Stretching is an essential component of both exercise and health, as it helps to maintain flexibility and range of motion in your joints. It is easy to forget to stretch before a workout, perhaps because we do not know exactly why it is that stretching is so important.
Well, stretching improves muscle development, increases range of motion, reduces your chances of an injury and provides a warm-up for your muscles. When your muscles are more flexible, the body can perform activities and exercise with the correct form; therefore, stretching also helps to improve posture.
So stretching is important. But what stretches work for what muscle groups? Vicky Timón, a yoga expert and author of “Encyclopedia of Pilates Exercises,” created 36 beautiful illustrations to show you which muscles are affected by different stretches.
1. Camel pose
It is an effective stretch for both rectus abdominus and external obliques. According to experts, it is sort of a stretch that mostly fits individuals with great flexibility.
Sit on your hills, set the hands behind you and try pushing the hips up and forward at the same time. However, you should not apply too much pressure on your lumbar spine. If you are having any sort of trouble with your neck, remember not to tilt your head back.
2. Wide forward fold
It is a great stretch to get your adductors going. It stimulates both adductors and hamstrings, and opening your hips is pretty much all the effort it requires.
Bend your knees and keep your spine straight. Once you feel how your muscles start to release, straighten the legs, round the back and reach for the feet. Gently pull on the bottom of the balls of your both feet.
This will release your calf muscles. Beginners may not succeed to reach for their feet, so using a belt or a towel will help quite a bit here. You can also do the stretch when lying on the back, and make sure you push both legs up the wall.
3. Frog pose
Another way to engage your adductors. You may want to use a yoga mat for this one, because its performation requires a softer surface, as the stretch for the groin may apply some pressure on your knees, too. Rest both hands and knees. Next, start widening your knees until your groin muscles are well stretched. For a bit differing stretching, keep pushing your hips back and forward.
4. Wide side lunge pose
Work on your adductors in a different way. Start off by setting your feet forward in a quite wide stance, while keeping your legs as straight as possible. Use your hands to walk the right food, then bend the right knee while rotating your left toes upwards the ceiling. Do this while you sit in your right hip. Keep in mind that your right foot should remain flat on the floor.
5. Butterfly Stretch
While you are sitting, you need to bring the soles of your feet together and sit tall through your sit bones. You need to develop this stretch by putting pressure on your knees, using your both hands. And, if you want to stretch your groin muscles better, you need to hold your feet closer to your body. You need to make sure your feet are far from your hips and slowly round your upper body to loose your back muscles.
6. Forearm Extensor Stretch
Here’s what you need to do – you need to pack your shoulders and your back down and rotate the shoulder towards outside in order to get into the optimal position to stretch the forearm muscle. And now, after you’ve managed to bring your body into this body position, you need to put pressure on your other hand to start the stretch. You can also develop this stretch by touching the tips of your fingers together in the shape of a tea cup.
7. Lateral Side Flexion of the Neck
You need to prolong your neck as much as possible. Now, slowly drop your ear to your shoulder and make sure that you aren’t collapsing your cervical spine. Well, this type of stretch can be further developed and advanced by sitting on a chair and holding onto the bottom of the seat. This method is going to make the tension down your arm and neck consistent. This will also let you target the upper traps.
8. Neck Rotation Stretch
You should begin this stretching exercise by rotating your neck in a slow manner, while keeping your chin a bit elevated to isolate the sternocleidomastoid. If you want to perform a deeper stretch, you will need to put pressure with the opposite hand from the direction that you are rotating.
9. Neck Extension Stretch
You are stretching the sternocleidomastoid “SCM”. Start by putting your hands on your hips. Keep your spine long start to tilt your head back in the meantime, in order to ensure that you are not collapsing your cervical spine.
10. Lateral Side Flexion of the Neck with Hand Assistance
You are stretching the sternocleidomastoid “SCM” and the upper trapezius. Stretch your neck as much as you can while you slowly drop your ear to your shoulder. Make sure that you are not collapsing your cervical spine, while you do this. You can extend this stretch by sitting on a chair and grabbing the bottom of its seat. In this way, you will make consistent pressure down the arm and the neck, and it will let you target the upper traps.
11. Half Kneeling Quad / Hip Flexor Stretch
You are stretching the psoas and the quadriceps. Start in the position of half-kneeling. Then bring forward the right hip, and you will start feeling a stretch in the front of your hip while you do that. Take your back foot and squeeze your back glute in order to add to the stretch on your hip flexors.
12. Forearm Extensor Stretch
You are stretching the forearm extensor. Start by packing your shoulder and your back down. Then rotate your shoulder towards outside to get into the best position to stretch the forearm muscle. When you get into this position, put pressure on your opposing hand to start the stretch. You can develop this stretch if you touch the tips of your fingers together in the shape of a teacup.
13. Lateral Shoulder Stretch
You are stretching the side deltoid. With your arms across your body, put pressure on your arm to add to the stretch on your shoulder.
14. Standing Assisted Neck Flexion Stretch
You are stretching the trapezius muscle. Stand on the ground with your feet together. Make sure your spine is extended and slowly sit your hips back and round your upper back, pushing your chin to your chest at the same time.
15. Lat Stretch with Spinal Traction
This describes: Latissimus Dorsi. Take a company grasp on bar, after that gradually raise your feet off the ground. You must really feel a stretch in your last as well as upper body. If you take your feet entirely off the ground you will certainly really feel grip in your back back. Do not do this stretch if you have actually lately harmed your shoulder, and/or have impingement of the shoulder.
16. Lat Stretch at the Wall
This describes: Latissimus Dorsi. Area both practical the edge of a wall surface or blog post. While maintaining your back long, gradually press your hips bent on the side. Do not do this stretch if you have reduced back troubles.
17. Child’s Pose
This describes: Latissimus Dorsi. Begin on your hands as well as knees after that gradually cause your hips back up until your temple gets on the flooring. You could cause your knees bigger to obtain a far better stretch in your hips. Arc your top back as well as on the surface turn your shoulders to extend your lats as well as breast muscle mass.
18. Standing Calf Stretch
19. Front Split
This describes: Psoas as well as Hamstring. This is an innovative stretch, so realize if you have any kind of sort of hip troubles. Begin in a stooping lunge location. It will certainly excel to have the assistance of a chair as your hip flexors and also hamstrings launch.
20. Seated Forward Fold / Seated Toe Touch
This describes: Hamstrings and also Calf bones. Sit right into your rest bones and also flex the knees if required. As your adaptability boost your legs will normally correct. Maintain the spinal column as straight as feasible if you have back issues. You could additionally do this stretch resting on your back with your feet up a wall surface.
21. Single Led Forward Bend
You are stretching the hamstrings. Start by positioning your feet one in front of the other. Keep your back straight, bring your hands to your hips and start bending from the hips.
22. Deep Squat
You are stretching the glutes. This movement has an impact on all parts of your body. If you have troubles with your knees, or if you can’t keep your heels on the ground, perform your squat before proceeding. Start by standing with your feet apart in the width of your shoulders and then start gradually lowering into the deep squat. When you get to the position of the deep squat, bring your arms inside your legs and put a little pressure to the inside of your knees, sitting into the hips and heels.
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