Runners are notoriously tight; combine the fact that running in itself tightens the muscles and that many of us are cramped for time and neglect to stretch it is no wonder that plenty of injuries creep up due to lack of flexibility. I am as guilty as any for skimping on the post run stretching routine and genetics dealt me a particularly inflexible fate (thank you Mommy...haha!)but not taking the time to improve your range of motion and flexibility will catch up with you not only in the short term but years down the road.

You also lose flexibly as you age (call it another gift from Father Time as he also saps your speed!) and if you neglect stretching now, when you are younger, that is only going to make things exponentially worse off down the road. The window to stave off that ever creeping up tightness in the muscles, and the ability to avoid certain injuries and tears, will have closed. That is why carving out the time to include dynamic and static stretching into your running and fitness routine is so important. I'll step off the little soap box now, but one spot in particular that is prone to being especially tight in runners is the IT Band.

The IT Band runs along the outside of the thigh; starting from the top of the hip and all the way to the knee. This little bugger is responsible for a myriad of knee problems, but like plenty of other injuries it effects many other areas and can be the root cause of other seemingly unrelated injuries. The constant, repetitive motion of running sets the IT Band up to become inflamed and tight and to counteract that it is important to pay some extra attention to this area. The old motto that the best medicine for an injury is prevention is key here; by keeping this band loose and knot free you will be able to save yourself time off and pain later on.

A great stretch for the IT Band is to sit on your tail bone and prop your knees up with the heels of your feet about a foot from your bum. Taking your left leg you will then bend it and place the outside of your foot on the top of your right knee; your left leg will be in a similar sort of position as the butterfly stretch and rolled outward. To make the stretch deeper move the knee of your right leg closer to your torso thus moving the foot of your left leg closer to you; hold here and then repeat on the opposite leg.

If that stretch is difficult for you or uncomfortable you can also do a similar version but this will have you bending the left leg in a half-butterfly stretch position on the floor and you will extend your right leg behind you. You should feel the stretch, both of them, in the upper hip area and along the outer thigh. Sink deeper into this stretch by getting your thigh as close to the ground as possible and then lean forward.

In addition to stretching you can work out the knots that invariably form along the IT Band...now I warn you this is not going to be pleasant especially if you haven't ever worked on your IT Band before! Using a foam roller, lie on your side and place the outside of your thigh on the roller and glide across it through the entire length of the band; from the top of your hip to your knee. In the spots that are particularly tender hold it there and apply a bit more of your bodyweight; that is where a knot is. After holding the foam roller on the spot with pressure for about 20 seconds continue to roll around and over the knot. You won't be able to break up all of the knots in one sitting but continue to do this and you'll notice that after a couple of weeks it will be less painful and smoother as you glide across the roller. Of course when you are just starting to do this go easy and gently work on breaking up those knots because you'll feel sore later; also be sure to drink plenty of extra water to flush out those toxins you will be breaking up and releasing.

Ideally you want to be able to roll across that IT Band niggle free and that will be a good sign that the entire length is loose and flexible. By keeping it in this state you'll be staving off a potential injury and won't be stuck having to take time off later!