Stretching helps you maintain a range of motion in your joints. Better flexibility may help decrease your risk of injuries and increase blood flow to muscles, enabling them to work most effectively.
You won’t magically have perfect flexibility overnight, so it’s important to remain committed over time. But with so many muscles in your body, how do you know where to start? It can feel overwhelming, so we’ve put together a few basic tips from Mayo Clinic for stretching smart to stay strong.
Neck stretch
- Bend your neck forward and slightly to the right.
- With your right hand, gently pull your head downward. Stop when you feel a nice, easy stretch along the back side of your neck.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on your opposite side.
Shoulder stretch
- Bring your left arm across your body and hold it with your right arm, either above or below the elbow.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on your opposite side.
Quadriceps stretch
- Stand near a wall or a piece of sturdy exercise equipment for support.
- Grasp your ankle and gently pull your heel up and back until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh.
- Tighten the stomach muscles to prevent your stomach from sagging outward, and keep your knees close together.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on your opposite side.
Calf stretch
- Stand at arm’s length from a wall or a piece of sturdy exercise equipment.
- Place your right foot behind your left foot.
- Slowly bend your left leg forward, keep your right knee straight and heels planted on the floor.
- Hold your back straight and lean with your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the calf of the extended leg, keeping your feet straight.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on your opposite side.
Hamstring stretch
- Lie on the floor near the outer corner of a wall or door frame so your left leg is next to the wall. Raise your left leg and rest your left heel against the wall. Keep your left knee slightly bent.
- Gently straighten your left leg until you feel a stretch along the back of your left thigh.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on your opposite side.
