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Warming up before a race Pre-event massage and then stretching after an initial warm-up run will remove waste products from the muscles and ready them for activity. Here is an outline for before a race: Self massage. Short gentle exercise. Stretches. Final warm-up before the race. Stretches include: quadriceps, pulling ankle up behind bent knee standing on each leg in turn; hamstrings, touching toes, raising leg high at the front (can hold foot with hand); calves, raising and lowering on toes or lean against a road sign and place one leg extended and one leg with the knee bent behind you stretching calves with heels on the ground. Running on the spot mimics exercise too. Massage is good for warming smaller muscles, such as those up the outside of the calf. The major muscles get worked during stretches but the muscles used for balancing rather than propelling us along need attention too. These are the muscles that we are likely to damage when we twist our ankle, warming them up well will increase the chances of being able to withstand a momentary slip and carry on rather than seriously injuring the muscle. | ||
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CATHERINE HOLLAND Tel: 0701 7415310 Email: catherine@catherineholland.co.uk | |
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