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Stretching exercises are an excellent way to loosen up tight muscles. Wound-up muscles can result from sitting all day long or standing for long periods.
Stretching exercises are also necessary before and after a workout. Stretches can help you increase flexibility, reduce tension, and make your workouts more efficient and safe, whether you're performing strength or aerobic programmes.
Stretching Exercises to Loosen Up Tight Muscles
Check out these five stretching exercises:
1) Standing Quad Stretch
If you've been sitting all day, you should do this stretch. Knee discomfort and soreness can result from long periods of inactivity. Additionally, this stretch is excellent for athletes, particularly runners. Standing quad stretches increase the range of motion and allow your knees a chance to breathe.
Here's how you can do this exercise:
- Stand with your feet parallel to each other.
- Bend your left knee, and draw your left foot towards your butt with your left hand. Keep your knees together.
- If necessary, place one hand against a wall for balance.
- To increase the stretch in front of your legs, contract your glutes.
- Maintain the pose for 30 seconds to two minutes.
- Repeat with the other leg.
2) World's Greatest Stretch (Lunge with Spinal Twist)
This stretching exercise is an excellent way to loosen up the entire body after a day of sitting, alleviate frequent aches and pains, and prepare the body for exercise. It stretches the hip flexors, which is essential for relieving low back discomfort.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Begin by standing straight with both your feet together.
- Take a large step forward with your left foot to assume a stumbling stance.
- You should feel a stretch at the front of your right thigh if you bend your left knee, and lunge while keeping your right leg straight behind you with your toes on the ground.
- Place your right hand on the ground, and twist your upper body to the left while extending your left arm upwards.
- Maintain for 30 to 2 minutes. Repeat on your other side.
3) Piriformis Stretch
The piriformis muscle is positioned on the exterior of the buttock and is a deep internal hip rotator. Its main function is external rotation.
Despite their tiny size, deep internal rotators contribute significantly to hip movement and are sometimes neglected. As the piriformis spans the sciatic nerve, a tight piriformis can irritate the sciatic nerve. This muscle can be stretched to either prevent sciatica or treat it.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Sit with both legs out in front of you on the floor.
- Place your right foot flat on the floor, and cross your right leg over your left.
- Place your right hand behind your body on the floor.
- Place your left hand on your right quad or your left elbow on your right knee, and press your right leg to the left as you twist your torso to the right.
- If the spinal rotation irritates your back, remove it, and simply pull your right quad in and to the left with your left hand.
4) 90-90 Stretch
This variation of the pigeon stance facilitates internal rotation of one leg and outward rotation of the other, targeting both hip movements simultaneously. People with tight hip flexors can benefit from this stretch. The front thigh should rest on the ground in a position that's not very stressful.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Your right knee should be bent 90 degrees in front of you, with calf perpendicular to the torso, and the sole of the left foot facing left. Keep your right foot in a flexed position.
- Place your leg flat on the ground.
- Place your left knee on the left side of your body, and bend it such that your left foot is facing behind you. Maintain left foot flexion.
- Maintain your right butt cheek on the floor. Try to move the left cheek as close as possible to the floor. It may not be achievable if you're extremely constrained.
- Maintain the pose for 30 seconds to two minutes. Repeat on the other side.
5) Spinal Twist
This stretch has the biggest effect on overall posture compared to other stretches. The health of the spine impacts the surrounding organs and the health of the entire body. Twisting the spine provides it with the necessary flexibility to improve posture.
Here's how you do this stretching exercise:
- Cross your knees, and sit with your back straight on the floor.
- Place the palm of your left hand on your right and the fingers of your right hand on the floor behind you.
- Twist your back gradually to the right.
- This exercise extends your body from the base of your spine to the base of your skull. Your back will feel revitalized.
Takeaway
Stretching exercises help release the stress the body accumulates as a result of physical inactivity or mental strain. These workouts play a key role in alleviating joint discomfort.
