Stretches and Exercises

Stretches:  Why stretch and when stretch ?

Exercise, massage and stretching all go hand in hand in keeping your body moving to it’s best and help you achieve your goals! Below is a collection of exercises and stretches to use as advised by your practitioner. As with all exercise, use care when assessing how far you can go and stop if you are experiencing pain.

These are designed for injury free bodies, but will also support you if you are in recovery from an injury. Please ask your therapist for advise on what is suitable.  For further information I also find http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net  useful.

 

Stretching has many benefits. The most obvious is an increase in muscle flexibility, which results in many other improvements.

Increased flexibility and range of motion

This is the most obvious benefit of regular stretching and usually the reason that people start a startching programme. However, reasons for stretching ususally go much deeper than this. For example, why do you want to increase your flexibility? Is it to improve your sporting performance, posture, or prevent injury?

Injury Prevention

Being flexible can help to prevent injuries. This can include acute injuries, such as a hamstring strain and overuse injuries such as IT band syndrome or plantar fasciitis. Stretching has been used in the warm-up process for many years. It is thought that having flexible muscles can prevent acute injuries by gently stretching the muscle through its range before exercise. Dynamic (active) stretches are now recommended for warm-ups, over the traditional static stretch.

Improving Posture

In many cases of poor posture which has developed over time, muscle imbalances are to blame. A good example is the chest muscles becoming shortened in people who slouch over a computer for long periods. Stretching these muscles can help to improve posture.

Improving sporting performance

Many sports obviously require high levels of flexibility, for example athletics and gymnastics. But even athletes in sports such as Rugby, where flexibility is not immediately thought of as a key component, can improve their performance by becoming more flexible. In order to have healthy muscles, they must be flexible. This will help to prevent injuries as already discussed, but it will also allow you to develop strength through the full range of motion at the joint. This gives an advantage over someone who has a limited range.

Stress relief

Muscle tightness is often associated with stress – we tend to tighten up when stressed. For example the neck muscles. Stretching relaxes these muscles and you at the same time! This also relieves pressure on your joints and diminishes deterioration.

 

Neck stretches: Lateral neck flexion, forward flexion and rotation

 

 

Lateral neck flexion stretch targets the upper trapezius muscle and relieves tension in the upper back and neck.

This stretch can be very useful for people who suffer from tight, aching muscles in the upper back and neck, such as those who work at a computer.

  • Look straight forward and do not let the chin drop down.
  • Move your ear towards the shoulder and feel a stretch on the opposite side of the neck. It should not be painful and the stretch should not be forced.
  • Don’t let your shoulder lift up to meet the ear but keep both shoulders relaxed.
  • Hold for the stretch for between 10 and 30 seconds then relax. Can be repeated 2 or three times.

Upper back stretches: 

  Doorway stretch

Using furniture, doorways and other equipment can be very useful to provide an effective stretch. Just make sure its sturdy first!

  • Place one hand on the top of a doorframe (or something similar if you can’t reach).
  • Keep the elbow straight.
  • Take one step forwards and lean forwards until you can feel a stretch.
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds.

Front Shoulder Stretch

Stretching the front part of the shoulder and chest muscles can help to improve posture. There are a number of ways of stretching the muscles at the front of the shoulder.

  • Stand upright with the back straight.
  • Clasp your hands behind your back.
  • Slowly lift your hands away from the back and up towards the ceiling.
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds.

Back Shoulder Stretch

 

Stretching the back of the shoulder can be effective in rotator cuff injuries and also when the muscles of the upper back and neck are tight.

  • Stand upright and cross one arm across your body.
  • Using the opposite arm, pull the elbow of the arm being stretched towards the opposite shoulder.
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds.

Lower back:

Cat stretch. These types of stretching exercises are similar to those used in yoga.

  • On all fours on the floor, arch your back up as high as possible.
  • Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds then relax.
  • This can also be done with the back slump stretch.

Hamstrings:

HAMSTRING STRETCH – LAY ON YOUR BACK WITH YOUR HIPS CLOSE TO THE WALL AND YOUR LEGS POSITIONED STRAIGHT UP AGAINST THE WALL. TO MAKE THE STRETCH LESS INTENSE, MOVE YOUR HIPS A FEW INCHES AWAY FROM THE WALL. TO MAKE THE STRETCH MORE INTENSE, KEEP YOUR HIPS POSITIONED RIGHT UP AGAINST THE WALL AND WRAP A TOWEL AROUND YOUR FEET AND LIGHTLY PULL YOUR LEGS A FEW INCHES AWAY FROM THE WALL. HOLD THIS STRETCH FOR A MINIMUM OF 30 SECONDS. HOLD FOR AT LEAST 30 SECONDS.

 

Calves

Stand on a step and gently lower yourself until your heels are lower than your toes. Push up until heels are higher than your ankles. Repeat 10 times.

 

Exercises:

Best used when you need to strengthen up an area in order to regain optimum function or to take pressure off other body parts, which are working overtime.

Lower back : Lumbar Spine routine

Glutes: Clam exercise

The Clam Exercise

  • While lying on your side, keep both knees bent and flex the hips to 30 degrees.
  • While keeping your heels touching and pelvis still, open your knees by contracting your glute medius. This is a very slow, small and targeted movement.
  • Place your hand on your gluteus medius (just below and behind your hip) to ensure that it is firing during the movement.
  • Repeat the movement slowly 10 to 15 times and switch sides.

Hamstrings:

The humble lunge…

  • Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and chin up (pick a point to stare at in front of you so you don’t keep looking down). Always engage your core.
  • Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far, and make sure your other knee doesn’t touch the floor. Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to the starting position.