lean back to increase the stretch in the front of your thigh. Take care if you have ankle problems, and stay tall in your upper body to avoid compressing your lower back. 2. Bent-leg standing hamstrings stretchBe thoroughly warmed up before you attempt

UAN: Article type:++needs pics++--These stretch more than one muscle group at once – including your upper body, an often-neglected area in runners. 1. Downward-facing dogKeep your feet hip-width apart and your hands shoulder-width apart. Keep your

Warming up before a race or a speedwork session should mean more than just a 10-minute trot. Gentle running will get the blood flowing, but to avoid that heavy-legged sensation in the opening mile of the race, or the first few repetitions of your

, just like the finger-nail ones. They looked great all summer. See full threadBuy bigger shoesSuz - My second toenail is purple and about to fall off from my last pair of running shoes! I have just bought new shoes 1/2 size bigger and have had

to leave three hours between eating and running, no one has ever said the same about drinking. Water or energy drink may relieve the discomfort. Taking an antacid tablet on an empty stomach may cause gas inside the stomach, which stretches it, causing

adapting to a regular (or increasing) training load. Long runs, hard sessions and races also leave your immune system dramatically lowered, so knowing what to eat, drink and do immediately after exercise is vital for staying fit and healthy too.Keep Moving

Pat Cash won at Wimbledon in 1987, playing his first match just 10 days after an appendix operation.It is quite possible that you could re-commence training in under three weeks after your surgery, but you might not be very pleased if the wound breaks

....hit the marathon wallWhat's going on? The energy to power your muscles comes from a store of about 2000 calories worth of glycogen in your liver and muscles, which is enough to energise about 20 miles of running. When you run out of glycogen, your body is forced

. Cure Stop and stretch. Scientists are unsure of exactly what causes cramps, but it’s not as simple as electrolyte imbalances or dehydration.SHIN SPLINTS OuchYour shins are beyond sore. Science Pain is likely due to overtraining, wearing worn shoes

Painful, paralysing and PB-unfriendly, cramps can strike at any time. "There's no one definitive cause," saysDr Steve Ingham, head of physiology at the English Institute of Sport (eis2win.co.uk). Research in the Muscle & Nerve Journal shows