Olympian Warmup Plan Stretches Entire Body

March 4, 1986|American Health Magazine Service

Through her long and fruitful running career, Grete Waitz, the 1984 Olympic silver medalist in the women`s marathon, has spent very few days nursing injuries. Part of the reason is due to her sensible approach to training: She listens to her body and is careful not to overtrain. Another thing she does is prepare for her training with 11 flexibility exercises.

Developed by Waitz and fellow runner Sharon Barano, this flexibility program was designed to stretch the entire body, yet avoid the injury that stretching sometimes causes. For instance, the knees are kept slightly bent to keep the lower back from becoming strained, and the torso and neck aren`t rotated to the point of being forced.

Because Waitz does this flexibility routine before and after her workouts, she has been able to keep her exercised muscles long and pliable. As the swift Norwegian declares: ``This is the most important form of injury prevention I know of.``

1. The Grapevine: Standing with legs shoulder-width apart, reach for the sky, first with one hand and then the other. Do this for about 10 seconds.

2. Waist Twists: Keeping legs shoulder-width apart, reach hands to one side. Twist, keeping your face forward, 10 times to each side.

3. Hamstring Stretch: Sit on the floor, with one leg straight and the other bent into the thigh. Slowly reach for the toes of the extended leg and hold for 10 seconds. Waitz does two on each leg.

4. Groin Stretch: Sit. Keeping your back straight and the soles of your feet together, bend forward from the waist and gently push your knees apart. Hold for 10 seconds, straighten and repeat two more times. Make sure to keep your back straight and the rest of your body relaxed.

5. Cross Pull: On the floor, cross your right leg over your bent left knee. Wrap your left arm around your right knee and pull it toward your chest, twisting your upper body to the right as you look over your shoulder. Hold for a count of 10 and keep it gentle, since these stretches should not be painful.

6. Quad Stretch: Lying flat on your back, bring your heels as close to your buttocks as possible. Holding your heels, raise your hips off the floor. Hold for 10 seconds, inhaling as you rise. Repeat two more times.

7. Calf and Hamstring Stretch: Remaining on your back, pull one knee into your chest with both hands and then extend the leg straight up. Hold for 10 seconds and then lower the foot to about 4 inches from the floor. Flex your foot for about 10 seconds to get a calf stretch, then lower it to the ground. Repeat with the other leg.

8. Lower and Upper Back: On the floor, with knees bent and arms straight out, draw knees up to chest. Now roll them to one side, turning your head the other way. Hold for 10 seconds. Three times on each side is the number Waitz does.

9. Stomach Strengtheners: On the floor with your knees bent, cross your arms and slowly rise halfway. Hold for a few seconds and repeat five times gradually working up to a count of 10.

10. Upper Power: For many women, a modifed pushup is done with knees bent and on the floor. For men or stronger women, extend the legs. Waitz recommends that you try five.

11. Spine Builder: Face down on the floor, lift your left arm and right leg for a few seconds. Do three on each side. Now go work out.

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