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After a demanding workout session - while wearing your CORESHORTS™, of course - you probably feel like you are ready to move on with your day. But did you stretch… BEFORE and AFTER your workout? 

Stretching offers many great health benefits and should be included as part of your daily workout routine.  Stretching before exercise helps your body prepare to move. After the workout, stretching helps your body and muscles recover, while improving your posture, flexibility, and performance (to name just a few benefits).

Why Stretching Is Important 

Let’s explore some reasons why stretching is so important. Here are five reasons why you should always stretch—before and after—a workout session:

1. Increased flexibility and range of motion

Regular stretching is known to increase your flexibility and your range of motion. Flexibility is crucial for your overall health. It helps you perform everyday activities with ease, and it also can help delay reduced mobility as you age. By incorporating stretching as a standard part of your workout routine, your overall flexibility will improve!

Stretching a muscle or groups of muscles through a patterned motion or PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) is effective for immediate gains. Having a full range of motion equals freedom of movement and stretching can help get you there!

Related > Ways to Increase Range of Motion 

2. Improved Sports Performance

Many of our CORESHORTS™ customers are active athletes. Exercising and sports require a wider degree of flexibility and range of motion at the joint. Having increased flexibility will improve your sports performance and will also help to decrease the chances of injury.

3. Decreased Injury and Increased Blood Flow

As just mentioned, stretching can helps to prevent injuries. Stretching before and after exercising, especially dynamic (active) stretching, prepares your body for activity.

When you stretch, you are increasing the blood flow to your muscles by improving your circulation. But why is this important? Increased blood flow to your muscles may help shorten recovery time and reduce onset muscle soreness.

4. Improved Posture and Back Pain Relief

Having poor posture may lead to muscle aches and body pain. Proper muscle balance and alignment are known to improve posture. By stretching daily, you can loosen your muscles and reduce the risk of muscle strains and injury, which can lead to decreased back pain. If you already have an injury, stretching an existing injury or back pain will help improve the recovery time. Never stretch into pain!

5. Stress Relief

One of the biggest holistic benefits of stretching is the decrease in stress. Physical and emotional stress can impact your exercise recovery and lessen the benefits of exercise. In fact, the overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol can actually result in health issues.  Stretching allows your muscles as well as your mind to relax, so you perform at your personal best.

Stability Starts at CORESHORTS™ 

At CORESHORTS™, we are passionate about our product and can guarantee you enhanced core support and functional movement. Combine that with regular stretching, before and after your workout, and you will be on the top of your game!

Focus on Your “Core” Instead of Your “Abs”

To improve your running (and set that P.B.), you need to do more than run. You should train and strengthen yourself mentally and physically, too. Core stability workouts help to improve your running form, reduce injury risk, and boost your overall athletic performance. A weaker core also leads to faster fatigue. Here our sports performance experts provide 5 core exercises to make you a better runner.

What Exactly is the Core?

Your "core" isn't just your abs. It’s actually everything from your shoulders down to your hips. That means that your core also extends to include your shoulder girdle, mid-back, low back, obliques, glutes, hamstrings, and hips. When working your core during training, make sure to target these areas to prevent running injuries and perform at your peak.

How Often do I Need to Work My Core?

Clearly, the core is key to sports performance. But, how often do you need to be exercising these muscles? Many long-distance runners skip their core workout to go on a run for lack of time in their training schedule. However, many endurance runners have weaknesses laterally on the outer muscles. By correcting these muscle imbalances, you will run more efficiently.

You don’t have to spend hours in the gym doing sit-ups and crunches. In fact, you can skip those exercises as they won’t give you the functional strength you need to run. Core workouts can be effective even just done once a week for 30-minutes or so. 

Even if you only have a few minutes, focus on integrated core exercises (check out five of our favorites below) to strengthen and stabilize the front, back, and side of your core in one move. That way you can make the most of the time you have!

How a Stronger Core Makes You a Better Runner

Your core impacts pretty much all parts of your body. When you run, you slightly twist your upper and lower body. Your entire body is involved in the movement. Since the twist motion originates in the core, you’ll want to focus your training to include core stability exercises. 

When you do, you can expect to see some of these performance benefits:

• Protect your low back and lower injury risk
• Deeper abs (rectus and transverse muscles) produce more power and speed
• More stability and better range of motion
• Fewer muscle imbalances that can cause you to over- or under-stride your gait
• Overall improved form thanks to stronger responsive oblique muscles

Power up your workout with one of our three stability levels of support. CORESHORTS™ patented design improves optimal motion and is raved about by runners across the US and Canada. Shop now to see the why for yourself!

The Best Core Workouts for Runners 

Try integrated core exercises that maximize movement. You’ll recall that your core has three dimensions (front, side, and back), and it’s more than just abs. These five exercise options aim to target all three areas of your core at the same time and are key to incorporate into your training plan!

Superman

A nice way to start or end your core training, the Superman exercise targets lower back muscles and helps maintain stability in your hips.

Planks

We love this exercise because there are so many options - regular plank, side plank, on your elbows or straight arm, even moving up and down! The power of planks is astounding. This exercise works your shoulders, back, and abs with no equipment needed.

Russian Twists 

Train your obliques and the transverse abdominis muscles. The rotational moves like this really target the muscles that keep you more steady for those long-distance runs! 

Bridge 

This move works your low back and the top of the glutes, which are both areas where distance runners tend to get sore.

Windshield Wipers

These exercises are three-dimensional, integrated core moves so your entire core benefits from the movement!

Core Strength is Key for Runners

Remember, your core stabilizes every part of your body. The point of core strength isn’t to have six-pack abs, it’s to stabilize your spine and protect your back from injury while you run!

Integrate core exercises into your training plan. Do your own core workout, try integrated core workouts in a group, or do whatever best works for you - but make the time for them. Another key to assist your best performance? CORESHORTS TM - a functional stability system to optimize motion.  Shop CORESHORTS™ now to find the pair best suited for your stability needs!

Liked what you read? Make sure to share it so that others can find it, too. 

*Disclaimer: Please note that the information provided in CORESHORTS blogs do not replace individual advice from health professionals. Please consult your physician before starting a new fitness program.

Range of motion: The full movement potential of a joint, usually its range of flexion and extension.

When you have a limited range of motion (ROM), your overall performance of desired activities is also limited. If you are training for a big race, hockey game, or triathlon, limited ROM can lead to overcompensation and possible injury. Weeks (or months) of rehab isn’t worth it the chance, that’s why we’re sharing ways to increase your ROM. 

Limited Range of Motion 

It’s nearly instinctual to stretch...until you get that pain in your back or shoulder. Limited ROM simply refers to a joint in your body that has a reduction in its ability to function properly. Example: a knee may lack 10 degrees of full extension due to a past sports injury.  

The reduced motion may be a mechanical problem with the specific joint, or it may be the result of past injury or disease. Most commonly, health issues such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other types of arthritis may impact your ROM. 

Stretching can be used to improve ROM of joints, and, as we’re sure you’ve noticed in your training regimen, is also a preventative measure. Why? If ROM is limited asymmetrically in the hamstrings, then your body can overcompensate, and it could lead to a pelvic torsion and lower back pain. When this occurs, you are taking chances with risking injury.  

CORESHORTSTM patented technology not only helps top athletes prevent injury, but it allows people who have injuries from compensating for lack of ROM and mobility. Check out our selection of premium compression shorts!

Why is full ROM important? 

A joint MUST go through its full ROM daily to remain healthy. If movement is limited, synovial fluid, which is a nutrient-rich and internal lubricating fluid, cannot properly circulate to protect your joints. Eventually, this will cause stiffness, joint and/or muscle dysfunction, and joint deterioration. 

A full ROM will increase flexibility, strength, muscle tone, and will help expend more calories. Other benefits of ROM exercises include: 

• Improved Circulation 
• Enhanced Muscle Strength 
• Maintained or Increased Flexibility
• Reduced Pain and Stiffness 
• Better Sports Performance 
• Decreased Injury Potential 

Pro athletes, amateurs, and elite weekend warriors alike all agree that compression shorts prevent injury and also enhance performance. The purpose and design of CORESHORTS™ are what differentiates them from regular compression shorts and makes them UNIQUE! Experience better performance and prevent possible injury by finding out which tier of compression best suits you. 

Ways to Improve Range of Motion

Here are four stretching methods to improve your ROM: 

 
Static Stretching  

Static stretching is basically holding muscle tissue in an elongated form.  At minimum, you should hold the stretch for 30- to 60-seconds at a mild to moderate discomfort level.  

Remember: Static stretching before athletic training may cause loss of performance.  When gaining ROM, then static stretching should be performed, after activity or separately. 

Dynamic Stretching 

Active stretching is where you are moving in and out of your available ROM. Think side lunges, trunk twists, and toy soldier kicks. When integrated into your warm-up, dynamic stretching can improve ROM. 

Myofascial Release  

Foam rolling may also help improve joint ROM. Unlike static stretching, it can be performed before or after training. Many athletes will choose foam rolling for post-workout to help with recovery time.   

Hold/Relax 

This form of stretching is called Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF). It’s a quick and effective method to increase ROM. While there are several types of PNF stretches, the hold/relax technique is easiest. All you do is move the joint or muscle to a point of feeling a light stretch and then hold for about 10 seconds.  After that, progress further a little more into the stretch and hold for about another 30 seconds.   

Remember: Stretching is critical to maintaining joint flexibility and ROM.  However, you should only feel a mild stretch, not pain!

Stability Starts with CORESHORTS™ 

Experience the difference of CORESHORTS™. Our Core Activation System "X" provides enhanced core support, improved stability, and optimizing ROM. 

Our patented core activation system features:  

• Revolutionary X band design (which mimics the functional anatomy of the body's core area to boost performance) 
• Anti-odor technology prevents the growth of odor-causing microbes
• Smooth, chafe-free flatlock seam construction 

Three levels available to suit any level of athlete - stability starts at CORESHORTS ™!