Effective stretching exercises. Stretching exercises

Hello my readers! We have all heard many times that there are 2 types of training - strength and cardio. Each of them has its own advantages, limitations and results. But rarely does anyone remember that for harmonious physical development, body flexibility is also necessary. You say “Why?” And you’ll even most likely think that exercises for body flexibility for beginners are still difficult and you don’t need it. But today I will try to convince you.

The famous Bruce Lee once said: “Even the strongest tree is easier to break than bamboo or willow shoots bending in the wind.” No matter how much you do strength training, no matter how much you do, you will not be able to achieve grace and smooth movements without flexibility.

In addition, this is also useful because:

1. Helps
2. Improves blood supply to muscles and starts recovery processes
3. Develops coordination and endurance
4. Has a positive effect on the back muscles and spine

Well, in the end, remember how many jokes there are on the Internet, intended for men, with pictures of girls who bend well. Many men in their fantasies allow themselves to dream that their life partner has a wonderful stretch mark.

Myths about stretching

Myth 1. You need innate abilities. Of course, for professional athletes they should be, but if you do not plan to perform in the circus, then your muscles are quite ready to perform simple training sets. And each time you will feel that you are able to bend a little more.

Myth 2. You need to do such training from childhood, and they are definitely not available after 30. Yes, it’s easier for children, they really have greater joint mobility. But the advantage of stretching is that it can be done at any age. You just need to do it gradually, without trying.

Myth 3. Flexibility exercises are always painful. Also a misconception. In no case should it be brought to the point of pain; you need to stretch to the point of tension.

Myth 4. Such training will not give you. Perhaps the effect will not be as pronounced as in the case of cardio training, but such training is also a physical activity, because during its implementation energy is spent, and the body works. This means calories are also wasted.

Such different workouts

There are a whole bunch of different types of stretching workouts. But in general, there are only 2 types of stretching training.

Dynamic, with the performance of various amplitude movements (swings, rolls). With each movement, the amplitude should increase due to inertia. Contraindicated for beginners, as it is quite traumatic.

Static. This is where you need to start training. There are no sudden jerks. It is necessary to stretch the muscles and lock in this position for 20-30 seconds to a minute. This way the muscle works smoothly. In turn, static exercises can be divided into active (independent exercise, stretching occurs under the weight of your own body) and passive (when a trainer helps).

No matter how unrealistic and difficult it may seem, flexibility exercises are also available at home. You should only

• Be sure to warm up before class. The body needs to be warmed up and the waste paper needs to be prepared for work. Jog at a calm pace for 5-7 minutes and do simple bends, squats and swings
• Avoid harshness. Remember, you are not in school physical education. All movements must be smooth. Feel how your body works
• Don't do anything through pain. The state of tension and overcoming is normal, but pain is not. Pain can lead to injury and tissue rupture
• Exercise regularly. Otherwise, your joints will lose mobility again
• Don't expect tremendous results from stretching in 2 weeks. The main thing here is not speed, but quality of execution. For example, only after 3-4 months of regular exercise can you do the splits
• After 1.5-2 months of doing the same exercise, your muscles begin to get used to the load. Try to complicate it or start doing a different complex
• Consult a trainer before starting training. If you don’t want to do this, at least watch detailed videos on the Internet and study in pictures which muscles should work during this or that training.

Exercises for Beginners

We passed the introductory part. Now you are ready to start your workout. Below I will give a few simple exercises that can be used to create a good workout.

• Exercise for the back “Cat”. Standing on all fours, gently arch your back up, then also smoothly bend it down. Lock each end position

Stretch your buttocks

We lie on our back, leave one leg bent at the knee, and pull the other to the chest, keeping it as straight as possible.

Sit on the floor, bend one leg, try to lean forward towards the other leg.

Calf muscles

While standing, lunge forward with one leg and bend it at the knee. Make sure your feet are pressed to the floor.

Anterior thigh

While standing, bend one leg at the knee, clasping it with your hand, pull your leg towards your buttock.

Rib cage

• Join your hands behind your back and lift the lock up
• Standing, back straight, raise your arms up in the lock and stretch

Lateral thigh

From a sitting position, bend one leg at the knee and move the other to the side. Bend to the side.

Press

Lying on your stomach, place your hands on the floor and lift your upper body.

For the first lessons, these exercises will be quite enough. Gradually you need to increase the amplitude, load and introduce more complex stretches. And don’t forget: no sudden movements! Throughout the entire session, control your breathing; it should be smooth and deep. You should enjoy your actions, then you will be not only in excellent physical shape, but also psychologically!

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The cross split is one of the most impressive demonstrations of flexibility and stretching. We offer you the best exercises with which you can do the cross splits.

Transverse splits are usually more difficult to master than longitudinal splits. In order to do the cross splits, you need to not only stretch the muscles and ligaments of your legs well, but also significantly improve the mobility of the sacrum and hip joints. The path to cross splits can be long, so be patient, it takes from several months to a year to master it.

The benefits of cross twine

The cross split is not only a spectacular pose, but also very useful. You will get a number of benefits from the cross split stretch:

• Strengthen your leg muscles, make them toned and slender.
• While performing cross split exercises, the muscles of the back, lower back and abs are also worked.
• Thanks to split stretching, you will improve the functioning of the pelvic organs and genitourinary system.
• Elastic ligaments and flexibility in the hip joints are the key to good health during pregnancy and easy childbirth.
• Cross split stretching is a good prevention of diseases of the abdominal cavity and gastrointestinal tract.
• You will improve stretching of the hip joints, which are involved in many strength and aerobic exercises. This will allow you to perform exercises with more amplitude and quality.

Before performing the splits exercises, be sure to do a warm-up warm-up. When the muscles are not warmed up and prepared, stretching training will be ineffective. You will not make progress and will put off your cross split dream indefinitely.

If you want to do the splits faster, you can purchase a special cross-split stretching machine. Stretching with such a simulator is very convenient and comfortable - you do not need external pressure or holding positions. Using a stretching machine, your muscles will be relaxed and more pliable for stretching, which means you will do the splits much faster.

10 exercises for warming up and warming up before the splits

Perform the exercises below in sequence. Your body will warm up, your heart rate will increase, and you will feel a pleasant warmth in your muscles. If you feel that after doing the exercises you haven’t warmed up enough, repeat the complex again.

For each exercise The number of repetitions on one side is indicated. For example, the first exercise is walking in place with knees raised. You should perform 20 leg raises with your right leg, 20 leg raises with your left leg, for a total of 40 repetitions. You can increase the number of repetitions at your discretion (decreasing is not recommended!).

1. Walking in place with knees raised : 20 reps

2. Swing to your feet : 20 reps

3. Rotations for the hip joints : 20 reps

4. Side lunge : 15 reps

5. Tilt towards the leg : 15 reps

6. Back Squat: 20 reps

7. Back lunges : 10 reps

8. Jumping rope: 40 reps

: 40 reps each (just count to 80 in sync with the movement)

10. Jumps with arms and legs raised: 35 reps

Cross split exercises can only be performed with a warm body. Cross-split stretching exercises without warming up are not only ineffective, but also very dangerous.

) is a specific set of exercises, the purpose of which is to increase the elasticity of muscle fibers and increase the range of motion of tendons and joints. Outwardly, this manifests itself in healthy posture, beautiful body shapes and coordinated movements.

Why do you need to stretch?

Exercises for stretching different muscle groups allow you to:

• develop body flexibility;
• prepare muscles for power load or reduce pain after it;
• maintain muscle tone;
• improve blood circulation;
• strengthen joints, tendons and muscles;
• maintain a person’s general well-being;
• form coordination of movements.

No fitness workout can take place without stretching exercises. And even if you don’t go to the gym, regular exercises to develop flexibility should be a sacred duty, because the health and shape of the body depends on the condition of the muscles.

Rules for stretching

Stretching must be preceded by a warm-up to warm up the muscles. You should not stretch immediately, as this can cause pain and even injury. Several aerobic exercises, squats, and jumping rope will help give muscle fibers greater elasticity, that is, the ability to stretch.

Stretching can be done in several ways:

• independently using pressure and pressure;
• with the help of a partner;
• using weights on a simulator;
• spring at the point of maximum muscle tension;
• remain in the extreme position (without allowing pain) for several seconds.

You can exercise not only in the gym, but also at home, not forgetting about pre-warming up.

All exercises should be done carefully, without sudden jerks, especially for beginners. There is no point in chasing the achievements of fitness “veterans”; you need to listen to your body.

It is advisable to linger in each stretching position for a period of 10 to 60 seconds; a slight burning sensation in the muscles is considered normal. At the same time, you should try to relax the stretching muscles, this contributes to a higher effectiveness of stretching. The range of motion and duration of the exercises must be increased gradually and little by little.

Stretching exercises for the neck

Simple movements that are familiar to everyone from school physical education lessons:

1. tilting the head alternately forward and backward with a delay of several seconds at the moment of tension in the neck muscles;
2. turning the head to the sides;
3. pressing on the head, while the hand applying the force and the shoulder to which the head is pressed should be on the same side;
4. circular movements of the head, they must be performed slowly 5 times to the left and to the right.

Back muscle stretching

Problems with posture and back pain often arise as a result of a sedentary lifestyle. And if back problems are not caused by a serious illness, then simple exercises will help improve your general condition, and sometimes even relieve pain.

"Cat". Get on all fours, paying attention to the position of your arms and hips perpendicular to the body. Alternately round your back upward, then arch it downward. Slowly repeat 6 times to begin with, gradually increasing the number of repetitions.

Remaining in the same position, instead of moving up and down, rotate your back around an imaginary line in the center of your body.

1. Take a lying position, raise your arms and place them on the floor. Now slowly first raise your straight legs and then lower them behind your head so that the toes of the upper and lower extremities touch. It is advisable to stay in this position for about a minute.
2. Lie on the mat, press one leg to the floor and do not lift it, and press the other thigh to your chest or strive for this, then clasp your leg with your hands as close to the foot as possible and straighten it. Then change legs. Hold for 30 seconds on each side.
3. Twisting while lying down. Turn your head and legs bent at the knees in different directions, stay for 10 seconds, then change position to the opposite.
4. Hang on the crossbar; the muscles of the back and arms will be involved at the same time.

Arm stretch

It is difficult to target just one specific muscle that will be stretched. Almost all exercises, together with the arms, engage the muscles of the back, neck or abdomen, but this only improves the overall effect of the exercises.

Basic arm stretching exercises are as follows:

• circular movements with hands, forearms or arms completely;
• standing, raise your hands above your head, clasping your fingers, and lean to the sides as far as possible;
• raise one arm and bend it, lower your forearm behind your head, and with the other hand press on your elbow, change hands;
• Bring your straight arm forward, and with the other touch your elbow and try to press it to the opposite shoulder.

Leg muscle stretch

There are quite a large number of muscles in the lower extremities, and it is advisable to use as many of them as possible when stretching. You should not neglect exercises that seem elementary at first glance, because they prepare muscle fibers for increased load.

1. Bend forward. The legs and body should be straight, the arms should point with the palms towards the floor. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
2. Spread your legs wider, and also bend in turn towards one foot, towards the second and in the middle towards the floor. Do 10 repetitions starting on the right side and 10 on the left.
3. Sit on the floor, alternately pulling your toes and heels forward. A simple exercise that works several leg muscles at once.
4. While sitting, bend both legs at the knees and bring your feet together as close to your body as possible. Spread and press your hands on your legs, trying to press them to the floor. The inner thigh is stretched.
5. Sit down and spread your straight legs as wide as possible, try to touch the knees on each leg and the floor in front of you with your forehead.
6. In a sitting position, one leg is straight, the other is bent and placed back behind the buttock. Bends forward towards the straight leg. Naturally, after several repetitions, change the position of the legs.
7. Lie down with your knees bent. Smoothly pull your buttocks up until your back and hips form one straight line. This exercise perfectly stretches the quadriceps femoris.
8. Lie on your back, legs at right angles to your body. Extend straight or slightly bent legs in opposite directions 20-30 times, then remain in the stretched position for 30 seconds.
9. Lunges that can be done forward or sideways, alternating legs. After 10-15 repetitions, hold the lunge for 30-60 seconds.
10. An attempt to make a split (both longitudinal and transverse). After a set of exercises, when the muscles are properly warmed up and supple, sit in the splits as low as possible and stand there for 30 to 60 seconds. To alleviate muscle tension, you can put your hands in front of you.

By keeping our body in good shape, we prolong our own full life. Regular exercise is the prevention of most diseases of the musculoskeletal system, a feeling of harmony with your body and a guarantee of a good mood.

You need to stretch after warming up. This way you can deepen the stretch without injuring your muscles and ligaments.

Warm up before stretching

When you stretch after a workout, your muscles are already warmed up and no additional warm-up is required. If you decide to arrange a separate stretching lesson, first do a few exercises:

1. Joint warm-up: twirl your joints, bend and twist your body.
2. 5-7 minutes of cardio: running or Jumping Jacks, Rock Climber, running in place with high knees, .

Once you've warmed up a bit, you can start stretching.

How and how much to stretch

With these exercises, you can arrange an independent stretching session and thoroughly stretch all the muscles of your body. However, it will take about 60–90 minutes. For a quick stretch, choose one or two exercises for each muscle group involved in the workout.

To give your muscles a good stretch, hold each pose for 30 seconds to two minutes. You can remain still or gently spring. Sudden movements can cause injury, so leave them for another sport.

We will give exercises for stretching from top to bottom: neck, shoulders and arms, chest and back, abs, buttocks, thighs, legs.

Neck stretching exercises

Tilt your head back, stretching the front of your neck. From this position, tilt your head to the left. For greater effect, place your left palm on the right side of your head, but do not press hard.

Place your right hand on the left side of your head. Tilt your head forward and to the side, increase the pressure with your hand.

Repeat on the other side.

Place one hand on the back of your head and the other on your chin. Lower your head, making a double chin. At the same time, the neck remains straight, the back of the head tends upward. You should feel it in the back of your neck, especially at the base of your skull.

Shoulder stretches

4. Front Shoulder Stretch

Place your hands behind your back, clasp your wrist with one hand and the other. Bend your elbows and lift your wrists higher. Push your chest forward and feel the stretch in the front of your shoulders.

5. Mid-Shoulder Stretch

Grab your opposite elbow with your hand, press your shoulder towards you and pull it down. Repeat with the other hand.

6. Back Shoulder Stretch

Grasp your right arm with your left above the elbow, press it to your body and straighten it, lower your right shoulder down. With your left hand, pull your right hand up, lifting it with your elbow. Feel the tension in your backside.

Repeat with the other hand.

7. Triceps stretch

Go to the wall, lift your left elbow up, and place your forearm behind your back. Lower your left shoulder blade down. To check that it has actually dropped and will not rise during the stretch, place your right hand below your left armpit.

Repeat on the other side.

8. Biceps stretch

Grab a doorknob, counter, or other support and turn your back to it. Turn your elbow upward and move your body slightly forward.

Repeat with the other hand.

This pose allows you to simultaneously stretch the triceps of one arm and the front of the shoulder of the other. Place one hand behind your back from above so that your elbow points upward, and the other from below so that your elbow points to the floor. Try to bring your wrists together at the level of your shoulder blades.

Switch hands.

10. Wrist Extensor Stretch

Sit on your knees, place your hands in front of you so that the backs of your hands touch the floor and your fingers point towards each other. Gently shift your weight into your hands, stretching your forearms. To enhance the effect, try clenching your fists.

Chest stretching exercises

11. Chest stretch in the doorway

Go to the doorway, lean your elbows on the doorframes and push your chest forward, pectoral muscles.

Place your hand on the wall, lower your shoulder and turn in the opposite direction. Repeat with the other hand.

Back stretching exercises

Stand next to a rack, exercise machine or other support, turn your left shoulder towards it. With your right hand, grab the rack high above your head and move your pelvis to the right and down, stretching the entire right side of your body.

Repeat on the other side.

14. Stretching the lower back muscles

Sit on the floor, move your right leg forward, left leg back. Bend your knees at an angle of 90 degrees or slightly more. Place your right hand on the floor, raise your left above your head. Pull your left leg down and back, tilt your body forward and twist towards your right leg.

Switch legs.

Sit on the floor, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Grasp your shins with your hands on the inside, place your wrists on your feet. Lean forward as low as possible.

Sit on the floor, buttocks should touch your heels. Lean forward, lie on your stomach on your knees and extend your arms.

Get on all fours, then move your pelvis back and up so that your body resembles an angle. Your arms and back should be stretched out in one line, your knees can be bent, and your heels can be lifted off the floor. The main thing is that your back remains straight, without rounding in the lower back.

Grab a low horizontal bar and hang freely, relaxing your body. Feet should remain on the ground. Relax them, bend your knees slightly.

Lie on the floor on your back, arms along your body, legs straight. Raise your legs and then throw them behind your head. Hands rest with elbows on the floor, hands support. Do not lean on your neck, the fulcrum is your shoulders.

Abdominal stretching exercises

Get on your knees, push your chest up, lengthening your spine, and then lean back, placing your hands on your heels. Try to bend in the thoracic region. Don't throw your head back, look up.

Lie on the floor on your stomach, place your hands under your shoulders. Push yourself up, your pelvis rises, your legs remain on the floor. Lower your shoulders, bend in the chest.

Stand straight with your feet together. Raise your arms and join your palms above your head. Bend your chest and tilt your body back. Tighten to avoid strong arching in the lower back.

Stand up straight, raise your arms above your head, clasp your fingers and turn your palms up. Stretch up and bend first to one side and then to the other.

Lie on the floor on your back, arms out to the sides, palms down. Move your pelvis to the left, lift your left leg, bending it at the knee, move it behind your right leg and try to place your knee on the floor. Turn your head to the left and relax.

Repeat the exercise on the other side.

Exercises for stretching the buttocks

25. Lying stretch

Lie on the floor on your back, raise your knees bent. Place the ankle of your left foot on the knee of your right. Press the knee of your right leg onto your left to deepen it. Repeat with the other leg.

Get on all fours, place your right ankle on your left knee. Push your pelvis back to deepen the stretch. Repeat with the other leg.

27. Seated stretching

Sit on the floor, stretch your legs forward, straighten your back. Bend one leg at the knee, grab your shin with your hands and press it to your chest. The shin should be parallel to the floor, the forearms lie on top and press it to the chest, one hand covers the other.

Repeat with the other leg.

Sit on the floor, bend one leg at the knee at a right angle and move it forward, take the other back and straighten it. You can lean forward and place your forearms on the floor.

If you have difficulty doing this pose on the floor, try placing your foot on an elevated platform.

Exercises to stretch the front of the thigh

Calf Stretching Exercises

48. Stretching against the wall

Press the toe of your right foot against the wall, take your left foot a step and a half back. The feet are pressed tightly to the floor, the left leg is straight. Try to reach the wall with your right knee, this will stretch the muscles of your left leg.

Switch legs.

Stand close to the wall. Place your right toe on the wall, take your left leg a step and a half back. Bend your left leg at the knee, increasing the stretch. Switch legs and repeat.

Sit on the floor, stretch your legs straight in front of you. Place one leg on the thigh of the other. Grab your foot with your opposite hand and pull your toe up.

Switch legs.

Stretching is a set of physical exercises designed to increase the flexibility of the body. Stretching is not strictly a gymnastic element; it is used in many sports areas, for example, in ballroom dancing, martial arts, and athletics. Stretching is used as a means of working out problem areas in women's weight loss programs.

Benefits of stretching

Let us briefly list the advantages of stretching:

• increasing the endurance of muscle fibers;
• formation of a slender, fit silhouette of the figure;
• improvement of well-being due to increased blood circulation and deep breathing;
• getting rid of stoop;
• prevention of sports injuries;
• increasing the plasticity of the body by stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons;
• removal of muscle blocks and clamps;
• strengthening the reproductive system by improving blood circulation in the pelvic organs;
• reduction of pain after training;
• improving joint mobility and vertebral extensibility.

You should only stretch before speed training (running, football, volleyball). Stretching is prohibited before strength training (bodybuilding, powerlifting, weightlifting), as this weakens the muscles and reduces the athlete’s strength.

Types of stretching

Many varieties of stretching have been developed. Let's list 3 main ones:

1. Dynamic. Consists of stretching amplitude movements.
2. Ballistic. Based on sharp, “jerky” movements.
3. Static. It involves holding the body in a stretching position for a certain period of time.

Full body stretching can also be active or passive. The first means self-stretching, the second - with the help of a partner.

Warm up before stretching

Before you begin flexibility and stretching exercises, you need to thoroughly “warm up” your muscles and joints. The ideal warm-up in this case would be aerobic exercise that involves the whole body. For example, running, jumping on a plyo box, walking on an elliptical trainer, aerobics.

If you exercise at home, we recommend using a complex burpee. Technique:

1. We stand up straight and spread our feet to shoulder level.
2. We squat down sharply and lower our palms to the floor in front of us.
3. With a jumping movement, we “throw” our hips back and take the “lying support” position.
4. We perform classic push-ups from the floor.
5. Using the same jumping movement, we pull our hips towards our stomach and immediately jump up.
6. During the jump, we stretch our arms towards the ceiling.

Perform all movements one after another, without pauses. Do 2 sets of 10–12 jumps. After this, shake your arms and legs and begin stretching your body.

A set of exercises for trained athletes

So, you've warmed up well and are ready to stretch. We offer comprehensive stretching for all muscle groups, with which you are guaranteed to improve the plasticity of your body.

Quadriceps stretch

Exercise 1. We get into a right lunge. We take our left leg as far back as possible and rest our knee on the floor. Raise your left shin, grab it with your hand and pull it towards your buttocks. We stand in this position and periodically rock our pelvis to enhance the stretch. We repeat the exercise for the other leg.

Exercise 2. We get down on our knees. At the same time, we do not lower the buttocks to the heels, we keep them suspended. We place our feet with our toes on the floor and clasp our heels with our palms. Bend your lower back forward as much as possible and tilt your head back. We stretch the quadriceps in this position.

Hamstring stretch

Exercise 1. We sit on our buttocks and straighten our legs. Bend your left knee and pull your foot as close to your groin as possible. We fix it in one position. Then we smoothly bend our chest towards our right knee and clasp our toes. We linger in this position. After that, change legs and repeat. When performing, we try to keep our back straight.

Exercise 2. Sitting on your buttocks, bring your legs together and straighten your knee joints. Exhale and slowly lean forward. We try to press our chest to our kneecaps. In the lower phase, we linger and grab the ankles from the back side. We pull the body towards the legs. It is important that your knees do not bend.

Stretching the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles

Exercise 1. We stand with our toes on the bottom bar of the wall bars. Lower your heels as much as possible. At the same time, we do not bend our legs. Let's fix this situation. We hold ourselves on the wall with our hands, but direct our body weight into our heels. During the approach, we raise ourselves onto our toes, and then lower ourselves again. We repeat this 2-3 times per approach. This is necessary for better stretching of the legs.

Exercise 2. We stand a meter away from any stable object (exercise machine, wall). We lunge on the right leg and press our palms to the support. Straighten your left leg back so that the foot remains completely pressed to the floor. Let's fix this situation. Periodically swing your body down to better stretch your left shin. Then we repeat the exercise with a left-sided lunge.

Ankle and Achilles Tendon Stretching

Exercise 1. We sit on our knees. Lower your hips and buttocks onto your shins. We straighten our feet back and press our upper parts to the floor surface. We tilt our back and place our palms behind our buttocks. We hold this position and periodically swing our backs back.

Exercise 2. We remain sitting on our knees. Raise your right leg and place your foot on the floor. We stretch our arms forward and bend over, thereby stretching the Achilles tendon on the right foot. Periodically rock the body forward to enhance the stretch. After this, repeat with the other leg.

Hip adductor stretch

Exercise 1. We lower ourselves into the “frog” pose: we stand on all fours, spread our knees as far apart as possible and bring our feet together. After this, we lower our forearms to the floor and linger in this position. Periodically shake your body to spread your knees further. It is better to perform the exercise on a smooth surface so that your knees slide easily to the sides.

Exercise 2. We sit on our buttocks and take the “butterfly” pose: we pull our feet towards ourselves and bring them together. Then we put our hands on the knee joints and press down, trying to lower our hips to the floor. The leg muscles will tense and resist our movements. Therefore, we try to relax as much as possible. Periodically increase the pressure for better stretching.

Back muscle stretching

Exercise 1. We stand up straight, legs apart at shoulder level. Gently bend over and lower your palms to the floor. At the same time, we do not bend our knees and elbows. Do not lift your heels off the floor. The body resembles a triangle. We fix the pose. During the approach, we sway our body, trying to bring our chest closer to our hips;

Exercise 2. We get into the “birch tree” pose: from the “lying” position, we raise our legs and pelvis vertically, placing emphasis on the shoulder blades. Then we place our hands under our backs for balance. From this position, we smoothly lower our legs behind our heads and place our feet with our toes on the floor. We spread our arms to the sides. We maintain this position. When doing this, do not bend your knees.

Abdominal muscle stretching

Exercise 1. For oblique muscles. Let's stand up straight. Raise your right hand vertically. Then we bend it and lower the forearm behind the head. With your left palm, grab your right elbow and pull it in the opposite direction. In this case, we do not tilt the body behind the elbow, but keep it straight. Periodically increase the pull with your left hand. After this, repeat the exercise in the other direction;

Exercise 2. For the rectus muscle. We lie down on our stomachs. We spread our feet slightly to the sides. We press our palms to the floor next to the shoulder joints. Straighten your arms and bend your body back. We throw our heads back. In this case, the pelvis and legs remain on the floor. Let's fix this situation. To make it more difficult, you can move your palms down a little, closer to your waist.

Shoulder stretch

Exercise 1. We sit on our knees and press our buttocks to our heels. Lean forward and lower your chest onto your hips. We move our hands back and interlock our fingers. Raise your arms as high as possible, ideally to a vertical position. We hold this pose. Periodically shake your hands to the side with your head. When performing, keep your elbows straight;

Exercise 2. We stand about a meter from a wall or any other stable object. We bend over and lower our palms onto the support. At the same time, we do not bend our legs. Keeping your arms in one position, pull your upper body down. At the extreme point of stretching we linger. Periodically swing the shoulder girdle to enhance the stretch. When doing this, keep your back straight.

Chest stretch

Exercise 1. We stand next to the doorway or the power frame post. Raise your right arm, bend it at an obstinate angle and press your forearm against the support. Smoothly turn and pull the body to the left. Having reached the extreme position, we stop. We fix the position. Periodically swing your body to the side for greater stretching. After that, change hands and repeat.

Exercise 2. We get down on our knees. Keep your hips vertical. We place our palms on the area of ​​the sacral spine, bend our back as much as possible and “open” our chest upward. We throw our heads back. We maintain this body position.

Cervical stretch

Exercise 1. We stand up straight. We tilt our head forward and press our chin to our collarbones. We clasp the back of the head with our palms and gently pull our head down. At the same time, we keep the body strictly vertical. We try our best;

Exercise 2. Straighten up and tilt your head to the right. Place your right palm on top and gently pull your ear toward your shoulder. We try not to strain the neck muscles. After this, repeat the stretch in the opposite direction.

For each exercise, perform 1 set for 60 seconds. After completing your workout, we recommend taking a hot bath. This will help relax the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Pain while stretching

Painful sensations during stretching are completely normal. All athletes who stretch experience pain of varying intensity. The main thing is not to be afraid of these sensations, not to confuse them with sharp traumatic ones, and to react correctly.

So, pain can be different: tolerable, unbearable and burning. Tolerant will accompany you in every stretching exercise. Get used to it. Mentally say that you are not in pain, while breathing deeply. Turn on some nice relaxing music and focus on it. This way you will gradually get rid of the fear of stretching and reduce pain.

You can achieve unbearable pain on purpose. This will strengthen the stretch and speed up progress. At the end of the approach, bring the muscles to a state of unbearable pain, hold for a few seconds, and then smoothly exit the pose. You should not endure increased pain for a long time.

If you feel a tingling sensation when stretching, lighten the pressure slightly. If a burning sensation occurs, you need to very smoothly exit the position. When you come out of the position, relax and let your muscles recover. You can't tolerate the burning sensation for long.

Contraindications

There are medical contraindications for stretching:

• artificial joint;
• spinal fractures;
• complex forms of scoliosis;
• congenital pathologies of the musculoskeletal system;
• hernias;
• the first 3 months after birth;
• recovery period after injuries and operations;
• osteoporosis;
• arthrosis;
• Serious muscle, ligament or tendon sprains.

If you have any of these problems, be sure to consult with your doctor about the safety of stretching training.