How to Stretch

Proper stretching increases flexibility and reduces the risk of injury from damage to connective tissue (such as periosteum) and other adverse conditions. This article presents a variety of techniques for adjusting or building your stretching routine. You should apply the tips that are right for your mobility needs. If you have an injury, do not stretch without a physiotherapist, as it can lead to another injury.

Table of Contents

Stretching exercises

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Stretch the shoulder muscles.

Place the back of the hand on the lower back in the recessed position.
Grab the elbow with the opposite hand, gently pull it forward, and hold it.
Repeat for the other side.

Stretch the back biceps.

Raise one arm.
Bend your elbows and place your forearms down behind your head, between your shoulder blades.
Raise the opposite arm and grasp the elbow that is pointing towards the sky.
Pull that elbow toward your head.
Repeat for the other arm.

Stretch the anterior biceps muscle.

Straighten your arms out to the sides with your index fingers pointing skyward.
Rotate the arm so that the index fingers are pointing straight back, then continue to rotate the arm until the index finger is pointing down.

Wrist stretch.

Hold one arm in front of you with elbow bent (keep elbow close to body) and palm facing up.
Use the opposite hand to grasp the fingers and pull down slowly until the hand is pointing towards the floor.
Continue pulling your fingers but pulling upwards because the palm is facing down.
Repeat with the other hand.

Stretch the quadriceps.

Stand up straight and pull one leg back (flamingo pose).
You continue to use force to pull the foot upwards.
Repeat with the other leg.

Stretch the thigh muscles.

Place one foot in front of the other (split position) with your hands on your hips.
Lean forward slightly as you begin to straighten your back leg, ideally pressing your back foot close to the floor.
Repeat with the other leg.

Stretch hamstring muscles.

Sit on the floor with your feet in front of you.
Reach your arms forward, preferably gripping your toes and holding still.

Hip stretch.

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Get into fourth position by placing one ankle on the opposite knee.
Wrap your hands over your knees, squeeze and pull toward your body, holding still.
Repeat for the other side.

Inguinal stretch.

Sit on the floor.
Squeeze the soles of your feet together (frog pose).
Pull your feet as close to your body as possible.
Place your hands on your ankles, where your elbows are in line with your knees.
Push into your elbows to try to force your legs down. (This move contracts the groin muscles to give you a deeper stretch.)
Push your knees down.

Stretch your upper back.

Bring your hands back and then reach them overhead (as if you’re doing a butterfly stroke).
Continue swinging your arms overhead and forward.
Try to keep your arms parallel to the floor while maintaining the stretch.
To maintain balance, you should push back slightly with knees slightly bent.

Neck stretch.

Bow your head forward but do not turn your head back and forth because of danger. Instead you should stretch your neck to the left, right, front and back, but return to the center position first!
Tilt your head to one shoulder, tilt your head back and roll your head from left to right, then right to left in a 30-degree motion.
Remember that when you are tilting your head back, you must relax your jawbone, even leaving your mouth slightly open.

Stretch the jaw muscles.

Tilt your head back, rest your chin on your palm, and pull your chin to open your mouth.
Say “Ah!” (you can say it out loud).
Grasp your chin with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger.
Pull your chin from left to right. This exercise will come in handy if you’ve been hit in the jaw before (e.g. knocked out in boxing).

When to stretch?

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Never stretch before warming up. The only reason why you can still feel comfortable when stretching in cold conditions is because the body produces natural pain relievers. To protect tissue, you need to increase your heart rate to increase blood flow to your tissues. The only way to do this is to exercise.

Swimming is the safest way to get your heart rate up. Water reduces shock to the body because it reduces the influence of gravity on the body.
Jumping rope is also effective but can damage the periosteum of the tibia, the membrane that surrounds bones (except in joints) that allows blood to flow from the heart to muscles connected by tendons.
Sometimes you can’t go to the pool, so cycling is a safe and effective alternative to getting your heart rate up (unless you have knee problems).

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Stretching before exercise puts the central nervous system to sleep to increase your range of motion. This does not bring much benefit to the muscles. The central nervous system implicitly creates resistance by stimulating the antagonist muscle when you stretch, to prevent the muscle from being overstretched and the connective tissues from tearing. Never stretch before a workout, and always do it afterwards.

Always stretch after exercise. Stretching helps ensure optimal fluid circulation throughout the body, and provides the right flexibility to the body to prevent connective tissue from tearing as you move.

Advice

Stretch every day to make your body more flexible.
All stretching positions should be held still, without movement for 15-20 seconds. This is longer than the contraction reflex when pulling, which is the first 10-12 seconds when the body’s reflex resists the stretch.
Try not to stretch too much when you first start, you need to get used to stretching to make your body more flexible. Injury can happen if you stretch too much at the beginning of exercise.
Do the exercises slowly to prevent injury.
Build a daily stretching routine.
Do not jump when stretching as this is not effective and can lead to injury.
Wear clothes that stretch well.
You should stretch as much as you feel comfortable when you inhale, and when you exhale, stretch a little more than is comfortable. This way helps increase flexibility when you exercise every day.
If some stretches are difficult for beginners, lean against a wall for support or ask for help.
Exercise carefully to avoid injury
Stretching should not cause pain, if there is, it is only a fleeting but insignificant pain.

Warning

Each individual has their own limits on physical mobility. You have to accept your limitations when stretching, making sure not to cause injury when trying to exercise. Remember that health is at the heart of all exercise.
Never stretch when you are injured.

Steps

Stretching exercises

When to stretch?

Advice

Warning

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