January 5, 2021 Madhura Mohan

Stretching Exercises For Improved Flexibility & Well-Rounded Fitness

I

f your day involves 8 hours of sitting at a desk, an hour or so of commuting from workplace to home, and then an hour or two sitting at home while watching television, you must be often complaining about body stiffness and subsequent results of neck pain, shoulder pain and back pain.

Here, today, I’ve come with a series of stretching exercises that you can easily fit into your day.

Even if you are not planning to keep up on your regular exercise, practising these simple stretching will help receive multiple benefits for your overall fitness.

Now, no complaining about not finding time in your busy schedule, one of the most productive ways to find time for stretching is while watching television.

Tip: Start the stretching with five minutes of walking or jogging on the spot in order to warm up your muscles.

WHAT IS STRETCHING?

Stretching is a form of exercise which involves placing particular parts of the body into a position that will lengthen and deliberately flex your muscles in order to improve the muscle’s felt elasticity and achieve comfortable muscle tone.

Overall, stretching contributes to increased flexibility and increased range of motion.

Already getting inspired to do them? Trust me these stretching patterns are too simple but really very effective. Why wait? Let’s move on and stretch…

RECLINED SPINAL TWIST

Lay on your back and extend your arms out on either side.
Bend one of your knees and bring it over the other leg until it reaches the floor.
Try to stretch your spine as much as you can and relax your lower body.
Focus on the stretch you’ll feel on the sides of your upper body and your lower back.
Repeat the stretching on other side.

SEATED SIDE STRETCH

Let’s start with seated side stretches which can be done right on the bed when you are up in the morning. This can be done both sitting and standing, well, I prefer the seated version.

Sit on the ground or bed erect, lean forward slightly to keep from hunching your back and shoulders.
Your shoulders, hips should be straight up and down line.
Gently lean your body to left side feeling a deep stretch along the side of your body.
Hold at this point for 10-15 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Seated stretches targets rotator cuff muscles, and your rear shoulders.
The seated side stretches and lengthens the intercostal muscles (those muscles between the ribs), which support the ribs.

LATERAL NECK STRETCH

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms on your waist.
Look forward while keeping your head up. Keep your shoulders and your back straight.
Slowly, tilt your head toward your right shoulder and try to touch it with your ear.
Hold for 5-10 seconds till your feel the stretch.
Return to the start position.
Repeat by bending neck on your left shoulder.
You can do the neck stretches vertically by lifting your chin up towards the ceiling and bringing the chin down to chest level.

SHOULDER STRETCH

Our shoulders are bio-mechanically one of the complex joints because they have the greatest range of motion in the body.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Bring your right arm up to your shoulder height and place your left hand on your right elbow.
Now, gently pull your right arm across the body using the left hand to support your arm.
Hold at the point you feel greater stretch for up to 30 seconds.
Repeat the form on the opposite side.
Do each form 3-5 times.

HAMSTRING STRETCH

Stand upright and gently lean forward with your left knee as though you are going into a sitting position.
Place the opposite leg outright, place the hands on the straight right leg and point your toes towards the ceiling.
Bend forward from your hips to feel a good stretch along the back of your outstretched leg.
Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds.
Repeat two or four times.
This stretching targets hamstrings and your calves.

QUAD STRETCH

Stand on your right leg, grab your left foot, using your left arm, pull it towards your butt.
You can use a chair or the wall for balance in case required.
Push your chest up and squeeze your hips forward to feel the good stretch in your quad muscle to get a good hip flexor stretch.
Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat by switching from right leg to your left leg.

This simple stretch exercise is great for fixing your muscles, anytime, anywhere.

SITTING KNEE TO CHEST LIFT

This gives gentle yet effective stretching to your belly muscles, your quads and hamstring.

Sit upright on a chair preferably without your back touching it.
Keep your feet hip-width apart on the floor.
To begin, bring your right knee up to your chest level.
You can use both your hands to pull the bent knee towards your chest till you feel the stretch in your lower back and back of your hip.
Hold this position for 15-20 seconds and then repeat on the other knee.

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Stretching Exercises For Improved Flexibility & Well-Rounded Fitness

I

f your day involves 8 hours of sitting at a desk, an hour or so of commuting from workplace to home, and then an hour or two sitting at home while watching television, you must be often complaining about body stiffness and subsequent results of neck pain, shoulder pain and back pain.

Here, today, I’ve come with a series of stretching exercises that you can easily fit into your day.

Even if you are not planning to keep up on your regular exercise, practising these simple stretching will help receive multiple benefits for your overall fitness.

Now, no complaining about not finding time in your busy schedule, one of the most productive ways to find time for stretching is while watching television.

Tip: Start the stretching with five minutes of walking or jogging on the spot in order to warm up your muscles.

WHAT IS STRETCHING?

Stretching is a form of exercise which involves placing particular parts of the body into a position that will lengthen and deliberately flex your muscles in order to improve the muscle’s felt elasticity and achieve comfortable muscle tone.

Overall, stretching contributes to increased flexibility and increased range of motion.

Already getting inspired to do them? Trust me these stretching patterns are too simple but really very effective. Why wait? Let’s move on and stretch…

RECLINED SPINAL TWIST

Lay on your back and extend your arms out on either side.

Bend one of your knees and bring it over the other leg until it reaches the floor.

Try to stretch your spine as much as you can and relax your lower body.

Focus on the stretch you’ll feel on the sides of your upper body and your lower back.

Repeat the stretching on other side.

SEATED SIDE STRETCH

Let’s start with seated side stretches which can be done right on the bed when you are up in the morning. This can be done both sitting and standing, well, I prefer the seated version.

Sit on the ground or bed erect, lean forward slightly to keep from hunching your back and shoulders.

Your shoulders, hips should be straight up and down line.

Gently lean your body to left side feeling a deep stretch along the side of your body.

Hold at this point for 10-15 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Seated stretches targets rotator cuff muscles, and your rear shoulders.

The seated side stretches and lengthens the intercostal muscles (those muscles between the ribs), which support the ribs.

LATERAL NECK STRETCH

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms on your waist.

Look forward while keeping your head up. Keep your shoulders and your back straight.

Slowly, tilt your head toward your right shoulder and try to touch it with your ear.

Hold for 5-10 seconds till your feel the stretch.

Return to the start position.

Repeat by bending neck on your left shoulder.

You can do the neck stretches vertically by lifting your chin up towards the ceiling and bringing the chin down to chest level.

SHOULDER STRETCH

Our shoulders are bio-mechanically one of the complex joints because they have the greatest range of motion in the body.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Bring your right arm up to your shoulder height and place your left hand on your right elbow.

Now, gently pull your right arm across the body using the left hand to support your arm.

Hold at the point you feel greater stretch for up to 30 seconds.

Repeat the form on the opposite side.

Do each form 3-5 times.

HAMSTRING STRETCH

Stand upright and gently lean forward with your left knee as though you are going into a sitting position.

Place the opposite leg outright, place the hands on the straight right leg and point your toes towards the ceiling.

Bend forward from your hips to feel a good stretch along the back of your outstretched leg.

Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds.

Repeat two or four times.

This stretching targets hamstrings and your calves.

QUAD STRETCH

Stand on your right leg, grab your left foot, using your left arm, pull it towards your butt.

You can use a chair or the wall for balance in case required.

Push your chest up and squeeze your hips forward to feel the good stretch in your quad muscle to get a good hip flexor stretch.

Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat by switching from right leg to your left leg.

This simple stretch exercise is great for fixing your muscles, anytime, anywhere.

SITTING KNEE TO CHEST LIFT

This gives gentle yet effective stretching to your belly muscles, your quads and hamstring.

Sit upright on a chair preferably without your back touching it.

Keep your feet hip-width apart on the floor.

To begin, bring your right knee up to your chest level.

You can use both your hands to pull the bent knee towards your chest till you feel the stretch in your lower back and back of your hip.

Hold this position for 15-20 seconds and then repeat on the other knee.

Also read: Top 6 Lower Back Bodyweight Exercises

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