Trevor Raab

You should stretch!

Runners are told this all the time. But that can lead to a lot of common questions, like:

When and how long should you stretch?

Which stretches should you do?

Does a warmup or cooldown routine count as stretching?

Will stretching really help my running?

The Runner’s World Guide to Stretching and Mobility will help you put together a program that fits you perfectly. Tight hips and shoulder pain? We got you. Want your prerun warmup to add a boost to your stride? Done.

Your Stretching and Mobility Glossary

Most runners use the terms stretching, flexibility, and mobility interchangeably, but they are three different things.

Here’s the TLDR:

Stretching mainly improves your overall flexibility

Slow stretching also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and aiding muscle recovery

Mobility mainly improves range of motion around a joint

Mobility exercises reduce stiffness by strengthening muscles, ligaments, and tendons around joints

You need…