a stretch a day keeps the doctor away

A stretch a day keeps the doctor away.

This may not be the most recognized expression in the history of time but it rhymes well and it is probably more useful to a runner than its long distance cousin "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"

As my running has evolved, my distances are getting increasingly longer and harder. These distances are helping me understand how our bodies adapt to new challenges. When these challenges require every part of the body to respond, it responds by compensating for the weaker parts by making the stronger parts surrounding around it, stronger. In this process, those weaker parts get even weaker over time.

When I run these types of distances, I am challenging every part of my muscular system. Weaker and stronger muscles are equally challenged with these types of runs. These challenges have given me my share of injuries. I have used plenty of rest and a dose of Tiger Balm to cure my way through injuries that I have sustained over time. These injuries have all been to the weaker parts (at the time) such as the ITB (Iliotibial band), connective muscle tissue surrounding the tibia (shin splits) and a few others. These weaker muscles are now equally strong as those, once stronger ones.

My latest injury has been tough on my running. The cure for this injury is not just rest or a dose of Tiger Balm. It needs a holistic look at how body performs and how to take care of it.

Hamstring muscles are one of the largest muscles in our body but they are rarely used to its potential, by most of us. For most folks these muscles are only used when there is a need for a strenuous effort. This strenuous effort creates a lot of stress for the muscle fibers that makeup these muscles. This stress tears these muscle fibers. When these fibers heal, they heal to become stronger and thicker fibers. When these fibers are increasingly stressed over time, they get thicker and denser.  The thickness and density of these fibers can make these Hamstring muscles unstrechable. If the Hamstring muscles cannot stretch to move a leg, something has to move a leg when the brain signals "Run".

In my case, my Piriformis muscle was compensating for the lack of movement from my Hamstring muscles. Piriformis muscle helps stabilize the hip joints while lifting and rotating the thighs. I never really had to use my Piriformis muscles when running at slower speeds as a beginner. But now that I am running faster and on hillier terrains, Piriformis muscle seems to be doing a lot of work since my Hamstring muscles cannot stretch enough to help me through the distance. In this process, I am injuring both my Piriformis muscle and the area where my Hamstring muscles connect with the buttocks. After a long and strenuous run, I am constantly feeling:

• General achiness in the Piriformis muscles
• General achiness of the Hamstring muscles by the buttocks area. This is also called "pain in the butt" or a symptom of an uncommon condition called "Piriformis Syndrome"

As I keep challenging my physical and mental limits with these longer and harder runs, I am running across various types of injuries. It is interesting however to know that every one of these injuries, that I am experiencing, is fully preventable with some basic form of stretching.

There are many types of stretches and it is easy to get confused while learning about them. Here is a quick guide:

• Active Stretching
• A type of stretch that you can perform without any assistance. For example: While lying down on your back, you can hold your leg high at a 90-degree angle and keep it there for 30 seconds without any assistance.
• Passive Stretching 
• A type of stretch that you can perform with assistance. For example: While lying down on your back, you can hold your leg high at a 90-degree angle with the use of a Band or with help from a friend.
• Isometric Stretching
• A type of stretching where you are attempting to push back against the resistance that has you in a stretched position. For example: while lying on your back and with a friend helping you stretch your leg at a 90-degree angle, you try to push your leg down against the resistance that your friend is exerting on you.
• Dynamic Stretching
• A type of stretching where you are gently moving to test your new limits of movement. For example: while lying on your back you are able to hold your leg high at a 90-degree and move it from a comfortable zone to its limit past the 90-degree, until it cannot go further.
• PNF Stretching
• Advanced form of stretching that should be done carefully. This involves both passive and isometric stretch movements to be done together.
• Static Stretching
• A type of passive stretch that is done without any assistance.  For example: While lying down on your back, you can hold your leg high at a 90-degree angle without any help.
• Ballistic Stretching
• A type of stretch where you slowly move your limb out of its normal ranges of motion. For example: While lying down on your back, you take your leg from the floor and bring it high up and keep bringing it closer to your chest until you cannot move it anymore and then doing it again and again.

The following types of stretches are helping me strengthen my Hamstring muscles and Piriformis muscle for a stronger and abalanced run:

• Pre-run: Perform Dynamic stretches such as Leg Swings, Low Intensity Lunges or Step-Hops
• Post-run: Perform Static or Passive stretches such as Wall Pushes, Hamstring, ITB and Piriformis stretches, Planks

By performing these stretches, I am increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to these muscle areas and also activating it for the range of motion that I need to run faster and injury free for a very long time.