Stretch yourself, before you wreck yourself

A little stretching will go a long way in helping you to avoid decreased performance, pain, and injury in any sport. With its unique demands as a seated activity, that is especially true for rowing.

But we totally get it. After a hard workout, stretching can seem like nothing more than a tiresome chore standing between you and a hot shower. In fact, ask most sports physios and they will tell you that rowers are some of the worst culprits for neglecting their mobility.

It’s much easier to get excited about watching your muscles grow, times tumble or waistline shrink than it is about the less tangible or visible benefits of improving flexibility. But the truth is, it all goes hand in hand. Flexibility is a core component of fitness, that goes with cardiovascular efficiency and muscular strength to produce athletic performance. Take any one of those three pillars away, and your fitness topples over.

Stretching post-row is more than a passive injury preventing practice. Among the numerous benefits to increased flexibility, stretching can help improve circulation, nutrient delivery to muscles and reduce recovery time between workouts, enabling you to get fitter quicker. Improved flexibility will also benefit your rowing technique; it enables you to reach deeper compression at the catch and maintain better posture.

If you have taken the time to grind out that gruelling row, don’t deprive yourself the full benefit for the sake of just five to ten minutes stretching afterwards. Stretching should be the easy part. It could even help lower stress levels and improve mood.

Whatever age or level of fitness you are at, with the right basic technique, it’s always a good thing to do stretches. Sold? Here are a few pointers to get you on your way.

Tips:

• Unless you’re a gymnast or a ballerina, the majority of your stretching should come at the end of the workout. When your muscles are warm, they are more supple and easier to stretch. If you are hard-pressed for time and can only squeeze in the workout itself, try to stretch later in the day, preferably after a hot shower or bath to help loosen you up.
• Aim for static stretches and hold the stretch for about 30 seconds at a time. Repeat for 3-5 repetitions. No bouncing or ballistics.
• Breathe, relax and be patient. You can’t rush it or take short cuts. Use the time to bring your heart rate, mind and body back to a resting state after your workout. Think of it like meditation.

What to target:

The key muscles to focus on for rowing include glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back, hip flexors, Achilles and calves. We recommend the stretches below to ensure you hit at least these areas.

Hip Flexors: Start with left knee on the ground and your right foot planted in front of you (your right leg at a 90-degree angle). Reach your left arm up as high as you can toward the sky. Both hips should be pointed forward as you lean slightly forward into the stretch.

Hamstring: Stand with your right foot two feet in front of your left foot, both hips pointing forward. Sit back into left leg and glute and let your right foot tip back onto right heel.

Lower back and Glutes: Squat all the way down and hold. Try to get both heels on the floor.

Quadriceps: Standing arms-length from a wall, face the wall and place your left hand on it. Bend your right leg until you can grab your foot with your right hand. Gently pull your leg up against your glutes to stretch the top of your right thigh. Repeat on the other side

Calf and Achilles: Stand about three feet from a wall with your hands resting on the wall. Alternating feet, place each foot as far back as you can while keeping your heel flat on the floor.

There are many more good stretching exercises, so feel free to grow your repertoire or improve your technique through yoga classes, online videos or books on the subject. You may even find you quite enjoy it.