Fitness: Stretches

Muscles Used: Deltoid (Shoulder), Triceps (Back Upper Arm)

Equipment Needed: none

Instructions:

1. Stand up straight, with knees slightly bent and feet hip distance apart.
2. Keep shoulders even and away from your ears.
3. Extend your right arm across your chest.
4. Place left hand on the right elbow to gently support the arm during this stretch.
5. Hold stretch for 30 seconds. You should feel the stretch in your shoulder and tricep.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 on opposite side, using right hand to stretch left arm and shoulder.
7. Alternate sitting version: Complete entire sequence, steps 3-10, from a sitting position. Make sure back is straight and feet are firmly placed on the ground.

Remember: Keep your back straight (not arched). Continue to breathe.

Muscles Used: Triceps (Back Upper Arm)

Equipment Needed: none

Instructions:

1. Stand up straight, with knees slightly bent, feet hip distance apart.
2. Keep shoulders even and away from your ears.
3. Lift your right arm next to your head and bend at the elbow until your fingers touch the shoulder blade area (upper back).
4. Place left hand on the right elbow to gently support the arm during this stretch.
5. Hold stretch for 30 seconds. You should feel the stretch in your tricep.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 on the opposite side, using right hand to stretch left tricep.

Remember: Keep your back straight (not arched). Continue to breathe.

Muscles Used: Pectoralis Major (“Pecs” or Chest)

Equipment Needed: None

Instructions:

1. Stand up straight, with knees slightly bent and feet hip distance apart.
2. Keep shoulders even and away from your ears.
3. Place both arms behind your back.
4. Clasp your hands together, extending your arms behind your back and hold this position.
5. Hold stretch for 30 seconds. You should feel the stretch in your chest.

Remember: Keep your back straight (not arched). Continue to breathe.

Muscles Used: Adductors (Inner Thigh)

Equipment Needed: Mat or towel (optional)

Instructions:

1. Sit on the floor and extend your legs in front of your body.
2. Bend your knees and place your feet together.
3. Slowly let your knees fall open to each side and slide the soles of your feet together, resting your hands on your ankles.
4. Gently round your spine and roll your shoulders forward.
5. Slowly lean forward, lowering your upper body toward your legs. Stop when you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.
6. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds.
7. Return to starting position by rounding shoulders back and extending your spine to upright position.

Remember: Don’t let gravity pull your upper body down too quickly; this might over-stretch your muscles. Continue to breathe.

Muscles Used: Quadriceps (Front Thigh)

Equipment Needed: Chair or sturdy surface (optional)

Instructions:

1. Stand up straight with feet hip distance apart. Hold onto a chair (with one hand) for additional support.
2. Hold abdominal muscles in tightly for additional support.
3. Bend right leg at the knee.
4. Grasp right foot behind you, with right hand, bringing your heel to your butt.
5. With both knees next to each other, slightly push your hips forward.
6. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. You should feel this stretch in the front of your thigh.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 on the opposite side, bending left leg to stretch left quadricep.

Remember: Remember to use your abdominal muscles to support proper posture. Continue to breathe.

Muscles Used: Hamstring (mid rear thigh), Gastrocnemius (upper calf), Soleus (lower calf)

Equipment needed: none

Instructions:

1. Stand up straight with feet hip distance apart.
2. Slide your right leg out in front of you. Keep this leg straight the whole stretch.
3. Lower your upper body, reaching your hands towards your foot. As you lower, slightly bend your left knee.
4. Keeping your right heel on the ground, lift your foot and grab your toes.
5. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. You should feel this stretch in the back of your leg, as well as in your calves.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 on the opposite side, bending at the right leg and keeping your left leg straight during the stretch.

Remember: If you cannot reach all the way to your toes, reach as far as you can while maintaining comfortable tension in the back of your leg.

Muscles Used: Hamstring (mid rear thigh)

Equipment needed: mat or towel (optional)

Instructions:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight in a V shape out in front of you.
2. Slide your right leg out in front of you. Keep this leg straight the whole stretch.
3. Lower your upper body, reaching your hands towards your foot. As you lower, slowly bend your left knee.
4. Keeping your right heel on the ground, lift your foot and grab your toes.
5. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. You should feel this stretch in the back of your leg, as well as in your calves.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 on the opposite side, bending at the right leg and keeping your left leg straight during the stretch.

Remember: If you cannot reach all the way to your toes, reach as far as you can while maintaining comfortable tension in the back of your leg.

Muscles Used: Hip Flexor (you can feel this muscle in the crease at the top of your leg), Quadriceps (Front Thigh), Gluteus Maximus (Buttocks)

Equipment needed: mat or towel (optional)

Instructions:

1. Kneel on your left knee. Put your right foot flat on the floor in front of you, with the right knee bent.
2. Lean forward slightly from your core. It should feel like your left hip is stretching towards the floor.
3. You should feel the stretch in the front of your left hip. Squeeze your butt to feel this stretch even more.
4. Hold for 30 seconds then relax.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 on the opposite side, bending at the left leg and kneeling on your right knee.

Remember: Only lean forward slightly so that you feel some light tension in your hip flexor. If you feel pain, you have leaned in too far.

Muscles Used: Gastrocnemius (Upper calf), Soleus (Lower calf)

Equipment needed: A wall

Instructions:

1. Start by standing an arm’s distance away from a wall. Reach your arms out and place both hands on the wall in front of you.
2. Bend your right leg at the knee, and step your left leg behind you. Keep both feet facing forward.
3. Keeping your left leg straight behind you, press your left heel into the ground as you lean forward, pressing your hands against the wall.
4. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. You should feel tension in your calf (lower leg).
5. Repeat steps 2-4 on the opposite side, bending at the left knee and keeping your right leg straight behind you, pressing your right heel firmly against the ground.

Remember: If you feel pain in your Achilles Tendon (the thick tendon that connects your calf muscles to your heel), you might have stepped that back leg out too far. Try bringing your back leg slightly forward, and then press your heel into the ground.