Gluteal stretch

One of the main functions of the gluteal muscles of the buttocks is to help fully extend the hip joint, which is a crucial part of the running motion. This exercise helps ensure that you get full range of motion in your buttocks muscles, and therefore your hips, which results in a long, graceful, fluid, powerful running stride.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Get on the floor on your hands and knees.
2. Bring your left knee forward as far as you can, and rest your knee, shin and foot on the floor.
3. Inhale and as you exhale, lower your left buttock to the ground, extending your right leg behind you and resting the front of your right thigh, kneecap, shin, and foot on the floor (see Figure).
4. 4Gently push your right hip toward the floor and hold the stretch for 30 seconds. To intensify this stretch, try moving your front foot farther away from your hip.
5. 5Repeat this stretch on your other leg.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your hips facing front.

• Do support the weight of your upper body on your hands.
• Do lean forward, but don’t arch your back.
• Don’t continue holding the stretch if you feel pain in your front knee.

Guidelines You Don’t Want to Skip DUring Stretching

No matter what sport you engage in, you want to improve your athletic performance and decrease your risk of injury. So check out the following list for some basic flexibility training guidelines:

• Warm up. Make sure you warm up before you start to exercise. You need just about 10 to 15 minutes of dynamic stretching that mimics what you’ll later be doing full speed.
• Drink fluids. Your muscles and joints need fluid to stay flexible and lubricated. So here are the guidelines:

1. If you exercise for less than an hour, water is more than adequate.
2. However, if you exercise more than an hour, a sports drink improves endurance, reaction time, and concentration because carbohydrates are being used by both the brain and muscle during prolonged exercise.

• Focus on a particular area. Each sport has specific requirements: A runner needs a flexible lower body; racquet sports require flexibility in the upper body; and in contact sports, you need a strong flexible core. To enhance performance and help prevent injury, focus on the area you use the most.
• Don’t forget the rest of your body. If you’re serious about improving your game through stretching, you’ll have to engage in a flexibility program that stretches your entire body two or three days a week. Like everything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it.
• Cool down. Never forget to cool down after a workout because it allows the blood and oxygen to return to your heart and muscles instead of “pooling” or staying in your extremities. After your breathing returns to normal and your heart rate is under 100 beats per minute, your body has cooled down sufficiently.

Hip flexor stretch on one knee

The benefit of this stretch is that it can target your hip flexor — a very difficult muscle to isolate but one that’s important to stretch because it’s responsible for how you walk and all lower body movement.
If this kneeling stretch is uncomfortable on your knees, try placing a folded towel or pillow under your knee for cushion.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Kneel on one knee, place your other foot flat on the floor in front of you with your knee bent, and make sure you maintain good posture with your upper body. Make sure that the back foot and leg aren’t turned in. You’ll feel the stretch a little more in your hip flexor if your foot is directly behind your hip.
2. Inhale and as you exhale, squeeze your buttocks and tilt your pelvis under. Feel the front part of your hip lengthen. If you don’t feel the stretch, you may have to squeeze your buttocks and tuck your pelvis a little more.
3. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths.
4. Repeat on the other side.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do breathe throughout the stretch.
• Do keep your chest lifted and shoulders back.
• Do keep your shoulders directly over your hips — you want to lengthen the front of your hip, not shorten it.
• Don’t hinge forward at your hip.
• Don’t arch your back; just focus on squeezing your buttocks and tucking your pelvis under.

Wrist stretch on all fours

This stretch is my favorite for the wrist and forearm areas; if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, though, you should skip this one. To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Kneel on all fours with most of your weight on your knees.
2. Place your left hand palm down, fingers facing back toward your knee (see figure a).
3. Inhale and as you exhale, gently shift your body weight toward your shoulders.
4. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths. Feel the stretch in the palm of your right hand and forearm.
5. Release the stretch and place the back of your hand on the floor with your fingers toward your knee (see Figure b).
6. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths.
7. Repeat these two stretches on your other wrist.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your shoulder blades down and your body weight shifted toward your heels.
• Don’t put all your weight on the wrist being stretched.
• Don’t bounce during the stretch.

Back extension and abdominal stretch

This stretch is specifically for the abdominals, but it’s also great for the back muscles. The back extension and abdominal stretch increases mobility in your spine and decreases a rounded back.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Lie on your belly, supporting your upper body with your elbows directly under your shoulders.
2. Lift up out of your shoulders so you aren’t sinking into your shoulder blades.
3. Inhale and as you exhale, lengthen your spine and lift your chest as if you were going to move forward (see Figure).Imagine you’re trying to move forward, but your elbows and hips are glued to the floor.And visualize the space between each vertebra as increasing, lengthening your spine.You should feel this stretch in your abdominals.
4. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your neck long and in line with the rest of your spine.
• Do keep your shoulder blades down.
• Do pull your belly toward your spine.
• Don’t compress your lower back.
• Don’t think of lifting your chest toward the ceiling; think of your chest pressing up toward the ceiling.

Side lying quad stretch

This quad stretch is one of the easiest stretches to get into and maintain proper form. You should feel this stretch in your back, obliques, neck, and chest all at the same time.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Lie on your right side with your knees bent close to your chest, and let your head rest on your right arm (see Figure a).
2. Grab the top of your left foot and gently move your ankle back toward your buttocks (see Figure b). Don’t force your heel toward your buttocks. That movement can put pressure on your knee joint.
3. Squeeze your buttocks to increase the stretch, but don’t let your hips roll back. Always keep your hips stacked on top of each other and focus on bringing the knee back.
4. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, and then lie on your left side and repeat the stretch on your other leg.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do breathe as you hold the stretch.
• Do squeeze your buttocks to deepen the stretch.
• Don’t jam your heel toward your buttocks.
• Do keep your bottom knee bent for balance.
• Don’t lift the knee — instead try to keep your inner thighs touching.

Seated straddle stretch

This stretch integrates many muscle groups — inner thigh, back, hamstrings — into one stretch. To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight, your feet as far apart as possible, and your hands behind your hips; sit up very tall (see Figure A). Keeping your hands behind your hips helps you keep your spine lifted and straight. This position allows you to stretch your back, inner thighs, and hamstrings without creating tension in your shoulders and upper back.
2. Move your hips forward an inch or two until you feel the stretch along both inner thighs.
3. Inhale and as you exhale lean slightly forward, tilting your pelvis back (see Figure B). Your hands are behind your hips in this step, but if you want to add a variation and you’re flexible enough to bring your hands in front of you without rounding your back, you can deepen the stretch by reaching forward as far as you can.
4. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths. Your goal isn’t to get your chest to the floor; it’s to feel a stretch in your inner thighs without your pelvis tucking under or your back rounding or your knees rolling inward. Even though this stretch is common, it can still be difficult because of all the muscles involved.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your knees and toes facing upward toward the ceiling.
• Do tilt your pelvis back as you lift your chest.
• Do breathe deeply through the entire stretch.
• Do progress slowly through this stretch, spending 15 seconds or so in the comfort zone.
• Don’t place your hands in front of you unless you can keep them there without rounding your spine or tucking your pelvis under.
• Don’t bounce this stretch.