As you embark on your journey of losing weight by running, remember to stretch throughout the day. Stretch in the morning, in the afternoon, before your run, after your run - make sure to stretch! You want to make sure your muscles are as lose as possible when you run to prevent injuries and to increase performance during yours runs. Also, do not forget to regularly stay hydrated, and drink water!

I have some recommendations on which muscles you should concentrate while running to make sure they are lose and ready to go on your next run. Make sure to stretch out your quad muscles in your legs regularly; if you went on a run and did not stretch your quads, you probably realized it the next day when walking was difficult. Stretching out your hamstring will tremendously help propel you forward when you are pushing into a higher gear. The faster you run, the more your hamstring gets use. Conversely, the slower you run the more your calves will get a workout, so also put that muscle group on your essentials list. Plus, if you want to run barefoot, you will feel it with your calves. Stretch your calves early and often if you are a bare footer. Your thighs also need to be stretched in order to prevent injury and for peek performance.

Stretching will alleviate the risk of injury during your runs. Regardless of your level of running: You need to stretch! Beginners need it as their muscles get used to the rhythm of running, whereas veterans need it as they need to restore their muscles as much as possible while running five or six days per week. Stretching loosens muscles which keeps them from being too tight, which is the cause of many injuries. Flexibility will also increase from stretching, which makes the runner more agile to avoid running into things.

On the list of injury prevention for runners, stretching rests on the highest echelon, along with hydration. So, while running to lose weight, remember to stretch through each and every day to help prevent injury and to get ready for your next run sooner.

My name is Christian A. Lautenschleger, and I have founded http://starttoruntoday.com to help people lose weight by running. I write articles on subjects geared towards new running enthusiasts who are motivated by weight loss. Again, I have founded How To Start Running To Lose Weight, which is located at http://starttoruntoday.com. Thank you for reading my article!