Time and again, you must have heard of stretching exercises. It is basically an act where you release the tension from your muscles, joints, ligaments, as well as tendons. It gives your body the ultimate relief. Moreover, if you have been inactive for a while, stretching can help your body take the wear and tear of activities. You can either go for static stretches or dynamic ones. It mainly depends on your lifestyle and fitness goals. Engaging in proper stretching exercises, will make sure that you look younger than your age and fit, as well.
Types of Stretching
No matter what age you are, or profession, if you are interested in maintaining your body, you must practice stretches. It will increase blood flow to all the important organs, of the body, and rejuvenate the body in its entirety. Stretching exercises may involve the full body or certain parts of the body as well. The main types of stretching exercises are mentioned below.
Dynamic Stretching – It is the first type of stretching exercise, that we have in mind. It is based on movement. The stretch mainly activates the muscles, and is well-suited for athletes. You can practice this kind of dynamic stretching through arm circles. It can give your body that much-needed push before, you attempt to lift weights.
Static Stretching – It is a stretching exercises and as the name suggests, you have to hold your position for a long time. Moreover, you are supposed to do this after a workout. Holding a forward bending position is one of the primary examples of a forward stretch.
Popular Stretches According to Body Part
You can incorporate the habit of stretching before or after exercises, to give your body extreme flexibility and aid in its repair. You should ideally keep aside, 10-15 minutes for stretching exercises. Here are a few exercises, that can give your body the flexibility, it deserves.
Hamstring Stretch in Standing Position
You have to stand with both your feet hip-width apart. The knees should ideally be a bit bent. Moreover, you have to keep your arms by your sides. Exhale and while doing so, bent forward. You need to lower your head towards the floor. Relax your head, neck, and arms. After you have positioned yourself in this manner, you ought to wrap your hands around the legs. Hold the position for a few seconds. Once you are done, return to your original position. This stretching exercises gives a boost to your neck, back, glutes, and hamstrings.
Neck Roll
This is again a very common types of stretch which you must have experienced, back in school. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. The arms should hand loose by your side. Move you head forward, so that the chin touches the chest. Roll the head in clockwise motion for a second, and then in anti-clockwise motion. You must repeat the cycle thrice.
Standing Hip Rotation
You have to stand with your feet, shoulder-width apart. Place both your hands on either of the hips. Slowly, move the hips forward, and start rotating them clockwise, thrice. Then you can bring the hips back to the centre and rotate them anti-clockwise.
Shoulder Roll
You have to stand up straight with your arms loose. Now, you have to lift your shoulders and roll them back and forth, while keeping your arms straight. You can go backwards and then forward, at least 5 times each side. Repeat the sequence twice.
Ankle Roll
This is another very popular stretching exercise, that anybody can do. You have to stand with both your feet flat on the ground. Slowly raise one of the feet from the floor, while keeping the leg straight. Now, rotate the feet from the ankle joints forward, in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. It will increase the mobility of your ankle joints in no time.
Child’s Pose
Also called Balasana, it is another popular stretching exercises for yoga practitioners. You can end any stretching routine with the child’s pose. You have to sit in Bajra asana pose, with your toes pointing backwards. Slowly bend your body forward, while sliding the arms on the floor in forward direction. Push the buttocks and back and with the support of your hands, lower your body against the floor, and then move up. Continue to do this for a few minutes, until you can feel all the muscles of your body reopening.
Stretching Exercises For Beginners
You can start your stretching routine right now, even if you are not a professional. Here, are a few beginner’s stretches that can give your body much-needed flexibility.
Standing Calf Stretch – This is the simplest of all stretching exercises, in which you have to stand with your arms, supporting you against a wall. Step back, with one foot. You have to turn the toes of your back foot, inwards and press the heels to the floor, to give your back leg calf muscles a stretch. You can bend the front leg even deeper, for a good stretch.
Standing Quad Stretch – You can simply stand, with some support. Bend one knee backwards, and grab the foot with your hand on the back side. You have to squeeze your glutes so that they are in line with your thighs. You can repeat with the other leg, once you are done with this.
Standing Lat Stretch – You can use a table or a kitchen countertop to do this. Place one or both of your hands on the surface, and bend yourself at your waist. You have to press your chest on the plain surface. Keep your hips and abs tight, and avoid arching back. You are bound to feel the stretch under the arm and along the sides of your ribs.
When you are entering into a new routine, start with small goals in mind. If you pressurize your body a lot, it can lead to muscle or ligament tear. Once you are in the practice, you will know when to stop. Pick any of these stretches and start slowly. Moreover, once you get into the habit of these, you can practice these stretches every day. Additionally, you can also practice these stretches while at work or while performing other chores.
Guide to Stretching Exercises for Runners
When you run or jog, you are utilizing more muscles that you actually thought you are. The most used ones are in the leg, fee, and the back. If you forget to stretch after a run, you could permanently damage them in the long run. Try to practice stretches after every run, while the body is still warm.
Here are some of the most popular stretches for runners.
The Knee Hug – Running can lead to stiffness in the back along with pain. It is a common problem, with runners. You can practice the knee hug to get rid of the problem, and relieve the knots in the muscle.
It is vert easy to do get into this posture. Lie down on your back. Slowly bring the knees towards your torso, by folding them. Hold your shins and tightly hold the knees against the chest. Keep counting till 30 seconds. Slowly go back to the starting position.
Seated Hamstring Stretch – If you are a runner, you would definitely know what the hamstrings are. It is a muscle that runs along the backside of your thighs. They eventually connect with the glutes, flexors, and calves. If you have been running for a length of time, it can lead to tightness and back pain. If you want to improve upon your mobility, you have got to have loose hamstrings.
Sit comfortably on the floor, and stretch one leg forward. Bend the other leg at the knee, while resting the feet on the floor sidewards, facing the inside of the stretched-out leg, at the thigh. Bend your body forward and try to touch the toes of the stretched leg. Feel the stretch in your back muscles and hamstrings. Hold this posture for 30 seconds and the release. You have to repeat it on the other side.
Toe Touch – You can also improve the flexibility of the hamstrings, by doing the toe touching exercise.
You can either stand with your feet straight, or you can keep them shoulder-width apart. Keep the knees straight in all cases. Bend at the knees and fold your body forward. Try to touch the toes. You have to ensure to lower the head and try to bring them in contact with the knees. Hold the posture for around 30 seconds, Release and move up, and repeat.
Downward Dog – It is one of the best postures that you can practice to give your calf muscles a stretch, like no other.
You have to get on your all fours. You need to stretch the legs back a bit, so that the body is in plank posture. Moreover, you have to lift your hips a bit, so that the body forms a V-shape. Keep your arms straight all this while, and the elbows should be touching the ears. The head, neck, and the spine should be in a straight line. Press the heels to the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then relax the body.
Seated Twist – You mostly exert the maximum pressure on your glutes while running. So, mist runners often complain of stiffness. You can feel the pain while walking after a run or jog. Moreover, you can also feel it, while climbing the stairs.
The seated twists work out all the muscles at the back and the glutes. To get the benefits, you have to sit down on the floor. You need to stretch your legs outwards. Lift the left leg over the right leg and place it on the floor. You need to bend it at the knee. Subsequently, you need to twist the body, and take your right arm to press against the left knee. Hold this posture for 30 seconds. Release after the necessary time has elapsed and repeat on the other side.
Benefits of Stretching Exercises
Stretching gives you a number of benefits. They are as listed below:
It increases your flexibility. Moreover, flexibility is important for overall health. You can perform all your everyday activities with ease, if your body is flexible.
You can also improve your range of motion, through stretching exercises. You can engage in static and dynamic stretching to become more mobile.
If you are an athlete, you absolutely need to stretch your muscles on a regular basis. It is even more essential before any athletic event. If you are not flexible enough, you can get your muscles locked while in motion.
It also increases blood flow to all the organs in the body. If you suffer from any injury or soreness in the muscles, proper blood flow can actually lower your recovery time.
If you indulge in regular stretching exercises, you can improve your posture. A combination of stretching and strengthening exercises, can also reduce musculoskeletal pain.
If you stretch the body on a regular basis, you can even prevent back pain.
Moreover, it is great for stress relief. Your muscles often tighten up, as a response to physical and emotional stress. The stress mainly arises from the neck, shoulders, and upper back region. If you can stretch these areas, you can get relief from stress.
Things to Keep in Mind While Stretching
It is very important for you to incorporate a stretching routine into your exercise regimen. You must have already read about its myriad benefits mentioned above. However, you should consider a few things, before you plunge head on into stretching. You can stretch your body any time and anywhere, if you know how to do it. If you stretch your body in an incorrect manner, it can do more harm than good.
Here a few tips, that will help you out today.
You should not perform stretches as a warm-up exercise. It may lead to injuries as the muscles will be cold and in fixed state. You need to go for brisk walking before you actually start stretching your muscles. Apart from walking, you can also go for a jog or light run. You should strive for balance on either side of your body. Do not try to emulate a gymnast. If you are a beginner, trying stretches, you will never be able to match up with them. Strive to have equal balance on both sides.
You ought to focus on the major muscle groups. The calves, thighs, hips, neck, shoulders comprise the major muscles. You should ensure to stretch your body on either side.
Refrain from bouncing, as it could lead to injuries. Try to maintain a smooth motion. If you happen to bounce in an inappropriate manner, you could actually harm the muscles and contribute to body pain due to tightness.
You should hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. With some practice, you can also increase it to 60 seconds.
You should not aim to get pain. Try to stop, when you feel the tension. It will help you to get the adequate stretch for your body. If you feel pain in any body part, it means that you are crossing your limits.
If you are involved in any sport, ensure to consult your coach, before taking steps on your own. Different kinds of sports require different type of flexibility and stretching. If you are doing a stretch meant for runners, instead of weight lifting, which is your sport, it can damage your vitals. Moreover, you will have a hard time recovering. If you play soccer, you ought to stretch your hamstrings.
You should practice your stretching sessions at least 3-5 times a week, for 10-15 minutes. You can gain the maximum benefits, in this manner.
You can amalgamate some of the other modalities like Tai Chi, or Zumba with stretching exercises. The movement will help to enhance the practice and resolve monotony. Some form of dynamism is welcome in your stretching schedule. It can give you instant relief from boredom.
When To See the Doctor?
If you are suffering from any chronic injury or illness, it is always better to see the doctor, before attempting any stretching exercises. If you already have a sprained muscle, any sort of stretching without the doctor’s advise can further aggravate your condition. Therefore, you should consult a coach or doctor, before attempting any exercises or stretching.
No matter if you are a beginner, a runner, or a seasoned athlete, you must stretch your body. By just incorporating 10-15 minutes of stretching into your routine, you can gain in more ways than one. Once you are habituated with the stretching mechanism, you will start seeing the benefits. Your body will respond to the exercises in a better manner. Get your needs aligned with the wants of the body to see the maximum results in a short while. Rehab patients can also benefit from stretching exercises, if done in the right manner. So, go for it.
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