6 Stretches For Before & After Every Workout
We’ve all been guilty of jumping onto the treadmill before warming up. Or finishing your workout and walking right out onto the next thing, without stretching. While it might not feel necessary in the moment, there are so many benefits to stretching before and after a workout.
Stretching before the workout prepares your body for the session and increases joint flexibility, helping you avoid injury. Meanwhile, stretching after decreases the risk of muscle fatigue and soreness, as well as increases blood flow and helps the cooling down process. So what kind of stretches should you do? Here are six of our favourites to get you started:
Stretches to do Before Every Workout
1. Standing Bow Stretch
This exercise stretches the chest, abdominals, hips, groin, and ankles, loosening any muscle tension in those areas and improving flexibility for just about any type of workout.
How to do it: Start in a standing position, and shift your weight to one foot. Bring your other foot backwards and grab your ankle, always picking it up from the inside with your palm facing up so that your shoulders are in a position to open and stretch. Bring up your other arm or you can hold onto a wall or chair with your other hand for balance if necessary.
Once you achieve the pose, hold it for about 5–15 full breaths, then gently lower yourself back to the start and repeat on the opposite side.
2. Assisted Single-leg Hamstring Stretch
Your hamstring is a muscle group located in the back of your thigh and is responsible for flexing or bending your knee. By stretching it before your workout, you can help improve your walking/running strides and alleviate lower back pain. It also stretches your glutes and relieves tension in your ankles, calves, and feet in a way that will not put added stress.
How to do it: Start lying on your back with your arms and legs on the floor. Bend your right leg so your foot rests on the ground (you can also do it with a straight leg), lift your other leg off the floor towards your hip, pushing it until you feel the pull on your hamstring - hold your calf with your hands. Stay in the position for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
3. Low Lunge Stretch
This routine stretches your lower back, hips, inner thighs, and quads, releasing tension in those areas and strengthening your knees. It is quite easy to get into and there are a plethora of benefits to this posture. Low lunge is also a great pose for athletes since it helps them deal with the typical sources of lower-body soreness and build mental focus.
How to do it: start in a forward lunge position, then drop your back knee to the ground carefully. Slide your foot back until you feel a nice stretch in the left hip and thigh. Lift your hand over your head and look forward. Repeat on the other side.
Stretches to do After Every Workout
1. Reclined pigeon pose
All pigeon poses are powerful hip-openers that can help increase flexibility and the range of motion in your hip joints, especially after intense activities that have made the outer hips tight stiffened the front hip flexors. They stretch your thighs, groins, and abdomen, while also relieving tension in the chest and shoulders. While king pigeon and one-legged pigeon can be sometimes a bit challenging you can achieve the same benefits from reclined pigeon, and it is easier to intensify the stretch if needed.
How to do it: Lie on your back with both feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart. Lift your right leg and cross it so that your right ankle rests on your thigh just below your left knee. This might feel like enough stretch. However if you wish to go deeper, you can thread your hands around your left thigh, clasping your hands together behind your left knee and pull gently, lifting your leg and foot off the floor. Hold the pose for 5 breaths then swap sides.
2. Overhead Triceps Stretch
You can do this routine while standing or sitting. The overhead triceps stretch helps relieve muscle tension after a workout and aids in injury recovery. It can also be used to improve flexibility, loosen connective tissue, boost circulation, and increase the range of motion all while using no equipment. It is ideal for workouts that involve pushing and throwing movements and athletic activities.
How to do it: You can do this routine while standing or sitting. Extend your right arm to the ceiling, then bend at the elbow to bring the right palm toward the center of your back, resting your middle finger along your spine. Use your left hand to gently push your elbow in toward the center and down. Hold this stretch 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
3. Cobra Stretch
This exercise stretches the muscles in your shoulders, chest, abdominals and the lower back. Among its plethora of benefits, it gets the bum toned, decreases stiffness of the lower back, strengthens the arms, shoulders, and abdomen, and increases flexibility. Seasoned practitioners have also reported benefits of stress alleviation, improved circulation and mood elevation.
How to do it: Lie down on your front with your arms at either side of your body and your legs stretched behind you. Bring your hands under your shoulders and lift your chest up by straightening your arms. Look upwards and remember to engage your abdominals and glutes.
Like most routines, it might be difficult to achieve at first, but with practice and perseverance, you’ll be doing these stretches in no time. But remember to start slow, breathe through your stretches, and never stretch to the point of pain.
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