Oly BockSix stretches, hold times and breathing for after the run, three moving drills for before it. Sources checked 30 October 2026.
Short answer: Stretch after your run and move before it. Once your breathing has settled, spend about ten minutes on six stretches: calf stretch at the wall, 90/90 hamstring stretch, standing quad stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, cat-cow and a kneeling back stretch. Hold each for about 30 seconds per side, to a clear pull. Before a run, swap holds for leg swings, ankle rocks and A-skips.
You finish a run, check your watch, and the day pulls you straight back in. Stretching is the first thing to go, or it turns into thirty seconds of leaning on a lamppost. Wanting a short routine you can actually repeat is the right call: a fixed ten minutes done after most runs adds up to more than a long session you do once a month.
This post gives you that routine, with hold times, how to breathe and how to come out of each stretch. I’m building a strength and mobility app for runners that has this routine in it; more on that near the end.
After your run: six stretches in ten minutes
Walk for three to five minutes after the run until your breathing has settled, then start. You need a wall and a bit of floor.
| # | Stretch | Where you feel it | Hold | Come out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calf stretch at the wall | Calf, back of the lower leg | 2 × 30 s per side | Breathe out, step the back foot in |
| 2 | 90/90 hamstring stretch | Back of the thigh | 2 × 30 s per side | Breathe out, bend the knee, foot down |
| 3 | Standing quad stretch | Front of the thigh | 1 × 30 s per side | Breathe out, lower the foot slowly |
| 4 | Kneeling hip flexor stretch | Front of the hip | 2 × 30 s per side | Breathe out, shift back slowly |
| 5 | Cat-cow | Mid and lower back | 6 slow reps | Finish on all fours |
| 6 | Kneeling back stretch (child’s pose) | Lower back and hips | 1 × 45 s | Hands press, roll up slowly |
Hold times as in my app, as of 30 October 2026. About 9 minutes of holds plus changes.
Calves get the most work in running, so they get two rounds
Your calves push you off the ground on every stride, so they get two rounds per side.
Calf stretch at the wall
Set up: hands on the wall, one leg back. Hold: back heel down, knee straight, lean in. Think “push the wall away, heel into the floor.” On each breath out, lean a little further. Come out: breathe out and step the back foot in.
Hamstrings and quads: the back and the front of the thigh
90/90 hamstring stretch
Set up: lie on your back and hold one knee above the hip, thigh vertical. Hold: straighten the lower leg until it pulls, and reach the heel to the ceiling. Your tailbone stays on the floor. Come out: breathe out, bend the knee and put the foot down.
Lying on your back keeps your lower back out of it, which makes this an easy one to do well after a long run.
Standing quad stretch
Set up: one hand on the wall, hold one ankle behind you. Hold: knees side by side, tuck the pelvis and squeeze the glute of the bent leg. Moving the hips up first gives a stronger stretch than pulling the foot higher. Come out: breathe out and lower the foot slowly.
Hips and lower back after long runs and hills
Long runs and hills keep your hips working for a long time. These three stretches open the front of the hip and give your back some movement after it.
Kneeling hip flexor stretch
Set up: kneel on one knee, front foot flat. Hold: tuck the pelvis and squeeze the glute of the back leg. On a breath out, lean forward a little. Come out: breathe out and shift back slowly.
The tuck matters more than the lean: with the pelvis tucked, a small shift forward is enough to feel the front of the hip.
Cat-cow
Set up: hands and knees on the floor. Move: round your back up, then let it drop, one vertebra at a time, about ten seconds per rep. Stay in the middle of the range; this one is for movement, so don’t push to the end. Finish on all fours and move straight into the last stretch.
Kneeling back stretch (child’s pose)
Set up: kneel with your knees wide and sit back. Hold: arms long, hips back to the heels. On each breath out, bring the hips a little closer to the heels. Come out: press your hands into the floor and roll up slowly.
Hold each stretch for 30 seconds and use your breath as the clock
Thirty seconds per side is enough. In a six-week study on hamstring flexibility, 30-second holds worked as well as 60-second holds, and both did better than 15 seconds (Bandy and Irion, Physical Therapy, 1994). The American College of Sports Medicine recommends holds of 10 to 30 seconds to a point of tightness or slight discomfort, about 60 seconds in total per stretch (Garber and colleagues, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011).
Pulling harder adds nothing. A 2024 meta-analysis of 77 studies found no measurable effect of stretch intensity on gains in range of motion (Konrad and colleagues, Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024). Ease into a clear pull, not to your limit.
Your breath makes a simple timer: about 4 seconds in and 6 seconds out, which is six breaths a minute. Three slow breaths make one 30-second hold. Use the breath out to lean a little further, and use one full breath out to come out of the stretch, so you never snap out of it.
Before your run: move, don’t hold
Long holds belong after the run. A review of the research found that holding stretches for 60 seconds or more per muscle right before exercise lowered performance by about 4.6 percent, while shorter holds lowered it by about 1.1 percent (Behm and colleagues, Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2016). For running economy, a 2025 review of 15 studies found no clear effect either way (Warneke and colleagues, Sports Medicine Open, 2025). So short holds before a run won’t cost you much, but moving drills do the job better.
Three moves at the door get you ready:
- Leg swings: hand on a wall, swing loose, front and back, 10 per side.
- Ankle rocks to the wall: knee to the wall, heel stays down, 10 per side.
- A-skips: knee up, foot lands under the hip, about 20 meters, twice.
When to stretch: right after the run, later in the day or on rest days
Right after the run is the easiest slot to keep, because you’re already in running kit and the routine has a fixed trigger. If you’re short on time, do the calf and hip flexor stretches at the door and the rest in the evening.
Flexibility follows the weekly total more than any single session. A 2018 review of 23 studies found that at least five minutes of stretching per muscle each week, spread over five or more days, was linked to the clearest gains (Thomas and colleagues, International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018). The ten-minute routine after most runs, plus one round on a rest day, gets you there.
After a hard workout or a long race, keep the holds light and short. Your legs have done enough for the day.
My app has this routine as a follow-along
Disclosure: I’m building this app.
It’s an iPhone app for runners: short strength and mobility sessions that fit your running week. The stretches above are in it as a follow-along routine. A moving figure shows each stretch, the hold counts down, your breath sets the pace, and you hear how to come out before the time is up. Say how much time you have and where you are, and you get the right session for your running.
It’s coming soon to the App Store; what it does and who it’s for.
Get notified when it launches →
For the strength side of the week, start with Strength training for runners.
FAQ
Should you stretch before or after running?
Hold stretches after running and move before it. Leg swings, ankle rocks and A-skips get you ready to run; longer holds of 30 seconds per side fit better once the run is done and your breathing has settled.
How do I stretch after a run?
Walk for three to five minutes, then do six stretches: calves, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, a few slow cat-cows and a kneeling back stretch. Hold each for about 30 seconds per side, three slow breaths, and come out on a breath out.
How long should you stretch before running?
Five to six minutes of moving drills is enough before an easy run. If you like a short hold, keep it under 30 seconds per muscle and move or jog lightly afterward.
Is it bad to hold stretches before a run?
Short holds barely matter. Holds of 60 seconds or more per muscle lowered performance by about 4.6 percent in a review of the research (Behm and colleagues, 2016), so save the long holds for after the run.
Do I need to stretch after an easy run?
You don’t have to, but it’s a good habit slot: you’re already warm and changed. Even the calf and hip flexor stretches alone, about four minutes, count toward your weekly total.
What should runners stretch on rest days?
The same six stretches. Flexibility follows weekly time, at least five minutes per muscle spread over five or more days (Thomas and colleagues, 2018), so a rest-day round fills the week.
How I put this together
- Stretches, hold times and cues: taken from the strength and mobility app I’m building for runners, as of 30 October 2026.
- Hold time and intensity: Garber CE et al. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise (American College of Sports Medicine position stand). Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011. Bandy WD, Irion JM. The effect of time on static stretch on the flexibility of the hamstring muscles. Physical Therapy, 1994. Konrad A et al. Chronic effects of stretching on range of motion with consideration of potential moderating variables: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024.
- Weekly time: Thomas E et al. The relation between stretching typology and stretching duration: the effects on range of motion. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018.
- Before the run: Behm DG et al. Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2016. Warneke K et al. Acute and chronic effects of stretching on running economy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine Open, 2025.
- Breathing pace: six breaths a minute is the slow pace used across breathing research: Laborde S et al. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2022 (223 studies).
For general fitness and wellbeing. Not medical advice.
Updated: 1 November 2026 (first version).
Strength and mobility that fit your running week
Say how much time you have and where you are, and get the right session for your running, stretches included. The app is coming soon to the App Store.