#itbandstretch

I’m pretty sure all the muscles in my legs are tight. Too tight. So I’m making stretching a priority. My goal is to run through a 15 minute stretch session at least three times a week. I like this pose because I felt it loosen up my IT band when I did it during group #yoga on Saturday (swipe right to see some pics from the #outdooryoga session). #stretching #stretchinggoals #forwardfoldtwist #itbandstretch #yogaforrunners

IT Band Stretch I treated myself to a bamboo massage last week and when the masseuse took a bamboo rod down my #ITband I thought it was going to snap! I wasn't even aware of how tight my ITBand was! And unfortunately thats the case with most people- especially athletes. Its a sneaky kind of tightness that sometimes has no pain associated with it at all. Tight IT bands can be caused by many things like, weak hip muscles, poor running form, overuse or even unsupportive shoes. You may have an overly tight ITBand if you experience pain on the outside of the hips, legs and/or knees. It can be tough to get this stubborn muscle to relax but its possible nonetheless. What you need is a #foamroller (or tennis ball) and a few #stretches to do on your own. It’ll take about 🔹5min per day🔹 to really work these tight and typically overused muscles out. Here’s what to do: 1. #FoamRoll from hip bone to just above your knee. Move slowly at first, stop and hold at any point where you feel especially tense spots. Roll for 2min on each side. 2. Leg Crossover Stretch -Cross Rt. leg over Lt. so that your feet touch and line up. Lean to the Lt. and feel the stretch along the Lt. side of your leg. If you are more flexible you can bend over, touch the floor and lean to the Lt for a deeper #ITBandstretch . 3. #RevolvedTriangle -On your mat, step your right foot back 3-4 feet, keep the back foot angled at 45deg and make sure heels are in line with hips. -Keep both legs straight, on an exhale fold forward over your legs. Use blocks here for your hands if your hamstrings are tight. -Take 5 breaths, soften into the pose. -Keeping your feet stationary, squeeze inner thighs together, pull belly in tight and move your right hand a little closer to your left foot then twist your torso to the left and extend your left hand skyward. -Take 5 breaths,soften into pose 4. Runners Lunge Try to bring yourself down to your forearms in this stretch. Its ok to push the front knee outside your ankle to get deep into your groin muscles, just make sure you keep weight in your big toe and inside of your foot. Try to keep as much length in your spine as possible and gaze outward. Hold 5-10breaths.