World's Greatest Stretch

How to do it

From a forward fold or hands and knees, step the right foot forward between the hands into a deep lunge, with the left leg long behind and the back heel lifted. Sink the hips down and forward. Bring the right forearm — or the right hand on a block — down toward the inside of the right foot, letting the front hip open. From there, turn the chest toward the right leg and reach the right arm straight up toward the ceiling, following the hand with the eyes. Return the hand to the floor, shift the hips back over the rear knee, and straighten the front leg, hinging over it with a long spine. Move through the three positions with the breath, then switch sides.

Why it's good for runners

The name is fair. In one shape it visits the three positions training takes away: the front of the rear hip that an hour of running never lets fully extend, the rotation through the upper back that a braced kettlebell session spends its whole time refusing, and the back of the front leg. Each of those normally costs its own pose. Moving through them in sequence also means you are warm by the end of it, which is why it works as well cold in the evening as it does straight off a session.

Common mistakes

Rushing the rotation is the big one — most people drop the elbow, flick the arm up, and move on. Drop the hips lower first, then turn slowly and actually look at your hand. Don't let the back knee drift to the floor unless you mean it to; a long, lifted back leg is what puts the front of that hip on stretch. And use a block under the low hand if the forearm doesn't reach — reaching the floor by rounding the spine costs you the rotation that comes next.