Going to the gym and working out consistently to build muscle is good. But it’s also important to stretch before and after your workouts. When you do any kind of exercise, you need to be able to have a full range of motion in your joints. That’s how your joints stay strong, flexible, and healthy. Some people might find it hard to stretch every day, but you can choose only to stretch the places that are usually stiff. That said, here are 12 simple stretches that can help you achieve your full range of motion while boosting your energy levels and making you feel refreshed.
Start by lying down on a mat or standing up straight with your back against a wall. Take a towel and loop it around your head while holding the two ends in each hand. Pull the towel forward and make sure your shoulders are pressed against the wall or the mat.
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Stand in front of a table with your feet hip-width apart. Put your hands on the table in front of you. Start bending your back forward until your back is fully stretched out. You can raise your head and bend your knees between the stretches. Then get back into the stretch position. Do it 2–4 times, each time holding the stretch for 15–30 seconds.
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First, stand up straight or sit up straight in a chair. Raise your arms and put your fingertips on your shoulders. Your elbows should point away from you. While maintaining this pose, rotate your elbows in circular motions forward in front of you until they touch, then down and back up from behind. Bring your elbows back out, and do this a few times throughout the day. You can also do it in reverse.
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These simple stretches can be done while sitting down or standing up. But you must keep your back straight and place your right ankle on your left knee. Start leaning forward while maintaining a straight back and a forward-leaning torso. You’ll soon feel your right glute and hip being stretched. If you want to increase the intensity of the stretch, just push your right knee down slowly. Hold this stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, then do it again on the other leg.
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Perform these simple stretches by standing next to a wall with one side (either your left or right shoulder) facing the wall. Raise your hand and touch the wall. Your arm should be a bit higher than your shoulder and be facing the opposite direction from your face. Then start turning your chest in the opposite direction of your arm. You’ll feel your pec muscle being pulled and stretched out. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds and then switch to the other side for the same amount of time.
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Position yourself facing the comer of your room. Raise your arms and elbows to a 90-degree angle from your body, and move one leg forward. Your arms should be pressing against the wall, and you should feel your chest opening up. Hold this for 30 seconds and do it several times.
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Lay on your stomach, lift your shoulders, and cross your arms under your chest. Place a blanket on the mat for your forehead to rest on. Stretch your arms out but to the opposite sides, one on top of the other, but don’t do overextend them. Close your eyes and take eight deep breaths, then stop the stretch. After a short break, do this exercise again, but this time put the arm that was at the bottom on top.
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Begin this simple stretching exercise by laying on your back with your legs bent and in line with your hips. Cross one of your legs over the knee of the other leg. Then, grab the back of the knee of the leg that is still on the ground and pull it toward you. Keep your neck and head relaxed and stay in this position for a while, then do the same thing on the other side.
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Start these simple stretches by lying down on the ground and putting your arms in a T-position with your palms down. Bend your right knee over your body’s left side and put it on your left knee. Stay in this position for about six to ten breaths and feel the stretch. Then you can move onto the opposite side of your body and perform the same stretch.
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Sit on the floor with one leg bent in front of you and the opposite hip turned outward. The leg on the outside should be at a 90-degree angle. The bent leg in front of you should also make a 90-degree angle, and both the shin and ankle should be on the floor. During this stretch, it’s important to keep your back straight. You can hold the position for about a minute and repeat these simple stretches 2 or 3 times for each leg.
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Start in the tabletop position and extend your right arm over your body. Then bring your arm under your chest in the opposite direction. Keep pushing in until your shoulder is resting on the floor. Keep your head on the floor and stretch your left arm out so that the tips of your fingers touch the floor. Stay in this position until you feel a good stretch, then switch sides and do it again.
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Set your body in the tabletop position on a yoga mat or another soft surface. Start by first bringing each leg back, then to the side, and then back to where it was. You can also do it the other way around by moving your leg to the side first and then extending it to the back, effectively doing the rotations in reverse.
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