2. Shin Bend
Purpose: Stretches your ankles, feet, shins and quads.
Get Ready: Sit on your heels with your knees together and the top of your feet on the floor. Bring your thumbs—pointed toward each other—to your arches for balance.
Go: Pull in your stomach, hunch your shoulders forward, and gently lift your knees off the ground so you're balancing on the tops of your feet. Hold for ten seconds and slowly come down. Place your knees six inches apart and repeat for 10 seconds.
Next, bring your knees back together with your toes apart, and lift them for 10 seconds. Repeat the stretch position that felt the tightest. Only do this stretch if it feels comfortable on your knees.
With time and practice, you'll become more open, and you may not feel this stretch at all. If you feel it, that's your cue to do it each time you finish running.
More: 3 Exercises to Cure Your Knee Pain
3. Ankle Sways
Purpose: Strengthens and tones every angle of the front of the thighs and lower abs.
Get Ready: Stand with feet together. Place your left hand on your stomach and your right hand on your lower back. Balancing on your left leg, lift your right knee up as high as you can, aiming to ultimately get your right knee in line with your hips.
Go: While balancing and keeping your right knee stationary, sway your ankle from left to right as far as you can in each direction 25 times. Repeat on the opposite side.
Perform a total of two sets. To increase the intensity, on the second set, perform 50 on each side.
