8. Down Dog Variation At The Wall
Muscles Highlighted: Stretch your pectoralis and latissimus dorsi. Position yourself far enough from a wall or rack so that as you touch the wall your body becomes parallel to the ground. Move into this position by hinging at the hips and keeping your spine straight.
Once in position, push your chest forward creating a slight arch in your upper back, stretching your lats and chest muscles. Whenever you’ve tight hamstrings try bending at the knees.
9. Leaning forward to one leg
Muscles Highlighted: Work the hamstrings. Begin these position with one foot in front of the other. Bring your hands to your hips and while keeping the back straight, begin to bend from the hips. Repeat the exercise with your other foot in front.
10. Side bends with support
Muscles Highlighted: Abdominal external oblique muscles and lats. With your spine long, slowly push your hips out to the side while keeping your shoulders externally rotated. Repeat the exercise to the other side. Avoid these stretch if you’ve lower back problems.
11. Glutes stretching
Muscles Highlighted: Work your glutes. Begin in a seated position slowly pull your leg to your chest and externally rotate your hip while keeping your spine straight. Repeat with the other leg.
12. Butterfly pose
Muscles Highlighted: Stretch highlights the adductors. Begin in a seated position and bring the soles of your feet together and sit tall through your sit bones. Progress this stretch by placing pressure on your knees with your hands.
The closer your feet are to your body the more you’ll stretch your groin muscles. Bring your feet farther from your hips and slowly round your upper body to release your back muscles.
13. Sitting pigeon pose
Muscles Highlighted: Work your anterior tibial-is. Begin by sitting with your feet in front of you. Bring one hand behind you as you externally rotate your hip and bring one foot above your knee. To increase the stretch on your hip slowly lean forward, initiating the movement by hinging at the hips. Repeat with your left leg.
14. Sitting forward bend
Muscles Highlighted: Work your posterior muscles, hamstrings, and calves. Sit on the floor, and keep your legs straight and together. With your legs pressed to the floor, slowly bend your upper body forward.
15. Spinal twist
Muscles Highlighted: Glutes and External Obliques. This is a great stretch for those trying to manage Sciatic Pain. Lie down on the floor. Bend your right knee, and move your leg to the left across your body. Press slightly with your hand to intensify the stretch. Repeat with your other leg.
16. Wide Forward Fold
Muscles highlighted: Abductor muscles and hamstrings. This is a great exercise to open the hips, and stretch the abductors and hamstrings. Sit down on the floor, and stretch your legs widely. Don’t bend your knees, and keep your legs on the floor. Bend forward by sliding your arms over your shins, and pull your upper body after them.
17. Child’s pose
Muscles Highlighted: Latissimus Dorsi. Get down on all fours, and slowly move your hips backward, trying to touch the floor with your forehead.
18. Hip Flexor Stretch
Muscles Highlighted: Psoas, iliacus, quadratus lumborum, and piriformis. Begin in a half-kneeling position. As you slowly bring your right hip forward you should begin to feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Grab your back foot and squeeze your back glut to increase the stretch on your Hip Flexors.
How to stretching correctly
Muscle stretching exercises should be performed before and after physical activity, in addition, a physiotherapist could indicate them as a form of treatment, as they help to improve muscle flexibility, prevent and treat muscle and joint pain.
During stretching it is normal to feel the muscle stretching, but it is important not to force too much in order not to damage the spine. Each position should be held for 20 to 30 seconds, then the movement should be repeated 3 times; or the position can also be held for 1 minute at a time.
In case of pain it is recommended to consult a physiotherapist for a more appropriate treatment.
