In our quest for fitness, many individuals focus only on cardiovascular exercise and weight training. They usually neglect to include a flexibility regimen, either out of ignorance of its importance or because they simply forgot about it. However, body stretching techniques, when done correctly give a lot of immense benefits. Not only does it widen your range of motion, stretches also improve your posture, reduce your chances of injury or strain and enables you to recover from exercise-related strains in a shorter amount of time. Moreover, the ability to touch your toes with your hands when you bend is a sign of a physically fit individual.
Flexibility exercises are best done before and after every workout session. When you do the following full body stretching techniques suggested below, make sure to only stretch to the point of mild discomfort and not past it. Straining your body before it becomes ready can cause pain and injury.
Stretching your hamstrings and calves relieves soreness brought about by long periods of sitting. Begin in a standing position and spreading your legs wide apart, toes pointed outwards slightly. Keeping your bodyweight focused on your heels, gradually bend down and reach toward the floor midway through your stance. To stretch your calves, begin by lying on your back. Bend both knees but keep your feet flat on the floor. Put up one leg in the air, keeping your knee straight and your toes pointed to the ceiling. Pull the extended leg toward your head so that you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. Then flex your feet, keeping your toes pointed towards your head, getting it as close to the head as you can. This flexes your calf muscles.
Stretching your quad muscles entail doing an action opposite what it normally performs. Stand near a chair or in front of the wall for balance. Stand using only one leg and take a hold of your other foot using the same hand. Get your foot close to the buttocks as possible, keeping your knee pointed towards the ground. Push your hips, Do the same movements on both legs.
Stretch your lower back to loosen it particularly if you spend a lot of time sitting down facing a computer screen. This impedes circulation and affects posture. To do a back stretch, lie stomach down on a stability ball, allowing the curved shape of the ball to support your spine. Breathe regularly as you relax the muscles of your lower back. Another stretch that you can also do is the cobra stretch. Lie with your face down on the floor, putting your hands a bit wider than shoulder-width apart, as if you were going to do a push up. With your still touching the floor, slowly stretch your body off the ground. Lower it back to the beginning position before doing it again. Feel the stretch in your abdomen and lower back.
Your shoulders can feel numb after a long day typing or carrying heavy objects. To stretch them, cross one arm across your chest. Using the other arm, pull the elbow of your other arm and pull it in towards your chest. Feel the stretch before doing the motion on your other arm.
