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This Full-Body Stretch Works Wonders for Your Performance
You’ll be glad you gave this move a try.
runnersworld.com
When it comes time to stretch, most people want to get done as soon as possible or skip it altogether. That’s not always the right move—it pays to give your mobility your full attention. If you’re impatient, this full body mobility exercise from trainer Sean Garner, C.P.T., will get you ready to perform more efficiently.
The exercise, the Brettzel stretch, aims to mobilize your thoracic spine, stretch your hip flexors, and, if you buy into Garner’s hype, stretch out your soul. That last claim might be a bit out of left field—but if you’re ready and willing to embrace the move whole-heartedly, you’ll definitely feel much better after a full session.
How to Do the Brettzel Stretch
To perform the Brettzel stretch, start on the ground. Lay on one side, extending your bottom arm and leg straight out. Bend your top leg at the knee over the other at a 90-degree angle and rest it on the ground as you reach behind yourself with your top arm. Grip your bent knee with the bottom hand, pulling slightly to drive your knee into the ground. Bend your bottom leg and grab your foot with your top hand, pulling your heel toward your butt. Finally, release any tension in your neck and allow your head to relax.
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As you hold the Brettzel position, focus on pressing your top knee to the ground, pulling your back leg to your rear, and finally pulling your top shoulder blade toward the ground as you slightly rotate to look upwards.
Hold the stretch on each side for 40 seconds each. If you’re struggling to stay in the position at all, that’s okay, too—work your way up to 40 seconds in 10, then 20 second increments.
Brett WilliamsBrett Williams, an associate fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running.
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Hiko Tonosa won the Irish National Cross Country Championships in Santry today. He arrived over as an asylum seeker two years ago and next month, he’ll lead the Ireland team in their home European cross country championships
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k_stokes829 May Your Run be as STRONG as your coffee ☕️! .. Monday vibes Winter Wonderland edition ❄️! Woke up to some fresh powder this morning and some super icy 🥶 roads. It was essentially a whiteout hence why this picture looks like I took it with a white backdrop 😂! Therefore, I’ll be taking today’s speed workout to the treadmill later since it’s just not worth the risk of falling. I’m so excited to start week 4 of @demarathon and @hotchocolate15k training! .. Ps. It’s Monday and a new month so let’s hear what goals you’re planning to crush this month ⬇️?! – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
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Sleep is the single most important thing you can do to speed your recovery. It will complement both post race recovery and your high-quality training while helping you avoid setbacks due to injury, illness, and overtraining. http://ow.ly/Beag50Gqd2w
Q: Is running a marathon good for my health? A: First-time marathon runners significantly improve their cardiovascular health during training. The key is to aim for at least 30 min of moderate-intensity activity 5 days a week. https://mayocl.in/37hrf1Y#MayoClinicQandA#tcmarathon
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A few neighbors formed a running group to train for a marathon in 2021. I’m thinking about joining them as I know that running can be good exercise, but I’ve never run before. Is running a marathon actually good for my health? Should I do certain things to avoid injuries?
ANSWER: Being active and engaging in regular aerobic exercise is important for overall heart health and wellness. Typically, 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days a week is recommended for most healthy adults. Running is a simple, low-cost exercise, and you should be commended for starting a new exercise regimen.
As a first-time runner, I’d recommend that you talk with your health care provider about any concerns, especially if you have any health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart issues or a history of prior musculoskeletal injuries. Ask your health care provider about any symptoms that you might want to watch for when you run.
Before starting out, I would suggest you invest in a good pair of running shoes and make sure that you warm up and stretch prior to any run. Focus on cross training with exercises that strengthen your hips and core.
If your neighbors are seasoned runners, you may want to consider joining a training program to help you build stamina and increase your mileage over time.
As a novice runner, a marathon may sound overwhelming, but recent research shows that it really could be the key to better health. A study out of the United Kingdom showed first-time marathon runners significantly improved their cardiovascular health during training for a 26.2-mile race.
Specifically, this study showed participants had improvements in overall cardiovascular health but particularly related to the stiffness of the aortic vessel. This is important because as people age, the body’s vessels become stiffer. This can be detrimental to your health since with stiff vessels your body has to work harder to pump blood.
In addition to runners having a substantial decrease in the stiffness of the aortic vessel, which moves blood throughout our body, the study found marathon training improved blood pressure.
The study looked at marathon runners six months prior to training and three week after they completed the London Marathon. On average, the subjects ran about 6 to 13 miles in training per week.
If running a marathon seems too daunting, consider a half marathon or a 5K. The cardiovascular benefits of running remain, no matter the distance. One of the most interesting findings of the UK study was that the slowest runners had the greatest improvements in cardiovascular health.
If running is not enjoyable or you have other issues — let’s say your knees or back make it challenging to run — you can still benefit from lacing up your sneakers. Walking regularly at a brisk pace can result in improvements in overall cardiovascular health and vessel stiffness.
Whatever activity you chose, the key is that you want to aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days a week. Walking or running with the neighbors is a great way to combine exercise and socialization. And if you’re wondering about the definition of moderate intensity, you should be able to carry on a conversation, but you should not be able to carry a tune. —Dr. Sara Filmalter, Family and Sports Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
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