STRETCHING

Do you want to walk or run faster? Reduce fatigue? Exercise more comfortably? Get rid of low back pain? Reduce your risk of athletic injuries? Then make sure you are stretching regularly.

Good flexibility can decrease injuries to muscle tissues and joints, reduce muscle tension and soreness, increase range of motion, and enhance physical and mental relaxation. All of these benefits can contribute to better performance in athletics and in our daily lives.

Stretching guidelines

Warm up your muscles prior to stretching. Think of taffy. If you’re going to pull taffy, do you want it warm or cold? Right. Your muscles need to be warm to stretch more easily too. Warming up should consist of slow and rhythmic movements of large muscle groups such as those in the legs and upper body. Spend at least 5-10 minutes performing motions similar to the activity you plan to engage in.

Conduct slow, gentle, or static stretches only to the point of tension. Do you remember playing with Silly Putty? What happened when you pulled it too fast and hard? It snapped, right? Bouncing or rapid movements, known as ballistic stretching, can injure the muscle tissue in a similar manner. Pain is a signal that a stretch has gone too far.

Each stretch should be performed two to three times for 20-30 seconds each time. Stretching five to seven times per week is ideal. Frequent stretching reduces the likelihood of muscular imbalances created by daily activities or exercise. Breathing is also important and should be slow, relaxed, and rhythmic.

Make stretching part of your regular training with these recommended stretches:

DOORWAY CHEST STRETCH Muscles stretched: Chest & shoulders

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Instructions:

1. Stand in the middle of a single doorway.
2. With triceps parallel to the floor, place your forearms against the inside of the doorway.
3. Slowly step or lean forward to the furthest comfortable position, so that you feel a comfortable stretch in the chest and front shoulder muscles and hold.

WALL STRETCH Muscles stretched: Upper back, shoulders, & arms

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Instructions:

1. Stand against a smooth wall or door with your feet 6-8” apart and your heels against the wall.
2. Raise your arms over your head and press your shoulders, elbows and the backs of your hands against the wall.
3. Bend your knees slightly and keep your heels on the floor.
4. At the same time, tilt your pelvis and flatten your lower abdominals to reduce the curvature in your low back and hold.

HANDS BEHIND THE HEAD STRETCH Muscles stretched: Upper back, shoulders & upper arms

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Instructions:

1. Sit in a straight-back chair or stand with your back straight.
2. Clasp your hands behind your head with your fingers interlaced and your palms on your scalp.
3. Rotate your hands backwards so that your palms are facing the ceiling.
4. Keeping your head up, press your elbows backwards and hold.

KITCHEN SINK STRETCH Muscles stretched: Lower back, hamstrings, shoulders

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Instructions:

1. Stand about 18-24” in front of your kitchen sink and, with your arms straight, hang your fingertips over the top of the sink.
2. Keeping your legs and arms straight, push your buttocks down and backwards so that your upper torso bends forward.
3. Sink your upper body as low as possible and hold.
4. Come back to the starting position.

QUAD STRETCH Muscles stretched: Quadriceps (fronts of legs)

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Instructions:

1. Stand and hold the back of a sturdy chair with your left hand for balance.
2. Bend your left leg and grasp your left foot with your right hand.
3. Put up gently and hold.
4. Repeat with other leg.

KNEELING HAMSTRING STRETCH Muscles stretched: Hamstrings

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Instructions:

1. Kneel on the floor next to a chair or couch.
2. Holding the chair for balance, extend your right leg out in front of you, with your foot flexed.
3. Gently lean forward from your hips, keeping your back straight. Visualize touching your chest to your knee.
4. Hold and repeat with the left leg.

LUNGE STRETCH Muscles stretched: Groin, hamstrings, and hip flexors

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Instructions:

1. Stand on the floor between two pieces of furniture. Grasp a support on each side for balance.
2. Take a huge step in forward with one leg and keep the foot of the other leg on the floor behind you.
3. Keeping the front foot flat on the floor, gently bend the knee of the front leg and sink your torso downwards.
4. Keep the back leg as straight as possible and slide the back foot even further backwards if possible.
5. Hold and repeat with the other leg.

BENT LEG HAMSTRING STRETCH Muscles stretched: Low back and hamstrings

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Instructions:

1. Sit on the floor with feet together and one leg straight out in front of you and the other leg bent.
2. Press your chest against the thigh of the bent leg and keep it there.
3. Gently slide the foot of the bent leg towards the other foot, stopping when you can no longer keep your chest on your thigh and hold.
4. Switch legs and repeat.

LEG CROSSOVER STRETCH Muscles stretched: Low back, hips and hamstrings

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Instructions:

1. Lie on your back on the floor with your legs straight and your arms stretched out perpendicular to your body.
2. Lift your right leg up as high as you can and cross it over your body to the floor on the left side.
3. Keep your hips and shoulders as flat on the floor as possible and keep your right leg as straight as possible.
4. Hold and the repeat with the other leg.

KNEES TO CHEST STRETCH Muscles stretched: Low back, hips and hamstrings

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Instructions:

1. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat.
2. Gently curl your knees towards your chest until your hips are off the floor.
3. Grasp the backs of your legs, behind your knees, where your hamstrings attach to your knees.
4. Gently pull your legs towards your body and hold.

CROSS-LEGGED STRETCH Muscles stretched: Low back, hips and hamstrings

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Instructions:

1. Sit cross-legged on the floor, “Indian style”.
2. Keeping your back straight, lean forward and hold.
3. Switch leg positions and repeat.

COBRA Muscles stretched: Low back

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Instructions:

1. Lie face down on the floor and place your hands at shoulder level with your palms on the floor.
2. Keeping your pelvis in contact with the floor, gently push your chest up with your arms.
3. Extend your chest as high as possible without lifting your hips off the floor.
4. Hold and slowly lower your body back to the starting position.