Must Do Anti-Injury Stretches - Outer thigh stretch

I'm resting today after yesterday's run. I took it easy yesterday and the run was quite nice and enjoyable. I even felt less exhaustion after the last hill.  There was only one cyclist, one walker and one other person who was intermittently walking and running with his dog.

One of the areas I often feel tightness is on the upper thigh towards the hips. This is the iliotibial band (ITB). Some people may feel pain on the outer side of the knee, which is also caused by tension in the ITB. This pain usually appears a couple of miles or more into the run. Not from the first step. The pain is caused by the friction of the tight iliotibial band rubbing against the knee or hip. There are a few stretches very effective for taking care of the ITB. One of them is the outer thigh stretch. This is one of my staples.

Sit on the floor with your right leg straight. Lift the left foot and slowly place it by the outer side of the right knee. Place your right elbow on the side of the bent left knee and gently push it toward the right side. Left hand resting on the floor behind twist your torso turning your gaze towards 7 o'clock or 8 o'clock position behind you. Gently raise the pressure of your right arm on your left leg pushing it to the other side. Raise pressure till you feel stretch on the upper side of the left thigh towards the buttock. Hold there for 15 seconds. Do for the right side. Repeat four times.

The upper thigh stretch is so important for me that I do different stretches targeting the general area. As a result of these stretches I have been able to steer clear of discomfort relating to the ITB. Whenever I feel some tension during a run or after, I make sure I do these stretches. That's enough to take care of it. If your pains persist, have your gait analyzed to make sure you are using the right type of shoes for your foot type and gait.  If your feet roll inward too much (over pronate), then that can cause extra strain on your ITB. The right shoes can correct the problem.

Doing your stretches regularly can prevent a lot of injuries. Below are previous posts on Must Do Anti-Injury Stretches.

Must Do Anti-Injury Stretches - Calf Stretches
Must Do Anti-Injury Stretches - Hamstring and lower back stretch

Good day!