Stretching is of utter importance for your appearance and overall health. It boosts blood circulation, promotes body flexibility and posture, reduces the risk of injury, and improves athletic performance.
In this article, we are going to give you a list of stretching exercises that will help you reduce the risk of injuries and relieve the pain. While stretching, both breathing and stretching the muscles should be also taken into consideration.
30 stretching exercises to reduce the risk of injuries and relieve pain in the muscles
1. Camel Pose
This exercise targets the rectal abdominus and the external obliques. To do this stretch, sit on your heels and put both hands behind you. Push your hips forward, but make sure there is no great pressure on the spine.
2. Wide Forward Fold
This exercise targets the adductors. Keep your spine straight and bend the knees. While straightening your legs, rotate your back and try to touch the feet. Then, pull the balls of the feet, while releasing the calves.
3. Frog Pose
This exercise targets the adductors. Sit down on the hands and knees and widen your knees slowly while your muscles stretch.
4. Wide Side Lunge Pose
This exercise targets the adductors. Put your feet forward and keep the legs straight. Bring the hands to the right foot and bend the right knee, while rotating the left toes. While stretching, make sure you keep the right foot on the floor.
5. Butterfly Stretch
This exercise targets the adductors. Sit down on the ground and place the soles of your feet against each other. Push the knees with the hands slowly.
6. Forearm Extensor Stretch
This exercise targets the forearm extensor. Place the shoulder back and rotate it slowly, while stretching the forearm muscle.
7. Lateral Side Flexion of the Neck
This exercise targets the SCM muscle. To do this exercise, you should elongate the neck as much as you can to bring your ear closer to the shoulder. Make sure the cervical spine is not collapsed.
8. Neck Rotation Stretch
This exercise targets the SCM muscle. Rotate the neck and lift the chin a bit.
9. Neck Extension Stretch
This exercise targets the SCM muscle. Place your hand on the hips and keep the spine straight. Tilt the head slowly, but keep in mind the cervical spine.
10. Lateral Assisted Neck Flexion
This exercise targets the trapezoid and the SCM muscle. Elongate the neck as much as you can to bring the ear close to the shoulder. Make sure the cervical spine is not collapsed.
11. Hip Flexor Stretch
This exercise targets the quadricep muscle and the psoas. Sit down in a kneeling position and bring your left hip forward. Grab the back foot slowly and squeeze your glute.
12. Forearm Extensor Stretch
This exercise targets the forearm extensor. Stretch your arm forward and rotate it to stretch the forearm.
13. Side Shoulder Stretch
This exercise targets the side deltoid. Place one arm across your body and stretch your shoulder.
14. Standing Neck Flexion Stretch
This exercise targets the trapezoid muscle. Start in a standing position and bring the feet together. Elongate your spine, turn the upper back and sit on the hips.
15. Side Stretch with Spinal Traction
This exercise targets the latissimus dorsi. Hold the bar and raise your feet to stretch the lateral muscles and the chest.
16. Side Stretch at the Wall
This exercise targets the latissimus dorsi. Place both hands on the wall, keep the spine straight and push the hips slowly.
17. Child’s Pose
This exercise targets the latissimus dorsi. Sit down on your hands and knees and bring the hips back until the head touches the ground. Rotate the shoulders and start to stretch the chest and the laterals.
18. Standing Calf Stretch
This exercise targets the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Perform this exercise on a rack or step’s edge. Rotate the ankles in and out to stretch the calves.
19. Front Split
This exercise targets the psoas and the hamstring. Kneel on the ground and split your legs.
20. Seated Toe Touch
This exercise targets the hamstrings and the calves. Sit down on the floor and stretch your legs in front of you. Bend the knees and touch your feet.
21. Single Leg Forward Bend
This exercise targets the hamstrings. Extend one leg in front of you. Put the hands on the hips. Bend the hips but keep the back straight.
22. Deep squat
This exercise targets the glutes. Stand up and keep your feet wide. Lower the body, and when you reach a squat position put the arms on the inside of your legs.
23. Seated Half Pigeon King Pose
This exercise targets the glutes. Sit down on the floor and bring your legs towards your chest. Rotate your hips externally but make sure you keep the spine straight.
24. Wall Assisted Standing Calf Stretch
This exercise targets the soleus and the gastrocnemius. In a lunge pose, turn the back foot out. Then, bring the heel to the floor.
25. Wall Assisted Lateral Flexion
This exercise targets the external obliques. Elongate the spine as much as you can and push the hips slowly to the side.
26. Supine Twist
This exercise targets the glutes and the external obliques. Lie down on the ground and put one leg across the body. Rotate the upper body on the contrary side.
27. Assisted Lateral Flexion
This exercise targets the external obliques and the latissimus dorsi. Elongate the spine as much as you can and push the hips to the side. Rotate the shoulders out, too.
28. Triangle Pose
This exercise targets the external obliques. While standing, place one foot in front of you, making a 90° degree angle with the back foot. Lower down the body until the front leg touches your hand. Extend the other hand straight and keep the spine right.
29. Wall Assisted Chest Stretch
This exercise targets the pectorals. Stand in front of a wall and slowly rotate away from the wall to stretch the chest muscles.
Assisted Chest Stretch
This exercise targets the chest muscles and the latissimus dorsi. Sit down on the ground and place your palms upwards. Your partner should sit in a squat and feel the stretch in the lateral muscles and the chest.
