Runner's Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Runner's Stretch
- It's easiest to get into this stretch if you start standing up, put one leg behind you, and slowly lower your torso down to the floor.
- Keep the front heel on the floor (if it lifts up, scoot your other leg further back).
- Place your hands on either side of your front leg. To get more out of this stretch, push your butt up toward the ceiling, and then gradually lower it back toward the floor. You'll Stretch the hip flexor of the back leg and the hamstring and buttocks of the front.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Runner's Stretch
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Seated Floor Hamstring Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.
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2
Chair Leg Extended Stretch
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.
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3
Hamstring Stretch
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.
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4
Leg-Up Hamstring Stretch
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.
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5
Standing Hamstring and Calf Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.
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6
Seated Hamstring and Calf Stretch
An intermediate mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.
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7
World's Greatest Stretch
An intermediate mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.
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8
Front Leg Raises
A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings, needing no equipment.
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9
Hamstring-SMR
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the hamstrings, using a foam roller.
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10
Inchworm
A beginner compound mobility exercise that works the hamstrings, needing no equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do runner's stretch work?
Runner's Stretch primarily works the hamstrings. The calves assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for runner's stretch?
The source dataset does not record equipment for runner's stretch. Check the instructions above before you set up.
Runner's Stretch: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Runner's Stretch is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of runner's stretch?
Seated Floor Hamstring Stretch, Chair Leg Extended Stretch, Hamstring Stretch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
How do I log runner's stretch in Fitnit?
As time held rather than reps. Fitnit records the seconds and credits them to the hamstrings on your body map, so you can see which muscles you train hard and never stretch.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
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