Stretching calms the body and makes it healthier. It also improves circulation, corrects posture, tightens the skin, and makes you feel lighter and more free to move.
Luckily, it’s not hard to become more flexible and mobile. It just takes a little time. Try adding some of the following stretches to your routine to help relieve muscle tension and increase your range of motion so you can move around more freely.
Strech the back of thigh
Starting position: straighten the right knee, lift the toe, tilt the body, extend the chin, and place the hands on the floor.
Roll over: each movement should be done on an exhalation. Pull your chin out farther and lean toward your right leg to move your body forward. Shift your weight onto your right foot, from the heel to the toe. Bend your left leg forward, lift your foot off the floor, and place it on half toe. Slowly return back to the starting position. Do eight wiggles, hold for eight seconds, then move to the other side and start over.
Important:
- Don’t bend your knees, or the line will break and your muscles won’t stretch (if you can’t, put anything on the floor and put your hands on it).
- Don’t bend your lumbar spine. Instead, bend your knees and feel the front of your thigh stretch.
- Don’t tuck your chin in; maximum extension helps the lumbar spine bend properly
Stretching inner muscles
Initial position: Sit on the floor with your legs apart and your back straight.
Leans: Turn your shoulders and body toward your right leg, straighten your toes, and grab the toes with both hands. You should bend your lower back as far as you can and feel how the hamstring muscle is being stretched. Perform 8 side bends, hold for 8 seconds, and then repeat on the opposite side.
Forward bends: Open your legs out in a cross fold. As you take a breath in, round your back. As you let your breath out, stretch your arms out in front of you and arch your lower back as much as you can. Feel how the muscles on both sides are tense. Make 8 forward wiggles, then hold at the bottom for 8 counts while spreading your fingers further apart. Every time the body moves, it gets lower and lower. Stretch your stomach toward the floor and pull your legs toward you to make the tension stronger. If the level of training doesn’t allow it, it’s better to loosen the tension (not to reduce the feet to themselves).
Important:
- Don’t bend your knees. If you do, the stretching won’t work.
- Don’t round your lumbar back; you need as much flexion as possible.
- You should not stretch your head to your thighs, but rather your abdomen with your chest open. This will let you feel your leg and lower back muscles.
Pectoral, shoulder and lumbar muscle stretches
As the posture opens up, you will feel pleasure.
Initial position: Kneel with your legs straight at 90 degrees.
Bring your arms forward and drop your chest and shoulders while facing the floor. Don’t stick out your elbows. If the pose doesn’t feel right, change it. The chin is on the floor, and there is tension from the tips of the fingers to the bottoms of the feet. Keep the position for 30–60 seconds.
Important: Don’t change the right angle, or the pelvis will move forward, and the stretching won’t work.
Lower back stretch
This is one of the best and easiest exercises you can do. It can be done no matter how much you train.
Initial position: lay on your belly.
Stretching: Bend your knees, lift your body, put your hands at the level of your pelvis, and pull your head toward your feet. Shift your shoulders back and forth 8 times, and then hold the position for 8 counts. You should have a good feeling in the lumbar spine. You might feel a little discomfort.
Important:
The gaze should be backward, with the head pointing toward the legs and the chin extended
Do not move your arms away from your pelvis. This decreases the range of motion and makes it hard to stretch.
Strengthening the muscle back corset
Initial position: lie on your belly.
Exercise: Straighten your arms and legs and raise them to the same level at the same time without connecting them. It will be hard at first, so it’s not about how much you do, but how well you do it. Lift the body up 20 times, then hold the pose for 10 counts.
Important:
- Raise your arms and legs up one line at a time.
- Do not bend your knees. This breaks the right line and makes it harder to stretch. If the position is held for 10 counts, the muscles will burn. This is normal and means you are doing everything right.
- You can’t just “flop” into the starting position; instead, you should lower yourself gradually while leaving a gap of about 1 cm between your body and the floor.
