Running · 5 min · Static recovery

Post-Run Cool-Down Stretches

Ease down after a run with gentle stretches for your calves, hamstrings, hips and quads. A five-minute cool-down to help your legs recover for the next session.

5 min
6 exercises
No equipment needed

Do this routine in the Prep app

Get Post-Run Cool-Down as a guided, timed session — with every move demonstrated and adjustable to how you feel.

Download on iOS

Scan to download

1
Calf Wall Stretch (Straight Leg)
45s
Hands on wall, one leg back and straight, press the heel down.
How to do it
1. Stand facing a wall with hands flat against it at shoulder height.
2. Step the right foot back, keeping the leg straight and the heel pressing into the floor.
3. Bend the front knee and lean toward the wall until you feel the stretch through the calf.
4. Hold for 45 seconds, then switch sides.
Why it matters
Targets the gastrocnemius — the upper, two-joint part of the calf that gets short from running and high-heeled shoes.
Pair with the bent-knee version to hit both layers of the calf in 90 seconds.
How it should feel
The stretch lives in the upper calf — the gastrocnemius — because the back knee is locked straight.
Back heel stays down. If it lifts, you've stepped too far back or leaned too hard. Step in slightly.
Keep the back foot pointing straight forward. A turned-out foot cheats the stretch into the inner calf.
Make it easier or harder
Easierstep the back foot closer to the wall and reduce the lean. Use a wall edge or doorframe if balance is shaky.
Harderdrop the back heel off the edge of a step and let gravity do the work.
2
Calf Wall Stretch (Bent Knee)
45s
Same wall setup, but back knee bent to drop the stretch lower.
How to do it
1. Stand facing a wall with hands at shoulder height and step the right foot back.
2. Bend both knees — front and back — keeping the back heel pressing into the floor.
3. Sink your hips down and slightly forward, feeling the stretch shift lower in the calf.
4. Hold for 45 seconds, then switch sides.
Why it matters
Specifically targets the soleus and lower Achilles — the calf layer most runners ignore and the one most blamed for Achilles tendon issues.
Worth doing daily if you run, lift heavy, or have a history of Achilles problems.
How it should feel
The stretch should sit lower in the calf and around the Achilles — that's the soleus underneath the gastrocnemius.
The back heel must stay down. If it's lifting, sink the hips more rather than stretching further.
The knee should be in soft flexion, not deeply bent. About 20-30° is enough to bias the soleus.
Make it easier or harder
Easierreduce the depth of the back knee bend and reduce the lean toward the wall.
Harderdrop the back heel off a step edge with the knee bent, or stack a weight on the thigh for added load.
3
Standing Quad Stretch
45s
Pull one heel toward your glute while standing tall.
How to do it
1. Stand tall, feet hip-width, holding a wall or post for balance if needed.
2. Bend your right knee and catch the foot with your right hand, drawing the heel toward the glute.
3. Keep both knees together and squeeze the right glute to deepen the stretch through the hip flexor.
4. Hold for 30-45 seconds, then switch sides.
Why it matters
Hits both the quads and the front of the hip — two areas runners and cyclists chronically shorten.
Thirty seconds per side after a run is enough to keep the hip flexors honest.
How it should feel
The stretch should sit in the front of the thigh and the front of the hip — both, not just the quad.
Knees stay glued together. If the working knee drifts forward of the standing knee, you've lost the hip flexor component and turned it into a pure quad stretch.
Squeezing the glute on the stretching side is the secret. Most people skip it and wonder why nothing opens.
Make it easier or harder
Easierloop a strap or towel around the foot if you can't reach it cleanly. Stay close to the wall for balance.
Harderlet go of the wall and challenge balance, or do it lying prone for a deeper hip flexor opening.
4
Figure Four (Supine)
45s
Lie on your back, cross one ankle over the opposite knee, draw in.
How to do it
1. Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh just above the knee.
3. Reach through and clasp behind the left thigh, gently drawing it toward the chest.
4. Hold for 60 seconds, then switch sides.
Why it matters
Probably the safest and most effective hip opener on the list — no knee load, no balance demand, full glute stretch.
Non-negotiable for runners and worth doing daily.
How it should feel
The stretch sits in the outside of the right hip and deep in the glute — should never be felt in the front of the right knee.
Flex the right foot to lock the knee in safe rotation. A floppy foot is a vulnerable knee.
Let the head and shoulders rest on the floor. If you're tensing the neck to look down, relax it.
Make it easier or harder
Easierdon't pull the leg in as far. Keep the foot of the bottom leg on the floor and just rest the cross-over in place.
Harderguide the crossed knee away with the elbow while pulling the bottom leg closer for a deeper external rotation.
5
Hip Flexor Lunge
1m
Half-kneel, squeeze the back glute, shift the hips forward.
How to do it
1. Kneel on your right knee with the left foot flat on the floor in front, both knees at 90°.
2. Squeeze your right glute hard — this will tilt the pelvis under and tense the hip flexor.
3. Shift your weight slightly forward, keeping the squeeze, until you feel a stretch through the front of the right hip.
4. Hold for 60 seconds, then switch sides.
Why it matters
The single best stretch for chronic hip flexor tightness from sitting and running.
Daily, two minutes total, and most desk-bound humans would feel a difference within a week.
How it should feel
The squeeze of the back glute is the whole exercise. Without it, you're just resting in a lunge — with it, the hip flexor lengthens honestly.
The stretch should sit deep in the front of the hip, not in the lower back. If the lower back is talking, you've stopped squeezing the glute.
Don't lunge too far forward. A small shift is enough once the pelvis is tucked.
Make it easier or harder
Easierpad the back knee with a folded towel. Reduce the forward shift to where you can hold the glute squeeze.
Harderreach the same-side arm overhead and lean slightly away, or progress to the Couch Stretch.
6
Supine Twist
1m
Lie on your back, draw both knees up and drop them to one side.
How to do it
1. Lie on your back with arms extended out in a T and knees bent.
2. Draw both knees up toward your chest, then let them drop to the right.
3. Turn your head to look toward the left hand, keeping both shoulder blades on the floor.
4. Hold for 60 seconds, then switch sides.
Why it matters
A passive, gravity-fed rotation that decompresses the lower back and opens the chest.
Classic end-of-day or pre-sleep stretch — low effort, high return.
How it should feel
The stretch should run through the lower back, the outer hip and the front of the chest — a diagonal across the body.
Keep both shoulders pressing down. If the opposite shoulder lifts off the floor, you've over-rotated.
Let gravity do the work. This isn't an active stretch — the knees should rest where they land naturally.
Make it easier or harder
Easierplace a pillow or block under the knees so they don't have to drop as far. Skip the head turn.
Harderstraighten the top leg and reach it diagonally for a deeper rotation, or hold the top knee with the opposite hand.