Stretch Exercises

Quick and Effective Flexibility Stretches! Everthing from neck stretches to calf stretches!

As we said in the previous topic your Stretch Exercises should be carried out before and after your full body workout routine. 

However, prior to undertaking fitness stretching before your workout a light cardio (walking, jogging, crosstraining) of five minutes should be completed to warm-up. 

This is essential to avoid injury as muscles that are stretched when ‘cold’ are often susceptible to injury.

So your entire workout should look like the following: 

Light cardio--Warm up 

Stretch--Warm up 

--Workout/Cardio--

Stretch------Cool Down 

Finish

So with the light cardio out of the way it’s time to concentrate on our head-to-toe stretching workout before exercise. There is no stretching equipment needed to complete this routine so you can pretty much do it anywhere you please!

Upper body

Neck stretches 

The muscles of the neck are our starting point of your stretch. As shown in the image, the neck is forced to the left, right, front and back with the force of the neck itself pushing it down each time. (so that means no force using the hands!) 

Each one of the four stretches is held for ten seconds. Then a slow, controlled roll of the neck is to be completed

   
Shoulder stretches

Firstly, pin the shoulders back into the body and hold them there. Then bring the arm across the cheat and press the other arm on that arm in towards the chest. Hold for ten seconds on each arm and repeat twice. Finish with a double arm swing for 10 seconds to ensure a full loosening out.

Rotator cuff stretches

Hold your two hands hands behind your back. Now press them down towards the ground whilst simultaneously lifting and pressing your chest outward.

[TIP: Try and keep your back long and straight!]

Step 1: Lie with your stomach flat on the ground. Now lift your back upwards keeping your waist on the ground. Really focus on stretching the lower, middle and upper part of the back. Hold for 10 seconds.

Step 2: Stay in the same position except now sit your bum back into the heels of your feet and calves. Keep your body parallel with the floor and then begin to arc your back toward the ceiling. Hold for 10 seconds.

Lower Body

Piriformis stretches

The piriformus are muscles in the glutes, activated during all lower body exercises. These are stretched by lying flat on your back and pulling your knees toward the opposite side of your body. Perform for 10 seconds each side.

Hamstring stretches

Stand up-right and then place your heal on the ground 2 feet from your body. Bend into the extended leg, place your hand on your knee and tilt your upper body forward until you feel a slight pain in the back of the extended leg, the hamstring.

Quadricep Stretches

Stand up and place the front of your foot in your hand by swinging your leg backwards.

[TIP: Hold onto something with your free hand to balance!] Now pull this foot towards your glutes to feel a stretch on the frontal area of that leg.

Abductor and hip stretches (Groin)

Place your feet 1 meter apart and parallel to each other. Now with your hands on your waist lean to the left side and feel the stretch on the inside on the inside of your right leg. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat the opposite side

Soleus (calf muscle stretch)

Place the top of your foot on an object approximately 2 inches height. Bend your knee forward while keeping your heel on the ground.

[TIP: Lean your body into the knee for even more of a stretch!]

Hold for 10 seconds each time.

Ankles

Roll each ankle around for 10 seconds while keeping your toe on the ground.

Conclusion

While stretching may seem quite long and drawn out on paper, I can assure you from doing it myself that it shouldn’t take longer than 3 minutes after a while.

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