PUBLISHED 09/22/2006
Pledging to drop 10 pounds or run a marathon are good goals. But we'd like to add one to your list: "Become more flexible." Limber muscles perform better and are less likely to get injured, so this commitment will help you attain your other fitness goals.
The first step is gauging your current level of flexibility. The hamstrings are one of runners' tightest muscle groups, so the following stretch is a good litmus test for overall pliability. (If you have loose hamstrings, it bodes well for the rest of you.) Lie on your back with one knee bent and the other leg straight. Loop a rope around your straight leg's foot. Lift your leg as high as you can. Grasp the ends of the rope and "climb" up it, hand over hand. Check your leg's position. If it's at a 45-degree angle or less, you're in the "red" range: too tight. If your leg is perpendicular to your body, you're in the "yellow" range: improvement is needed. Your ultimate goal is the "green" range, with your leg closer to your chest, past 90 degrees. Do the stretches after every run and keep tabs on your progress. By this time next year, you'll be as green as Gumby.
