The Exercise Every Runner Must Do
Ahh, spring. The snow has finally melted, the sun is shining for the first time since Christmas, and you just can’t wait to get outside and start running again (even if it’s just to the park down the street). The sound of your feet hitting the pavement, the happy glow after a great run — oh how you missed this!
… Until two weeks later, when your knees are starting to twinge and your shins are whispering “stop.”
If this sounds familiar, don’t let nagging aches ruin your spring running buzz — or, worse, turn into all-out injuries. The exercise featured in the video above is a key move runners should do every time they hit the trails, says certified corrective exercise specialist Ryan Krane.
Related: Running Just 5 Minutes A Day Can Help You Live Longer
When most people run, they roll their feet inward or outward to some extent. Rolling inward too much is called overpronation. “What I see a lot is the overpronation really stresses the shin and causes a lot of pain and discomfort — and for most people, inflammation,” Krane tells Yahoo Health. That’s why this exercise is important: It keeps your foot more centered, so the stress to the entire shin area is reduced.
How to do it: Lie faceup on the ground and loop a yoga strap around your right foot. (An elastic resistance band works, too.) Pin your left foot to the ground and raise your right foot toward the ceiling. Keeping your legs in place, flex and extend your right ankle. Repeat 10 times per foot; perform two to three sets. Do this at the end of every run (or two to three times per week).
Read This Next: The Super-Fast Full-Body Workout
Let’s keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Health on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
