Butterfly stretch

This stretch is for the muscles that run along your inner thigh and groin. To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Sit on the floor with your back straight, your abdominals in, and the soles of your feet touching each other. It’s important to keep your back straight during this stretch because rounding your back places undue pressure on your lower back and spine. Sit up tall and think of your chest lifting forward as you tilt your pelvis back.
2. Place your hands on your ankles and bring your feet as close to your groin as you can (see Figure a).
3. Inhale and as you exhale, gently press down on the inside of your knees with your elbows (see Figure b).
4. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths. With each breath, try to get your knees closer to the floor.

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

• Do breathe as you hold the stretch.
• Do lengthen your spine as you lean forward from the hips.
• Do keep your neck in line with the rest of your spine. You should be looking at the floor in front of you, not at your feet.
• Don’t round your back or tighten your shoulders.
• Don’t bounce your knees toward the floor — be patient and hold the stretch.

Seated back and neck stretch

The best part about this stretch is that you’ll feel it not only in your hips but also along your entire back and up through your neck. To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs crossed in front of you and your hands on the floor in front of your legs (see Figure a). If you feel pain in your hips or knees while sitting on the floor, raise your hips off the floor by sitting on a pillow, folded blanket, step, or bosu.
2. Inhale and as you exhale bend forward at your hips and use your hands and arms for support. With each breath, deepen the stretch by gently reaching forward with your arms (see Figure b).
3. Hold the position in Step 2 and drop your chin toward your chest.
4. Shake your head “no” to release muscle tension in your neck.
5. Tilt your head to the right and hold the stretch for a few deep breaths.
6. Tilt your head to the left and hold the stretch for a few deep breaths.
7. Release the neck stretch and slowly sit up. Don’t always do this stretch with the same leg crossed on top; sometimes have your right leg on top and sometimes have your left leg crossed on top. This variation keeps the stretch balanced for both hips.

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

• Do initiate the movement from your hips, not from your upper back.
• Do keep your chin down as you tilt to the side.
• Don’t tense or tighten your shoulders or back.

Seated side reach

This cool-down routine focuses on your waist and stretches out the obliques — the muscles that run down the side of your body. To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs crossed in front of you.
2. Reach your left arm directly overhead, using the muscles in your upper back to keep your shoulder blade down and chest lifted. This position keeps space between your shoulder and ear (see Figure a).
3. Inhale and as you exhale, bend at the waist to the right and reach with your left arm overhead, keeping your hip anchored to the floor. Rest your right hand on the floor for extra support (see Figure b). Think of both sides of your waist lifting and lengthening up and over.
4. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths. Try to deepen the stretch with every breath.
5. Repeat this stretch on your other side.

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

• Do keep your hip anchored to the floor.
• Do breathe and slowly deepen the stretch.
• Do keep your chest and shoulders facing forward.
• Don’t bend forward or arch your back.
• Don’t hold your breath.

Why and How to Cool Down

A cool-down refers to a group of moves or stretches performed after exercise and before rest. This time is perfect to work on increasing flexibility because the temperature of your muscles and connective tissue is highest, which means that these structures are now at their most flexible.
The type of stretches most appropriate for the cool-down is static stretches. Static stretches help relax your muscles by lengthening them. They can also aid in reducing after-exercise muscle soreness by helping to work lactic acid out of your muscles. In addition, a nice quiet period of gentle movement and rest can be the perfect ending to a great workout. Why cool down? During a strenuous workout, your body goes through a number of stressful processes. Here are a few reasons why a good cool-down is so important:

• To promote recovery and return the body to its state before exercise.
• To prevent damage to the muscle fibers, tendons, and ligaments.
• To prevent the build up of lactic acid and other waste products within your body.
• To reduce soreness by keeping the blood from “pooling” or staying in the muscle. Instead, the blood gets pushed back to the heart.

Standing balance with a twist

Adding a little balance work to your warm-up can raise your internal temperature and improve your balance. Try this exercise before your next workout.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Stand tall with your feet together and your arms at your side.
2. Shift your weight to your right leg only.
3. Bend your left knee slightly and lift your foot off the floor so all your weight is on your right leg (see Figure a).
4. Inhale and as you exhale, raise your elbows and cross your arms in front of your chest.
5. Twist to your left, hold for a few seconds, and return back to front position (see Figure b). Don’t attempt the twist until you’re stable on one foot. If you’re wobbly, use a chair or barre to help with your stability. Don’t be afraid of a little wobble; it’s how you test your limits and improve your balance.
6. Repeat this exercise three more times and then repeat four repetitions on the other side. To make this exercise more challenging, try standing on a bosu — a balance board — while performing this exercise. You can find a bosu at pretty much any sporting goods store.

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

• Do exhale every time you twist.
• Do keep your hips level with each other. If one hip is higher than the other, holding your balance becomes difficult.
• Do hold your abdominals tight and your shoulder blades down.
• Don’t lift your foot too high — only a couple of inches off the floor.

Standing groin and inner thigh stretch

This stretch is for the muscles that run along your inner thigh and also the muscles in your torso that rotate your spine. This stretch also builds strength in your thighs and creates heat in your body so your muscles are nice and warm for a productive, pain-free workout.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Stand with your feet in a wide stance with your toes pointing out.
2. Bend your knees and slowly lean forward until your elbows can rest just inside your knees (see Figure a).
3. Gently press your right elbow against the inside of your right knee as you lower your right shoulder and rotate your spine to the left, looking over your left shoulder (see Figure b). Turning your head stretches your neck muscles at the same time other muscles are stretching during this exercise.
4. Lower your hips another inch and tilt your pelvis back. Lowering your hips deepens the stretch in your groin. Think of reaching your tailbone to the ceiling as you tilt your pelvis back.
5. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and then repeat the stretch on the other side. To make this stretch more dynamic, alternate from side to side several times without holding the stretch.

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

• Do breathe as you hold the stretch.
• Do press the knee away with your elbow.
• Do tilt your pelvis back.
• Don’t hold your breath.
• Don’t bounce or force the stretch.