Stretches have great benefits on the body such as improving your mobility, reducing your risk of injury, improving your flexibility and overall, enables your muscles to move effectively. Stretching is so important that it would be beneficial to include it into your everyday life by regularly taking time out to do a quick stretching routine. This is incredibly important for those who are sitting down or working behind a desk all day as the sedentary posture can place extra pressure and risks onto your body.
We’ve curated a list of stretching exercises which can promote flexibility and relaxation. They will target all major muscles of the body including the chest, shoulders, back, arms, hips and legs. The great thing about these stretches is that you don’t need a lot of space and don’t have to spend a lot of time on the exercises to get the full benefits. You can do them anywhere, after a workout, at work or even when you’re watching TV.
If you’re feeling extra stress recently, try these stretches to help elevate any extra tension you might be carrying around.
How To Do The Stretches
• Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat one to three times.
• Try to stretch every day for better results.
• Avoid any exercises that cause pain or discomfort and only stretch as deep as you can.
• These stretches should feel good and shouldn’t hurt. If your muscles are shaking, you should back off a little and let your muscles relax more.
1. Quad Stretches
- Stand and hold onto a wall for balance if needed.
- Grab the top of the left foot and bend your knee, bringing the foot towards the glutes, knee pointing straight at the floor. You should feel a stretch right down the front of your leg.
- Squeeze your hips forward for a deeper stretch.
- Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and switch sides, repeating one to three times.
2. Hamstring Stretches
- Take your left foot forward and tip from the hips, keeping the back of the foot flat.
- Lower down until you feel a stretch in the back of the leg.
- Rest the hands on the upper thigh of the stretched leg to give your back some support.
- Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and switch sides, repeating one to three times.
If you feel shaky or your hamstrings are tight, try using a resistance band to give you more leverage.
3. Shoulder Stretches
- Take your right arm straight across your chest and curl the left hand around your elbow, gently pulling on the right arm to deepen the stretch in the shoulders.
- Try dropping the shoulder down if you’re not feeling a stretch.
- Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and switch sides, repeating one to three times.
4. Triceps Stretches
- Bend your right elbow behind your head and use the right hand to gently pull the left elbow in further until you feel a stretch in your triceps.
- Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and switch sides, repeating one to three times.
5. Butterfly Stretches
- Sit tall on the floor with the soles of your feet together, knees bent out to sides.
- Hold onto your ankles or feet, engage your abs, and slowly lower your body toward your feet as far as you can while pressing your knees toward the floor.
- If you’re too tight to bend over, simply press your knees down.
- Hold this stretch for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
6. Knee to Chest Stretch
- Lie on your back with both legs extended.
- Pull your right knee into your chest, while keeping the left leg straight and your lower back pressed into the floor.
- Hold for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
- Repeat on the other leg.
7. Child’s Pose Stretch
- With your hands and knees on the ground, sink back through your hips to rest them on your heels.
- Hinge at your hips as you fold forward, walking your hands out in front of you.
- Rest your belly on your thighs.
- Extend your arms in front of or alongside your body with your palms facing up.
- Focus on breathing deeply and relaxing any areas of tension or tightness.
- Hold this pose for up to 1 minute.
You can do this pose several times during your stretching routine. Feel free to do it in between each stretch.
8. Seated Spinal Twist Stretch
- Sit on the edge of a cushion with both legs extended out in front.
- Bend your right knee and place your foot to the outside of your left thigh.
- Bend your left leg, placing your foot near your right thigh.
- Lift your arms up with your palms facing each other.
- Starting at the base of your spine, twist to the right side.
- Place your right hand behind you for support.
- Place your left arm around your right leg as though you’re hugging it or bring your upper arm to the outside of your thigh.
- Hold this pose for up to 1 minute and then repeat on the other side.
Our clinics are also still open and we’re here for you. We are still providing chiropractic treatments during this time. Our Chiropractors can also curate a stretch routine for you to do in your home. All you have to do is call us on (02) 9588 7000 or book online and ask us!
