Post-Run Stretching Routine

This is an optional routine, not a requirement after every run or an injury-treatment plan. Use a comfortable range without bouncing or forcing a position. Skip positions you cannot use comfortably; do not stretch through pain.

Quick Routine (About 7 Minutes)

Open the compact print card and filled log example. The page’s Copy and Print controls retain the full catalog; the card contains only the quick options and record.

The five bilateral holds below total five minutes. Allow another two minutes for changing sides and positions: approximately 24 seconds per row, split between the side change and the next position. 5 × (30 + 30 + 24) = 420 seconds, or seven minutes. Take longer when needed; the clock is not a reason to hurry a floor transfer or force a position. These are options, not five essential stretches for every runner.

Stretch	Duration	Target Area
Standing Quad Stretch	30 sec each	Quadriceps
Standing Calf Stretch	30 sec each	Calves
Standing Hamstring	30 sec each	Hamstrings
Hip Flexor Lunge	30 sec each	Hip flexors
Figure-4 Stretch	30 sec each	Buttocks

Choosing the Purpose

The NHS post-exercise guide presents stretching as a flexibility activity. Comfortable stretching may be an option when that is your purpose; completing this log does not demonstrate faster recovery, injury prevention or readiness for another hard run. Our combined routine has not been tested for those outcomes.

For the choice between a pre-run warm-up, moving mobility practice, optional held stretching and strength work, use the mobility and flexibility guide. Stop a painful position and seek advice if an exercise feels unsuitable. Do not use the catalog to diagnose a limitation or select treatment.

Planning an Optional Longer Session

Choose suitable options before choosing a duration. More entries do not automatically make a better session. The catalog includes moving exercises and holds, so completing all 19 cannot honestly be called a fixed 15-minute routine.

Hypothetical time-budget example: a reader already comfortable with eight bilateral options selects the five quick-card positions plus bent-knee calf, modified seated straddle and arm-across-body. If that reader records 30 seconds on each side for each option, the holds total 8 × 2 × 30 = 480 seconds. Allowing 8 × 30 = 240 seconds for side changes, position changes and setup makes 720 seconds, or 12 minutes. This is accounting, not a recommendation to hold every position for 30 seconds or to add those three options. Allow more transfer time when needed, omit unsuitable options and record the actual total.

Your chosen option	Left hold or movement time	Right hold or movement time	Setup / transition time
[enter option]	[enter seconds]	[enter seconds or N/A]	[enter seconds]
[enter option]	[enter seconds]	[enter seconds or N/A]	[enter seconds]
[enter option]	[enter seconds]	[enter seconds or N/A]	[enter seconds]

Repeat rows as needed. Count a non-bilateral hold once, and use actual elapsed time for ankle circles, knee rolls or cat-cow rather than assuming each repetition lasts a fixed number of seconds. Add hold/movement time and setup/transitions; record any pauses separately.

Optional Exercise Catalog

This is a menu, not a requirement to complete all 19 entries. Use positions already suitable for you; omissions are valid. Hold times shown are examples, not targets to endure through pain. Record shorter holds or a different professional instruction honestly. If an injury, medical condition or pregnancy changes what is suitable, seek individualized guidance. NHS post-exercise guidance.

Lower Legs

1. Supported Straight-Knee Calf Stretch

Area: Calf. Face a wall with your hands supported, one foot forward and the other behind. Keep the rear knee straight and rear heel down. Adjust the stance to your own comfortable range rather than a fixed distance; move gently toward the wall without arching your back.

Alternative: Omit this position if standing or keeping the heel down is uncomfortable. A clinician can select a seated option when needed. There is no need to seek a sensation behind the knee.

2. Supported Bent-Knee Calf Stretch

Area: Calf, with the bent-knee variation emphasizing the soleus. From a supported staggered stance, bend the rear knee gently while keeping its heel down. Keep your hips centered over your feet. Use a smaller movement if needed; do not force the ankle forward.

Alternative: Omit if bending the knee or loading the ankle is uncomfortable; this is not a treatment for Achilles pain.

These two positions are checked against the AAOS foot and ankle conditioning reference. That source is a supervised rehabilitation program; its sets and weekly frequency are not prescribed here. Stop for pain and seek advice about an unsuitable exercise.

For either option, record actual comfortable hold time rather than working toward the catalog's former 60-second maximum. The quick card uses 30 seconds per side solely for its stated time budget.

Option	Left hold (seconds)	Right hold (seconds)	Support / omissions
Straight knee	[enter value]	[enter value]	[enter value]
Bent knee	[enter value]	[enter value]	[enter value]

3. Seated Ankle Circles

Area: Ankle movement; this is a moving option, not a held stretch. Sit on a stable chair, lift one foot slightly and make small, comfortable circles in both directions. Change feet without rushing. Sitting avoids adding a standing balance task.

Alternative: Use a smaller circle or omit if the movement is uncomfortable. Record what you actually do rather than treating ten circles as a pass/fail requirement.

Position reference: Kingston and Richmond NHS physiotherapy program. Its supervised falls-prevention program and progression are not a runner-specific prescription.

Left: [enter value] circles each direction. Right: [enter value] circles each direction. Observations: [enter value]

Thighs

4. Supported Standing Quad Stretch

Area: Front of thigh. Hold a stable support. Bend the other knee and reach for that ankle, keeping your trunk upright and knees near each other. Bring the heel closer only within a comfortable range; heel-to-buttock contact is not a goal.

Alternative: If reaching or balancing is impractical, consider the side-lying thigh position illustrated in the NHS post-exercise guide, if floor access is suitable, or omit.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Support / observations: [enter value]

5. Standing Hamstring Stretch

Area: Back of thigh. Rest one heel on a low, stable support with hips facing forward. Keep your back straight and lean from the hips only as far as comfortable. Choose a lower support when needed.

Alternative: Use entry 6 if lying down is suitable, or omit. Do not aim to produce a sensation behind the knee.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Support / observations: [enter value]

6. Supine Hamstring Stretch with Thigh Support

Area: Back of thigh. Lie on your back with knees bent. Support one thigh below the knee and gently extend that knee within a comfortable range. A towel behind the thigh can help with reaching; do not pull on the knee joint. The other foot can remain on the floor.

Alternative: Use the standing hamstring option with a lower stable support if it is suitable, or omit this position. Neither option needs a deeper stretch to count. See the AAOS hip program's supine hamstring demonstration; its rehabilitation schedule is not a universal post-run prescription.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Support / observations: [enter value]

7. Supported Outer-Hip Stretch

This replaces the misleading “lying IT-band stretch” label. Stand beside a stable support, cross the nearer leg behind the other and make a small sideways hip shift toward the support while keeping the torso forward. Stop within a comfortable range. The AAOS hip reference describes the sensation at the outside of the hip; a sensation does not demonstrate that the IT band lengthened.

Alternative: Omit if crossing the legs or balancing is difficult; use an individually selected position if this is a therapeutic goal. Do not push through lateral-knee symptoms. See the mobility guide for the limits of IT-band stretching evidence.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Observations: [enter value]

Hips & Glutes

8. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

Area: Front of hip. From kneeling, put one foot ahead and gently move your hips forward within a comfortable range. Use knee padding if helpful; avoid forcing a deep lunge or arching your back.

Alternative: If kneeling is unsuitable, omit and ask for an individually appropriate standing option. An overhead reach is unnecessary.

Position references for entries 4, 5 and 8: Kent Community Health NHS stretching leaflet. It leaves hold time and frequency for a healthcare professional to select; it does not support a universal 30–60-second dose here.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Support / observations: [enter value]

9. Figure-4 Buttock Stretch

Area: Buttock of the crossed leg; this does not diagnose or treat piriformis symptoms. Lie on your back with knees bent, cross one ankle over the opposite thigh and support the uncrossed thigh from behind. Bring it closer only within a comfortable range. Do not press down on the crossed knee.

Alternative: Leave the supporting foot on the floor if that position is comfortable, or omit when floor access or hip/knee positioning is unsuitable. See the NHS buttock-stretch illustration.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Support / observations: [enter value]

10. Seated Rotation Stretch

Area: Buttock and side of trunk; this is a seated rotation, not pigeon pose.

How to:

Sit on ground, both legs extended
Cross right leg over left
Place right foot outside left knee
Hug right knee toward chest with left arm
Twist torso gently right
Hold only while comfortable, return to center and change sides

Use a small range without levering against the knee. If floor sitting or twisting is unsuitable, omit the position and discuss a relevant alternative. AAOS seated rotation reference.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Observations: [enter value]

11. Butterfly Stretch

Area: Inner thighs. Sit upright with the soles of your feet together and knees opening only within a comfortable range. Rest your hands at your feet without pushing the knees toward the floor.

Alternative: Omit if this sitting position is unsuitable. Reaching the floor with your knees is not a goal. See the NHS inner-thigh illustration.

Hold: [enter value] seconds. Support / observations: [enter value]

12. Modified Seated Straddle

Area: Back of thigh and back. This replaces the compulsory wide-leg forward fold with a one-leg-at-a-time option. Sit with one leg extended diagonally and the other bent. Keep your back comfortably upright and make a small hip hinge toward the extended leg; reaching your toes is unnecessary. Return upright before changing sides.

Alternative: Use entry 5 or 6 if appropriate, or omit if floor sitting is unsuitable. Do not force the bent knee down. Position reference: AAOS modified seated straddle. Its rehabilitation repetitions and deeper rounded-back stage are not prescribed here.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Observations: [enter value]

Lower Back & Core

13. Single Knee-to-Chest Stretch

Area: Hip and lower back. Lie on your back and bring one bent leg closer to your trunk, supporting it with your hands. Stay within a comfortable range and return the foot before changing sides. There is no required second stage with both knees drawn in.

Alternative: Omit if lying down, reaching or hip flexion is unsuitable. AAOS knee-to-chest reference describes a rehabilitation sequence; this catalog does not reproduce its full sequence or dose.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Support / observations: [enter value]

14. Supine Knee Rolls

Area: Lower-back movement. Lie on your back with knees bent together and feet initially supported. Move the knees a small distance to one side, return to center, then try the other side while keeping the upper trunk quiet. This replaces the knees-to-chest twist and opposite-direction head turn.

Alternative: Reduce the movement or omit if lying or rotation is unsuitable. Do not try to touch the floor with the knees. The Cambridge University Hospitals back-mobility reference leaves repetitions to be selected for the individual.

Left: [enter value] movements. Right: [enter value] movements. Observations: [enter value]

15. Cat-Cow Movement

Area: Back movement. Begin on hands and knees, hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips. Slowly alternate a small rounding and unrounding of the back. Keep the neck comfortable rather than throwing the head upward. This is moving practice, not a static hold.

Alternative: Omit if loading the wrists or knees is unsuitable; ask for a relevant seated option when needed. Count one rounding-and-return sequence as one repetition.

Repetitions: [enter value]. Actual time / observations: [enter value]

16. Child's Pose / Kneeling Sit-Back

Area: Back, with hips and knees bent. From hands and knees, move the hips gently toward the heels with arms reaching ahead only as comfortable. Neither heel contact nor resting the forehead on the floor is required.

Alternative: Use a smaller sit-back or omit if kneeling or shoulder positioning is unsuitable. Padding may help with contact comfort but is not a reason to continue a painful position.

Entries 15–16: positioning checked against page 29 of the Calderdale and Huddersfield physiotherapy Pilates leaflet. This does not prescribe its full program or establish post-run recovery benefits.

Hold: [enter value] seconds. Support / observations: [enter value]

Upper Body

17. Doorway Chest Stretch

Area: Chest and front of shoulder. Rest a forearm against a stable doorframe and take a small step forward, using the legs to control the movement. Keep the shoulder position comfortable; avoid levering or twisting farther into a painful range. Change sides only after returning to the starting position.

Alternative: Omit if the arm position is unsuitable; an individually selected seated or lying option may be more practical. The Plymouth physiotherapy leaflet places doorway stretching within a breast-surgery rehabilitation progression. It is a positioning reference, not clearance to use that progression independently.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Observations: [enter value]

18. Arm-Across-Body Stretch

Area: Back of shoulder. With shoulders relaxed, bring one arm across the chest and support it at the upper arm with the other hand. Use a comfortable range without pressing on the elbow. Release gently before changing sides.

Alternative: Use less reach or omit if shoulder positioning is uncomfortable. See the AAOS crossover-arm reference; its rehabilitation schedule is not a requirement for this log.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Observations: [enter value]

19. Seated Neck Side Tilt

Area: Side of neck. Sit upright, facing forward, with shoulders relaxed. Slowly tilt your head a small, comfortable distance toward one shoulder, then return to center before changing sides. Do not pull on your head or force your ear toward the shoulder.

Alternative: Use a smaller movement or omit. This optional position is not treatment for neck pain; seek guidance for a painful movement. The NHS neck-stretch reference uses short holds; there is no requirement here to endure the former 15–20 seconds or add a chin-to-chest hold.

Left: [enter value] seconds. Right: [enter value] seconds. Observations: [enter value]

Stretching Log

Filled example (hypothetical): Tuesday, quick option; four of five positions used, hip-flexor position omitted because kneeling was impractical. Holds recorded as 20 seconds each side; actual elapsed time six minutes including setup and transitions. This is a record of a modified session, not a six-minute completion of the seven-minute example or proof of improved flexibility.

Record actual holds, omitted positions and support used; do not force equal durations when a position is unsuitable on one side.

Track your consistency:

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1
2
3
4

Mark the days you used an option, then record positions, actual duration and omissions below. A mark does not mean all 19 exercises were completed.

Flexibility Progress Notes

Movements or positions you chose:

Observations and context:

Questions or positions omitted:

Tips for Effective Stretching

Choose the purpose — A post-run stretch, separate flexibility session and pre-run warm-up are different tasks; this template is not an absolute ban on every static stretch before activity
No bouncing — Move into and out of each position gently; avoid forcing a deeper range
Breathe — Keep breathing comfortably during the position
Stop for pain — Do not continue a painful position or use pain as evidence of progress
Choose a suitable schedule — This log does not prescribe daily stretching; record the frequency appropriate to your purpose and any professional guidance
Record each side — Do not force symmetry or equal duration through symptoms; note any difference and seek guidance when appropriate

Template from trainingplan.dev

For recording resistance work, use the separate Strength Training Log.