These 17 Stretching Exercises Are the Most Effective for Your Whole Body

The static version is useful for stretching After Strength training. It helps to soften muscles and promote flexibility. Stretching exercises in this phase can help stretch the muscles while they are hot.

What are the best stretching exercises?

The best stretching exercises can vary depending on individual needs, fitness objectives and physical conditions. But in general, the following basic stretching exercises are very effective in improving flexibility:

• Leg stretch
• Shoulder
• Hang up forward
• Calf stretching
• Quadriceps stretching
• Rear / Cat-Cow extension
• Butterfly
• Stripping of the rear leg

What stretching exercises should you do every day?

A stretching exercise that many people find well – and are often carried out daily – is a stretch of the rear leg or a stretch of the hamstrings. This stretch targets muscles on the back of the thighs and can help improve flexibility in the lower back and legs.

To do this, sit on the floor and stretch a leg in front of you. Fold the other leg so that the sole of the foot leans against the tense leg. Raise the upper body and try to look at the stretched leg with a straight back. Keep your back straight and avoid removing your back. You should feel stretching at the back of your thigh. Hold the position for about 15 to 30 seconds, then change the position of your leg. Note: Please do not do this exercise if you have problems with your intervertebral discs!

What exercise stretches the whole body?

An exercise that stretches the whole body and targets muscles and joints at the same time is the turn standing forward. Here’s how to do it: stand up with your feet around the width of the shoulders. Your knees can be slightly folded, especially if you are a beginner. The arms are relaxed on the sides of the body. Inspire deeply and lift your arms over your head with your paumes face to face. Slowly bend forward at the hips while you exhale. Try to lower your upper body on your legs. Let your arms hang, then reach your ankles or hold the back of your legs (this also counts like a section for your arms). The knees can remain slightly folded. Hold the position for about 20 to 30 seconds and try to go a little more deeply in stretching with each expiration. Keep your head and neck relaxed.

At the end of the exercise, slowly return to the vertical position by activating your abdominal muscles. Roll the vertebra of the spine by the vertebra.

The standing turn forward is a classic yoga movement and is particularly effective in stretching the muscles along the whole back of the body, including calves, thighs, glutes, lower back, shoulders and neck. It promotes flexibility in the spine and can help relieve tensions and generally improve mobility. Beware of lower back pain!

Stretching exercises for the whole body

In addition to the standing turn forward, there are other training sessions that stretch the largest areas of the body. Some examples:

Calf stretching

Stay with one foot in front of the other. Fold the front knee and keep the heel of the rear leg on the ground. Stretch the muscles of the calf.

Quadriceps stretching

Hold on one leg and grab the folded leg with your hand. Pull the leg to stretch the front with the thigh. Switch the sides.

Chest knee stretch

Lie on your back and get a knee to your chest. Keep the other right leg or fold it slightly. Stretch the gluteal muscles and lower back muscles.

Stretching exercises for the upper body

Here are some stretching exercises that specifically cover the upper body and improve flexibility.

Shoulder

Shape your hands behind your back and stretch your straight arms. Lift your arms slightly and feel stretching in your shoulders and chest. Also good as a stretching exercise for the arms.

Stretch side trunk

Stand up and lift an arm above your head. Tilt the upper body on the side to stretch your side muscles. Alternative sides.

Breeze

Stand up and bring your hands behind your back, the intertwined fingers. Lift your arms slightly and gather your shoulder blades together. This opens the muscles of the chest.

Triceps stretching

Lift an arm and fold your elbow to bring your hand between your shoulder blades. Use the other hand to slightly press the elbow. It’s good to stretch your arms, among others. Change the sides.

Neck stretch

Place your head on the side so that your ear points to your shoulder. Use your hand to apply soft pressure on your head. Change the sides.

Flexible rear or cat cow

Position on hands and knees. Alternate between a hollow back (cat) and a curved back (cow) to mobilize the spine.

Torsion installation

Sit stand on the floor and turn your upper body on the side. Use the opposite arm to apply light pressure on the knee. Change the sides.

Stretching exercises for the legs

Here are some stretching exercises that specifically stretch the legs.

Leg stretch

Sit on the ground and stretch a leg. Fold the other leg so that the foot sole is pressed against the tense leg. Fold forward with a straight back to feel a stretch in the back muscles of the thigh.

Calf stretching

Place one foot in front of the other and fold the front knee while the rear leg remains extended. Keep the heel of the rear leg on the ground to stretch the calves.

Butterfly

Sit on the ground, gather the places of the feet and let the knees fall to the side. Pull the feet as close as possible from the body to stretch the adductors.

Quadriceps stretching

Hold on one leg and grab the folded leg with your hand. Pull the leg to stretch the front with the thigh. Switch the sides.

Flexible slit or hip flexor

Make a big step forward and lower the rear knee almost to the floor. Keep your knee front above your ankle and feel the exercise in your hips and quadriceps. Communicate the legs.

Stretching of sleeping thigh

Lie on your stomach, fold your right knee and enter your ankle with your hand. Pull your foot to your buttocks to stretch the back of your thigh. Change the sides.

Adductor

Sit on the ground, the legs stretched. Fold a knee and bring your foot inside the opposite thigh. Lightly tilt your upper body forward to stretch adductors. Change the sides.

One last note on stretching exercises:

Whether you stretch your hips or your arms or other part of your body, always do stretching exercises slowly and in a controlled manner. Make sure you don’t extend beyond your personal limits to avoid injury. If possible, hold static stretching for about 15 to 30 seconds and perform dynamic stretching in a flow. Integrate training in your routine to promote flexibility and long -term mobility.