Log in
Language: English

Community post

Stretching Before a Run: What It Can and Cannot Do

By · Published · 4 min read

Editorial standards and corrections
Running warm-upsstretching before runningrunning warm-upflexibilityinjury preventionstatic stretchingmuscle soreness

Research separates stretching’s effects on flexibility, injury risk, and soreness. Learn what stretching can do and how to prepare for a run.

Cover image for Stretching Before a Run: What It Can and Cannot Do.
Stretching Before a Run: What It Can and Cannot Do — AudioAlona Short English narration on stretching, flexibility, injury prevention, and warm-ups.
Before a run, what are you hoping stretching will do—help you feel ready, improve flexibility, or prevent injury? Stretching can be part of a warm-up, but the two are not the same: warming up means gradually preparing your body for activity. And the evidence differs depending on which goal you mean. Regular stretching can improve flexibility, but research has not clearly shown that stretching alone prevents injuries or next-day soreness.
Welcome to the Health and Wellness community on Spark, a voice-first blogging platform where we share experiences, learn from each other, and connect in communities.
Today you’ll learn what stretching can and cannot do, and how to choose a warm-up for your goal. We’ll use three steps: decide what you want, choose the right kind of movement, and ease into your run without expecting any warm-up to prevent every injury.

First, separate the outcomes

A 2023 review of 77 studies found that regular stretching can increase range of motion over time. That is a real benefit—but it is a flexibility result, not proof that stretching prevents running injuries.

What about injury prevention?

A large review of 25 trials with more than 26,000 people across different sports compared stretching with not stretching. Overall, injury risk was about the same. The results could not rule out a small benefit, no effect, or a small increase in risk. The review did not find clear proof that stretching prevented injuries. It also cannot prove that stretching never helps any runner: the studies covered different sports and did not answer every running-specific question.
The same review found fewer injuries in studies that tested strength training. Those were different studies, though—not a direct contest between strength training and stretching. The result does not tell every runner which exercises to do. It does show why injury prevention involves more than one stretch.

And soreness?

A review of 12 studies found that stretching before or after exercise did not meaningfully reduce muscle soreness in the days after exercise. In one large study, the average difference at peak soreness was about four points on a 100-point scale—a small change. Stretching may feel pleasant, but it is not a reliable way to prevent next-day soreness.

Now use three steps

  1. Step one: name your goal. Ask, “Am I stretching to become more flexible, to feel ready, or to prevent an injury?” Those are different goals. Stretching has stronger evidence for flexibility than for preventing injuries or soreness.
  2. Step two: match the method to the goal. If you want more flexibility, make gentle stretching a regular practice and work within a comfortable range. You do not need to force a painful position. If you stretch because it feels good, that is a valid reason too—just do not mistake feeling looser for proof that injury risk has fallen.
  3. Step three: ease into the run. Start with a walk or very easy jog, then build toward your planned pace. This is a practical way to move from rest into exercise and notice how your body feels. It is not a guarantee against injury. For injury prevention, think about your whole training plan and ask a qualified coach or health professional for help if pain keeps returning or you have a relevant health concern.
Here is what to remember: name your goal, match the stretch to that goal, and ease into the run. Regular stretching can improve flexibility. Current evidence does not show that stretching alone reliably prevents injuries or meaningfully reduces next-day soreness. What is your reason for stretching before a run?
If you have ideas to share but would rather talk than write, Spark is for you. Record or upload your thoughts, and AI will turn them into a blog post. Readers can read or listen, then respond and connect with your community. Spark also organizes posts so search engines and AI tools can understand them. Find Spark on iOS, Google Play, and the web, and start a community for free. Explore the Health and Wellness community on Spark.
If you are preparing for the 2027 LA Marathon, see Spark’s 26-week training challenge.

Sources and further reading

  • Lauersen, Bertelsen, and Andersen, “The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials,” British Journal of Sports Medicine (2014): systematic review and meta-analysis. This review covered many sports, so its findings are not a running-only prescription.
  • Konrad and colleagues, “Chronic effects of stretching on range of motion with consideration of potential moderating variables,” Journal of Sport and Health Science (2023): systematic review and meta-analysis of 77 studies.
  • Herbert, de Noronha, and Kamper, “Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise,” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2011): systematic review.

About the author

Alona, I founder and CEO behind Spark (My Founders) and Zai. Welcome. Please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions. We thank you for being here!

Comments (0)

Loading comments…

Keep exploring

Related from Health and Wellness Community

All articles

Does Running Ruin Your Knees?

Running does not automatically cause knee arthritis. Learn what studies can—and cannot—say, and how to respond to pain wisely.

Fresh, Frozen, or Canned: Which Vegetables Count?

Fresh, frozen, and canned produce can all help you eat more fruits and vegetables. Learn a simple way to build this habit affordably.

Does Eating After 8 p.m. Automatically Cause Weight Gain?

There is no magic 8 p.m. cutoff, but meal timing may affect appetite and metabolism. Learn what a small controlled study found.