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!

One of the top contenders for any point of an injury is a tendon or ligament. Because the tissues or tendons and ligaments lack an abundant blood supply they are slower to heal than a muscle injury and tricky to treat. They are also commonly chronic injuries that once they creep up can nag you on and off for many years. For those that are regular and avid exercisers these can be distressing injuries as they can leave you side lined for quite some time. A common tendon to become inflamed and then limit your exercising ability is the Achilles tendon.

The Achilles tendon is located at the back of your lower leg just above the heel and below the calf. It attaches your heel to your calf muscle and a great way to avoid an Achilles injury is through some calf strengthening moves. By building up the muscles of your calf and by targeting these muscles at different angles you can reduce your chances of being plagued with Achilles pain. This is a short exercise routine that can be done three times a week; start by doing one set of ten for each exercise and then build your way up to two or three sets.

* Forward calf raise. Standing on a raised platform such as a stair you will rest the ball of your foot on the step and let your heel hand off the back of it. You will then begin by lowering yourself down until your heels are below your toes and you feel a stretch in your calf. Slowly raise yourself up onto your tip toes and then back down to the starting position. This will be one repetition.
* Inward calf raise. Just as before you will stand on the stair but this time you will point both of your feet inwards so your toes are angled towards each other. Continue to then lower and raise yourself on the stair.
* Outward calf raise. This time you will point your toes away from each other and your heels will be facing each other. Lower and raise yourself on the stair.

This will target your calves by three angles and by strengthening them this way you can better prepare them for any awkward movements, such as if you were running and slipped on a patch of ice, and then reduce the chances that this would result in an injury.

One of the common banes for any regular fitness enthusiast is an injury. Whether you have a nagging soreness that flares up to the point that it limits your ability to do a particular activity, have an accident that results in a sprain or strain, or overdid it in your last workout routine it is virtually impossible to go through the years without an injury. But one of the best ways to limit the amount and frequency of those injuries is to do all that you can to prevent them.

This is obviously much easier said than done and while no amount of injury prevention care can eliminate all your chances of winding up side lined there are plenty of things you can do to be proactive.

* Stretching. While there has been debate as to the best time to stretch you always want to do it after your muscles have had a chance to warm up and are loose. This means at the end of your workout you should spend a few minutes doing both static stretching and dynamic stretching for each of the major muscles groups. This will increase flexibility and your range of motion leaving your muscles less prone to a tear or pull.
* Ice. If you do feel a soreness creeping up whether it be suddenly after a workout or one that has been nagging for awhile you can benefit from icing the area after any other workouts for up to 15 minutes. The icing will reduce inflammation and increase healing.
* Strength train. The stronger your whole body is and the better your muscles are toned the less likely you are to being injured. Your core especially should be strong as it is your powerhouse and if you are diligent in targeting each muscle group you can limit the chances that a sudden stressor will result in an injury. The stronger a muscle is overall the better it can stand up to any tweaks.
* Know when to rest. If you are dealing with an acute or chronic soreness or pain that will not go away or gets worse after the first five or ten minutes of your workout instead of better you could speed up recovery and get back to your normal fitness routine faster if you ease back or take a day off. If the pain is only during a certain movement or motion try a different activity that will give you a similar physical benefit without causing the stress on the place that hurts. Swimming or going into the pool to aqua-jog is usually a great option as the non-weight bearing effect of the water will allow you to get in a great cardio workout without any added stress.

Being smart will help stave off injuries as well as reduce the amount of time needed for a proper recovery!

One of the more commonly held beliefs when it comes to exercise, is that before you do anything you need to stretch. You will often see people about to head out for a run, take to the elliptical machine, or even start their weight routine first by doing a series of static stretches such as a quad stretch or butterfly pose thinking that before they get started they need to stretch their muscles. But the fact is, that if you are stretching cold muscles you are not only risking a strain or even a tear, but you may be reducing your muscle's power too!

Research is showing that not only is it a bad idea to stretch before working out, but it can actually hamper your performance too. Muscles that are not warmed up or loose before being put into a stretch are not only more likely to be injured but can have a reduction of power of up to 30 percent. Not good news to anyone looking to play harder, run faster, or lift heavier. Stretching isn't all bad, but it needs to be done at the right time. This would be after your warm up or after your workout; once your muscles have been activated and put to use. Stretching is great at increasing flexibility and gaining a full range of motion, but the best time to do that is after your workout.