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Introduction | Why you practice these stretching exercises | How to stretch safely | 6 Stretching Exercises | Stretching exercises FAQ
You don’t have to be an athlete, gymnast, or involved in a martial art to practice stretching exercises. This is a misconception held by many people.
If you participate in any sport or regularly workout you should include stretching exercises into your routine.
In fact, even if you do no physical activity whatsoever, practicing simple stretching exercises is arguably equally, if not more, important. It’s likely that throughout the day you sit down for protracted periods of time. Perhaps you spend many hours seated in front of a computer or steering wheel.
‘Sitting in a chair all day results in tight hamstrings in the back of the thigh,’ (Harvard Health – 2019). In addition to making simple movements such as extending your legs harder, tightness in the hamstrings is one of the leading causes of lower back pain.
Thus, whoever you are and whatever you do, you should aim to stretch for a minimum of 10-minutes every day.
Why use these stretching exercises?
Stretching is an important part of sport and exercise. In our article The Benefits of Stretching we highlight the many ways that stretching reduces injury susceptibility and enhances physical performance.
For example, a study cited in Norris’ The Complete Guide to Stretching ‘found that the risk of injury decreased as flexibility improved.’
And among those athletes who dismissed stretching, or were inconsistent in their practice, 15% more injuries were experienced compared to athletes who stretched habitually.
Stretching exercises keep muscles healthy
In addition to reducing injury risk, ‘stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints,’ (Harvard Health – 2019).
Furthermore, if we neglect to stretch, muscles shorten and become tight. When we are required to make an abrupt or sudden movement, tight muscles are unable to extend fully. ‘That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage,’ (Harvard Health – 2019).
Yet, even though stretching confers many benefits, it is probably the most overlooked aspect of training and exercise.
The six stretching exercises below will provide you with a whole-body stretching routine that you can complete on a daily basis. By regularly performing the six stretching exercises you may enjoy some of the following benefits.
The importance of stretching exercises
Most importantly: regular stretching can reduce your chances of injury
A consistent stretching regime can, over time, improve your body alignment and posture
Stretching exercises reduce the severity of the DOMS (delayed onset of muscles soreness)
Stretching improves body control and awareness
Greater increase in range of movement (ROM) around the joint
Stretching, simply put, makes you feel good – so try it!
How to apply these stretching exercises safely
Stretches are often performed incorrectly. The few people that do stretch after sport or exercise usually rush their routine or make simple mistakes.
Rushing a routine or incorrectly applying a stretch reduces the effectiveness of the stretching exercises while also increasing injury risk.
Such stretching misdemeanours are easy to avoid. Firstly, to prevent rushing your post-training stretch routine, ensure to budget enough time at the end of your session.
Secondly, to avoid applying incorrect technique, follow the dos and don’ts of stretching below.
Stretching exercises dos and don'ts
6 stretching exercises
The six stretching exercises below will enable you to reduce tightness while increasing the range of movement in all the major muscle groups. They also confer the same benefits to many smaller muscles as well.
For a basic, all-purpose stretching routine, the stretching exercises below are ideal. After a run, cycle, swim, gym workout, or game of your preferred sport, ensure to set aside 10-minutes to complete the stretches.
For best effect, aim to apply and hold each stretch for a minimum of two sets of between 20- to 30-seconds. Remember, a stretch should never be painful or induce discomfort. You should never force a stretch or rush your routine.
arm stretches
This position stretches much more than just the arm. When applying this exercise you will experience a stretch in the bicep, forearm, anterior deltoid and chest stretch.
Stretching method
To apply this stretch stand side on to a wall and place the hand of the arm to be stretched behind you. The arm should be pressing against the wall and running parallel to the floor. You are looking forward and away from the arm.
Main areas stretched: Bicep, forearm, and pectorals (chest)
Other: Anterior deltoid
Apply the stretch twice on each arm for 30 seconds
Total stretch time = 2 minutes
shoulder stretches
Erroneously regarded as purely a shoulder stretch, this position can also release tension in the upper back.
Stretching method
Hold the arm across the body as demonstrated in the picture. The arm being stretched should remain parallel to the floor for the duration of application. Use the other arm to help maintain the correct position. Avoid holding at the elbow joint and instead support the arm at the triceps.
Main areas stretched: Shoulder and trapezius
Other: Posterior deltoid, middle and lower trapezius, rhomboids, and latissimus dorsi
Apply the stretch twice on each arm for 30 seconds each
Total stretch time = 2 minutes
chest stretches
Here you are performing the exact same stretch outlined above for the arm (the first position). There are few other stretches that release tension in the chest as effectively as this one does.
Stretching method
To apply this stretch stand side on to a wall and place the hand of the arm to be stretched behind you. The arms should be pressing against the wall and running parallel to the floor. You are looking forward and away from the arm.
Main areas stretched: Bicep, forearm, and pectorals (chest)
Other: Anterior deltoid
Apply the stretch twice on each arm for 20-30 seconds
Total stretch time = 2 minutes
upper back stretches
Granted, this stretch makes you look like you’re trying to hug a hobbit. But it is an excellent upper back stretch and is ideal to perform after a heavy weightlifting workout or boxing session.
Stretching method
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, place the hands out in front with one clasped over the other. Keeping the arms slightly bent push the hands away from the body rounding the back as you do so.
Main areas stretched: Trapezius and latissimus dorsi
Other: Rhomboids, teres major and minor, and posterior deltoids
Apply the stretch twice for 30 seconds each set
Total stretch time = 1 minute
groin stretch
If you’ve ever done martial arts, you will no doubt have already made acquaintance with this stretch. It’s also a popular pre-training stretch position in other martial sports. The reason being is that this stretch is the most effective at increasing the range of movement in the hips and easing tension in the groin and hamstrings.
Stretching method
Firstly, take a seat on a soft training mat. Spread the legs open until you can feel a mild stretch creep into the hamstrings. The toes should be pointing up towards the ceiling and the back must remain straight throughout. Place the hands on the floor and slowly rotate the pelvis forward. To further apply the stretch, you can also lean forward.
Main areas stretched: Hamstring and adductors
Other: Semitendinosus, semimembranosus, gracilis, adductor magnus and longus, gluteus maximus, lower erector spinae, lower latissimus dorsi, medial side of soleus, medial and lateral head of gastrocnemius
Apply this stretch twice for 30 seconds each set
Total stretch time = 1 minute
quadriceps stretch
This is a classic stretch position and a favourite among sprinters and footballers. If you’ve ever watched athletics, you’ll likely have seen sprinters intermittently popping in and out of this stretch while also performing plyometric exercises. They do this to keep the legs limber and warm.
Stretching method
Grasp onto the foot of the leg that is to be stretched. If you struggle to maintain your balance throughout, either lay off the spirits or use the other hand – the one that’s not holding the leg – to stable yourself.
Both knees should be directly in line and the supporting leg must remain bent. To apply the stretch ease the hips forwards.
Main area stretched: Quadriceps
Other: Vastus intermedius, rectus femoris, psoas major, middle and upper sartorius and gluteus medius
Perform two sets of 30 seconds each on both legs
Total stretch time = 2 minutes
Stretching exercises FAQ
Is static stretching best?
If you engage in sport or participate in exercise, then static stretching is probably the best method. Static stretching is the safest method and you do not need someone else to help you apply the stretch.
In addition, when practiced regularly and applied correctly, static stretching helps to improve flexibility and with it the range of motion around a joint.
These positive outcomes can reduce muscle tightness and injury susceptibility. Also, by increasing the range of movement around a joint, you may find a slight improvement in your ability to apply sporting/exercise techniques.
What’s pnf stretching?
PNF stands for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. With PNF stretching the muscle is contracted for 10-20 seconds prior to the application of the stretch.
This initial contraction kind of circumvents the muscle’s safety system which in turn enables a greater stretch.
As Norris puts it: ‘The Golgi tendon organs,’ which are a type of sensory receptor that detect changes in muscle tension, ‘register the tension build-up and cause autogenic inhibition, allowing an increased range of motion to be achieved.’
When should you do ballistic stretching?
Never. Ballistic stretching is dangerous. If you’re unfamiliar with this method of stretching, it is where the limb, under muscle contraction, is ballistically propelled into the stretch. An example is where the dancer kicks their leg forward sending the foot level or higher than their head.
If performed by an inexperienced or inflexible person, ballistic stretching poses a significant injury risk factor.
dynamic stretching exercises
A safer method is dynamic stretching, popularised by Thomas Kurz in his excellent book Stretching Scientifically.
The dynamic method is almost identical to that of ballistic. But the difference being is, before the dancer kicks their leg forward, they hold out their hand to act as a stopping point. This is called 'hand kicking' drills.
The dancer would position their hand low to begin with, say level with their waist. After each successive kick they raise the hand six inches or so thus gradually and under control increasing the range of movement.
This simple modification makes ballistic stretching far safer.
How do you stretch tight hip flexors?
Tight hip flexors are experienced most often by runners, cyclists, and footballers. As well as causing a dull ache in the localised areas, tight flexor muscles restrict the range of movement around the hip. This can impede performance and increase injury risk. But thankfully this problem is easy to eradicate.
Stretching method
Lie face down on a soft training mat. Place the hands and forearms on the mat either side of your face. Slowly extend the arms so that the abdominals have been raised off the floor. When you feel a mild stretch running down the abs hold the position. To increase the stretch, look up to the ceiling.
Main areas stretched: Hip flexors, rectus abdominus and external oblique
Other: Internal oblique, quadratus lumborum, psoas major, iliacus, rotatores and intertransversarii
Apply the stretch twice for 30 seconds per set
Total stretch time = 1 minute
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