find your anti-Tin Man routine. 

Don’t just sit back and let your symptoms limit your training. We encourage you to take action to resolve your symptoms and begin your journey toward restoring movement, function, and reducing symptoms of pain. If you are looking for further guidance or one on one exercise programming, please contact us to learn more about what our performance specialists at Inside Out Strength and Performance can do to help you reach your goals and live strong and confident in the life you live.

Most people don’t know how to stay healthy and fit without getting hurt. At Inside Out Strength and Performance we provide a clear plan to get you in the best shape of your life, without getting injured, so that you can be active and confident that you’ll feel your best for years to come.

We help North County San Diego’s active adults and runners dealing with pain or injury get back to living a pain-free, strong, and confident life.

We are the Strength Docs who help active adults and runners live a strong, confident, and pain-free life. Fill out our contact form here to get a clear plan and get started.