Fitness

Should I stretch before a run?

Some people say you should stretch before running to prevent injuring tight muscles, while others say you're more likely to hurt yourself if you stretch cold muscles. Who's right?
Stephen Mills, via email

Matt Hart answers: They're both right. Running with tight muscles can cause injury, but if you try to stretch cold muscles you risk tearing them, which is a paradox because the aim of stretching is to prevent muscle damage.

Do a gentle warm-up before stretching to raise your core muscular temperature. A gentle five-minute jog should be enough. Then stretch all the major muscle groups of the lower body including quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes and adductors. Don't bounce your stretches - just hold each one for ten seconds. Only then are you ready to run.