3 Quick and Easy Stretches Every Runner Should Know |

Bye, charley horses and muscle cramps. Stretching out your hard-working legs helps prevent injury and tight muscles, and will even help you run farther and faster as you train. Here, three basic stretches every runner should be doing to improve her workouts.

Quad Stretch: Balancing on your right leg, grab your shoe with your left hand and pull your left ankle up to meet your butt. You should feel the stretch in the front of your thigh. Focus on trying to extend your knee to get the maximum effect. Repeat on the right side.

Lunge Calf Stretch: Step into a lunge, keeping your back knee off the ground. Ease into the stretch with a small bounce to feel it in your back calf. Repeat on the other side.

Seated Pigeon: Sitting on a bench or chair, rest your right ankle on your left knee and gently push your right knee toward the ground. This will help prevent your inner thigh from getting tight.

RELATED: A Simple but Killer Two-Step Leg Workout

Additional Reporting by Abby Hepworth

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