How to Stretch
Stretch your shoulders., Stretch your triceps., Stretch your biceps., Stretch your wrists., Stretch your quadriceps., Stretch your calves., Stretch your hamstrings., Stretch your hips., Stretch your groin., Stretch your upper back., Stretch your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stretch your shoulders.
Place the back of one hand in the small of your back.
With your opposite hand, grab your elbow, gently pull forward, and hold.
Repeat with opposite side. -
Step 2: Stretch your triceps.
Reach up with one arm.
Bend your elbow and put your forearm down behind your head and between your shoulder blades.
With your opposite arm, reach up and grab your raised elbow.
Pull your elbow toward your head.
Repeat with other arm. , Put your arms straight out to your sides with your thumbs facing up.
Rotate your arms so that your thumbs face straight back, then rotate them forward until your thumbs are facing straight down. , Hold one arm out in front of you with your elbow bent (and close to your body) and palm facing up.
With your opposite hand, grab your fingertips and slowly pull them all the way down until that hand is now facing the floor.
Continue to pull on your fingertips, now in an upward direction since your palm is facing down.
Repeat with other hand. , Stand up and pull one leg behind you (flamingo position).
Once holding onto your foot, continue to apply upward pressure.
Repeat with other leg. , Place one leg in front of the other (split stance) with your hands on your hips.
Lean slightly forward as you begin to straighten your back leg, ideally bringing your back foot all the way flat against the floor.
Repeat with other leg. , Sit on the floor with both feet out in front of you.
Reach out with both arms, ideally grabbing onto your toes and holding. , Lie flat on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Get into a figure four position by placing one ankle on your opposite knee.
Reach through and around your knee, clasp, pull it toward you, and hold.
Repeat with opposite side. , Sit on the floor.
Press the soles of your feet together (butterfly position).
Pull your feet as close to your body as possible.
Put your hands on your ankles to where your elbows are lined up with your knees.
Push against your elbows trying to close your legs. (This contracts your groin muscles to help you get a deeper stretch.) Push your knees down. , Reach both hands behind you and then up over your head (as if to perform a butterfly stroke in swimming).
Continue to swing your arms over your head and out in front of you.
Try to keep both arms parallel to the floor as you are holding the stretch.
To maintain balance, sit back slightly with your knees partially bent. , Incline your head forward, but do not roll your head from side to side-this is dangerous.
Instead, stretch your neck to the left, right, forward and back, but always return to center first! Tilt your head with ear toward shoulder, incline your head backward and roll your head from left to right, then right to left in a 30 degree motion.
Be sure that while your head is tilted back, you keep your jaw relaxed and even let your mouth fall open just a bit. , Incline your head back, rest your chin on your palm, and pull your jaw open.
Say "Ah!" (you can mime it).
Grab your chin with your thumb, index and middle fingers.
Stretch it left to right.
This exercise will help if you have been hit to the jaw (e.g., knocked-out in boxing). , The only reason it feels good to stretch even when you're cold is because your body sends out natural painkillers.
To protect your tissues, you need to raise your cardiac pulse in order to fill them with blood.
The only way to do this is by working out.
Swimming is the safest way to raise your cardiac pulse.
Water reduces shocks to the body because it reduces the felt effect of gravity on your body.
Jumping rope can also be effective, but it may damage your tibia's periosteums, which is the membrane enveloping your bones (except at junctions) that allows the blood to flow from your heart to your muscles connected by the tendon.
Swimming pools are sometimes inaccessible, so an efficient and safe way to raise cardiac pulse would be by cycling (except if you have knee problems). , It will result with less gain than improvement on the muscle part.
The CNS naturally provides resistance by stimulating antagonists muscles when you flex a muscle to prevent it from being too stretched and tear your conjunctive tissues.
Never stretch prior to workout, and always do it after. , Stretching will ensure you have an optimal circulation of body fluids throughout your system and an adequate flexibility which will prevent your connective tissues to pop when you contract your muscle. -
Step 3: Stretch your biceps.
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Step 4: Stretch your wrists.
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Step 5: Stretch your quadriceps.
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Step 6: Stretch your calves.
-
Step 7: Stretch your hamstrings.
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Step 8: Stretch your hips.
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Step 9: Stretch your groin.
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Step 10: Stretch your upper back.
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Step 11: Stretch your neck.
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Step 12: Stretch your jaw.
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Step 13: Never stretch before you warm up.
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Step 14: Stretching before your workout will put your Central Nervous System (CNS) to sleep to increase your range of motion.
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Step 15: Always stretch after you work out.
Detailed Guide
Place the back of one hand in the small of your back.
With your opposite hand, grab your elbow, gently pull forward, and hold.
Repeat with opposite side.
Reach up with one arm.
Bend your elbow and put your forearm down behind your head and between your shoulder blades.
With your opposite arm, reach up and grab your raised elbow.
Pull your elbow toward your head.
Repeat with other arm. , Put your arms straight out to your sides with your thumbs facing up.
Rotate your arms so that your thumbs face straight back, then rotate them forward until your thumbs are facing straight down. , Hold one arm out in front of you with your elbow bent (and close to your body) and palm facing up.
With your opposite hand, grab your fingertips and slowly pull them all the way down until that hand is now facing the floor.
Continue to pull on your fingertips, now in an upward direction since your palm is facing down.
Repeat with other hand. , Stand up and pull one leg behind you (flamingo position).
Once holding onto your foot, continue to apply upward pressure.
Repeat with other leg. , Place one leg in front of the other (split stance) with your hands on your hips.
Lean slightly forward as you begin to straighten your back leg, ideally bringing your back foot all the way flat against the floor.
Repeat with other leg. , Sit on the floor with both feet out in front of you.
Reach out with both arms, ideally grabbing onto your toes and holding. , Lie flat on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Get into a figure four position by placing one ankle on your opposite knee.
Reach through and around your knee, clasp, pull it toward you, and hold.
Repeat with opposite side. , Sit on the floor.
Press the soles of your feet together (butterfly position).
Pull your feet as close to your body as possible.
Put your hands on your ankles to where your elbows are lined up with your knees.
Push against your elbows trying to close your legs. (This contracts your groin muscles to help you get a deeper stretch.) Push your knees down. , Reach both hands behind you and then up over your head (as if to perform a butterfly stroke in swimming).
Continue to swing your arms over your head and out in front of you.
Try to keep both arms parallel to the floor as you are holding the stretch.
To maintain balance, sit back slightly with your knees partially bent. , Incline your head forward, but do not roll your head from side to side-this is dangerous.
Instead, stretch your neck to the left, right, forward and back, but always return to center first! Tilt your head with ear toward shoulder, incline your head backward and roll your head from left to right, then right to left in a 30 degree motion.
Be sure that while your head is tilted back, you keep your jaw relaxed and even let your mouth fall open just a bit. , Incline your head back, rest your chin on your palm, and pull your jaw open.
Say "Ah!" (you can mime it).
Grab your chin with your thumb, index and middle fingers.
Stretch it left to right.
This exercise will help if you have been hit to the jaw (e.g., knocked-out in boxing). , The only reason it feels good to stretch even when you're cold is because your body sends out natural painkillers.
To protect your tissues, you need to raise your cardiac pulse in order to fill them with blood.
The only way to do this is by working out.
Swimming is the safest way to raise your cardiac pulse.
Water reduces shocks to the body because it reduces the felt effect of gravity on your body.
Jumping rope can also be effective, but it may damage your tibia's periosteums, which is the membrane enveloping your bones (except at junctions) that allows the blood to flow from your heart to your muscles connected by the tendon.
Swimming pools are sometimes inaccessible, so an efficient and safe way to raise cardiac pulse would be by cycling (except if you have knee problems). , It will result with less gain than improvement on the muscle part.
The CNS naturally provides resistance by stimulating antagonists muscles when you flex a muscle to prevent it from being too stretched and tear your conjunctive tissues.
Never stretch prior to workout, and always do it after. , Stretching will ensure you have an optimal circulation of body fluids throughout your system and an adequate flexibility which will prevent your connective tissues to pop when you contract your muscle.
About the Author
Paul Barnes
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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