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Passive stretching: 3 examples and benefits: @ClevelandClinic

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What Is Passive Stretching?

Relax into this form of stretching while a prop or partner assists you

When you think of stretching, you might picture someone sitting on the floor, legs extended, reaching for their toes. But passive stretching takes a different approach. Instead of relying on your own flexibility, you use something (or someone) else to help.

Licensed massage therapist and registered nurse DeBorah Hill, RN, LMT, explains passive stretching and how it can benefit your health.

What is passive stretching?

Most people are familiar with dynamic and static stretching. Static stretching focuses on holding a pose that stretches your muscle as far as you can. Dynamic stretching uses movements, like walking lunges or hip circles, to warm up your muscles before an activity.

Dynamic and static stretches are limited to how far you can physically move. Think of toe touches: Some people can touch their toes and beyond, while others can’t reach their knees.

Passive stretching uses other forces to stretch your muscles, rather than your own ability. “During passive stretching, your body is loose and relaxed,” says Hill. “You let an external force — like a partner, towel or fitness strap — do the work.”

For example, instead of touching your toes, you can perform a passive hamstring stretch. During this stretch, you lie on your back and use a rolled-up towel or strap to help you stretch the back of your thigh. 

If you’re new to passive stretching, use care. You could accidentally stretch a muscle too much and cause injury.

“Listen to your body as you stretch,” advises Hill. “Passive stretching should not hurt, and many people overestimate how flexible they are. It’s helpful to talk with a licensed physical therapist or massage therapist before you start.”

Benefits of passive stretching

Consider adding passive stretching to your routine to:

Relieve stress

Unlike static or dynamic stretching, passive stretching requires your muscles to be relaxed for it to work. This release of physical tension can benefit your mental health.

“When you fully relax for a passive stretch, you tell your brain to shift out of fight-or-flight mode,” explains Hill. “Passive stretching can take you out of survival mode so you feel relaxed.”

Increase flexibility

One study found passive stretching to be better than dynamic stretching at increasing hamstring flexibility.

“Passive stretching can increase your range of motion when other stretches don’t work for you,” says Hill. “Your prop or partner can help you gently stretch beyond what you can normally do yourself.”

Overcome mobility limitations

If you have mobility issues or chronic pain, other forms of stretching can be difficult. Passive stretching works for people of all ages and fitness levels. Can’t bend over or move your body a certain way? Passive stretches can work around these limitations.

Examples of passive stretching

Passive stretches can work many different muscles. Try these stretches to get started:

1. Doorway stretch

This stretch focuses on your chest and shoulders:

  1. Stand just behind a doorway.
  2. Place one foot slightly in front of the other for stability.
  3. Raise your arms to the side with your elbows bent at 90 degrees, palms facing forward like goal posts. Allow your elbows, forearms and palms to press against the doorframe.
  4. Gently lean forward, keeping your arms on the doorframe.
  5. Hold for 10 seconds.
  6. Rest for five seconds and repeat.

2. Standing quad stretch

This passive stretch focuses on your quadriceps, or the muscles on the front of your thighs:

  1. Stand next to a steady object, such as a table or wall, that can be used for balance.
  2. Loop a rolled-up towel or fitness strap around your right ankle.
  3. Hold the other end of the towel or strap with your right hand.
  4. Place your left hand on the table or wall for balance.
  5. Slowly bend your right knee and pull your right foot up toward your buttocks using the towel or strap.
  6. Hold for up to 30 seconds.
  7. Repeat on the opposite leg.

3. Towel hamstring stretch

The backs of your legs, or hamstrings, get a stretch here — no toe-touching required:

  1. Lie on your back, with your legs straight and relaxed.
  2. Slowly raise one leg up toward the ceiling without bending your knee, keeping your leg relaxed.
  3. Hook the towel or strap behind your hamstring or calf or under the arch of your foot, depending on what’s comfortable for you.
  4. Using your towel or strap, gently pull your leg towards you until you feel the stretch.
  5. Hold for up to 30 seconds.
  6. Switch legs.

A stretching routine is worth it

Taking a few minutes a day to stretch has big benefits, from preventing injuries to reducing joint pain. And if other forms of stretching haven’t worked for you, passive stretching is worth a try.

“The beauty of passive stretching is that it works for so many people,” states Hill. “Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an elite athlete, passive stretching can help you feel great physically and mentally.”

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What to Eat Before a Run of Any Distance – Lizzie Kasparek RD @runnersworld

runners world food for your run

Runner’s World
@runnersworld

Your body usually needs something to kick-start your workout. Here’s a breakdown of what you need depending on the type of run.

Choosing what to eat before a run plagues nearly every one of us until you figure out what works best for you. And because people tolerate foods differently, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to prerun fueling. Some runners swear by eating nothing before short or easier runs, while others have to put something in their system. That said, there are some general guidelines to follow as you prepare a prerun snack or meal.

What to Eat Before a Long Run

Long runs are most commonly defined as being 60 minutes or more, and once you get into half or full marathon training, a good chunk of your runs will be at least 60 minutes.

What you eat before a long run is a good dress rehearsal for your prerace breakfast, says Lizzie Kasparek, R.D., sports dietitian for the Sanford Sports Science Institute.

Long runs require more energy than shorter runs, which means your prerun snack or meal will be larger and take a little more time to digest. That’s why Kasparek recommends eating two to four hours before a long run (and eventually, your race).

“Whether you give yourself a few hours or just an hour to digest, focus on consuming mostly carbs,” she says. Your body’s preferred fuel source is simple carbs—banana, oatmeal, white bagel, a honey packet—because it can be quickly turned into energy.

Yes, we know that may mean an early wake-up for morning runners, but you’ll be grateful when you have the energy to push past the first hour. Plus, you can always wake up, eat a little something, and go back to sleep until run time.

Try: A small bowl of oatmeal topped with a few slices of banana
For sensitive stomachs: Half a white bagel with peanut butter or serving of white rice

What to Eat Before a Sprint/Interval Workout

Often, speed work doesn’t last for more than 60 minutes, but the workout is much more intense than slower, longer miles. And because of this, your body needs prerun carbs, says Kasparek, who points out that some people also like a little bit of protein with this snack.

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“You need to provide your body with quick carbs that give your body energy it can use right away,” she says.

Try: Plain greek yogurt with blueberries or banana with peanut butter or handful of dry cereal or Honey Stinger gel
For sensitive stomachs: Half a banana

What to Eat Before an Easy Run

Most easy runs don’t require a prerun snack—even those that are pushing 60 minutes, says Kasparek.

“If you’re going out for a quick 30- or 40-minute easy run, and you haven’t eaten in a couple of hours or it’s in the morning after an overnight fast, you’re probably not going to die if you don’t eat before that run,” she says.

The best thing to do is schedule those easy runs around your normal snacks and meals. For example, after a morning run, use your breakfast as your recovery meal, which will include carbs plus 15 to 25 grams of protein, says Kasparek.

If you’re running in the afternoon, instead of having your usual 3 p.m. snack and a 4 p.m. prerun snack, skip the prerun snack, or bump your 3 p.m. snack to an hour before your run. Then Kasparek suggests making your postrun meal your dinner.

That said, if you know that you can’t run well or safely without something in your system, have something small like half a banana or a tablespoon of peanut butter. And remember, easy means easy, so running at a relaxed pace that you can maintain and talk to a friend effortlessly if needed.

Try: Eggs with toast or a protein shake or oatmeal made with milk after a morning run, or salmon with rice or a veggie stir-fry after an afternoon or evening run

What to Eat Before a Race

If you’ve been training properly, you have practiced your prerace meal before your long runs, says Susan Paul, exercise physiologist and program director for the Orlando Track Shack Foundation. “Race morning is not the time to try anything new,” she says.

For shorter distances, like a 5K or 10K, your breakfast should be similar to what you’d eat before a track (interval) workout, because the intensity is higher, while the duration is shorter.

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For longer distances, like a half or full marathon, your breakfast—and the timing of when you have it—should be similar to what you practiced eating before your long runs.

As Paul and Kasparek point out, give yourself plenty of time to digest before you head to the start line. And because you might have hours between the time you have breakfast and toe the line, bring an extra snack, says Kasparek.

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“You don’t want to be hungry on the start line,” she says.

Try: Bagel with peanut butter + gel or Clif bar 30 minutes prior to the start

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