Stretching exercises, or growing large and very large muscles. Flexible and slender body with the help of stretching When stretching, the stomach rises up

Each type of physical exercise has its own benefits for the body. Stretching exercises, which have recently gained popularity, are no exception. A whole trend in fitness is dedicated to them - stretching.

The benefits of stretching exercises

By regularly performing stretching exercises, you will increase the elasticity of your ligaments and tendons, as well as the mobility of your joints. During stretching, the muscles are effectively supplied with blood and nutrients, which allows them to maintain firmness and elasticity for a long time. They improve posture, make the body slimmer, more graceful and flexible.

Muscle stretching exercises are a good way to combat salt deposits and prevent hypokinesia and osteoporosis. They relieve mental stress, relax, relieve fatigue and slow down the aging process.

Rules for performing stretching exercises

1. Stretching classes should be preceded by a warm-up. Intense aerobic exercise, such as dancing, jumping, is ideal.
2. You should not experience pain while performing the exercises. There is no need to be diligent and stretch too hard.
3. When stretching, do not spring; it is better to perform “holds”.
4. You should stay in each pose for 10-30 seconds. During this time, any tension should disappear.
5. All exercises must be performed for each side.
6. When stretching any part of the body, try to concentrate all your attention on it.
7. During training, watch your breathing. Never hold it in, but don’t rush to exhale either. Ideally, breathing should be deep and measured.

A set of stretching exercises

There are many types of muscle stretching exercises, some of them are simple and suitable even for children. Others are incredibly complex and therefore can only be done by professionals. We will consider a complex that is suitable for beginners.

Neck muscle stretch

1. Stand up straight and spread your legs. Place your palm on your head and, pressing lightly with your hand, try to reach your shoulder with your ear. Repeat the movement in the other direction.

2. Place your palm on your head again. Pressing lightly on your head with your hand, tilt it to the side and forward, as if you were trying to reach your collarbone with your chin.

3. Place both palms on the back of your head. Lightly pressing them on your head, pull your chin towards your chest.

Chest stretch

1. Stand up straight with your feet slightly apart. Raise your arms to shoulder level and spread them out to the sides. Smoothly move your palms back to the maximum possible distance.

2. Stand sideways, one step away from the wall and place your palm against it, with your palm at the same level as your shoulder. Turn your body as if you were turning away from the wall.

3. Get on your knees. Straighten your arms, bend over and place your palms on the floor. In this case, the shins and thighs should be at right angles.

Back muscle stretching

1. Stand up straight with your legs slightly apart and bent. Lean forward, place your palms under your knees, and then round your back.

2. Standing on all fours, walk your arms slightly forward and to the side, and tilt your body in the same direction. Try to touch the floor with your elbows.

3. Standing on all fours, round your back upward. Hold the position briefly and then bend down.

Leg muscle stretching

All exercises must be performed for one leg, then for the other.

1. Sit on the floor and straighten your leg. Bend your left leg and place your foot on the outside of the knee of your other leg. Place the elbow of your right hand on the knee of your left leg, and rest your left palm on the floor behind you. While pressing on the knee with your elbow, pull the thigh muscles.

2. From a sitting position, stretch your right leg back and place your left leg in front of you, bending the knee. Bend your torso forward, trying to touch the floor with your elbows.

Reading time: 16 minutes

Post-workout stretching is a set of exercises to relax muscles after physical activity.

Final stretches are an important part of your workout, helping you improve muscle elasticity and joint mobility. Stretching exercises not only protect your body from injury, but also help you train more effectively.

Why do you need to stretch after a workout?

Stretching helps relieve tension from the muscles and relax them, as well as return the body to a calm state after finishing physical activity. Regular stretching is an excellent injury prevention tool and also helps you recover faster if you already have an injury. Stretching exercises are very simple and accessible - absolutely everyone can do them, even those very far from sports.

1. It is very important to stretch after each workout for 5-10 minutes to relieve muscle tension.
2. At least once a week it is necessary to perform a longer stretch of all muscles, lasting 20-30 minutes.
3. Everyone needs muscle stretching: both women and men, regardless of age and lifestyle.

During exercise, your muscles contract, in other words, shorten. After completing the exercise, the muscles lengthen, but not completely, remaining slightly shorter than before the exercise. In order to return the muscles to their original length, it will take several days - this is called recovery.

Until the muscle returns to its original length, it will not recover and will not be able to work to build new strength. Therefore, if you do not stretch after training, then you are delaying your recovery, which means you are reducing the effectiveness of your workout. During muscle stretching, you lengthen your muscles and return them to their original length. Without stretching, muscles take much longer to recover.

In addition, muscles remember their shortened length, so if they “forgot how” to lengthen, they will contract worse. Strengthening the muscles reduces the amplitude, and this already entails a drop in strength indicators. And not only! Muscles control our joints, and their lack of elasticity disrupts joint biomechanics, which leads to injury and inflammation.

improves muscle elasticity and joint mobility. This speeds up muscle recovery, reduces the likelihood of injury, and helps avoid stagnation in training.
• Stretching stimulates the growth of new muscle fibers, and subsequently strength. According to studies, stretching can increase the effectiveness of your workout by 10%.
• Stretching after exercise will help improve blood circulation in your muscles. This will reduce the soreness (muscle pain after exercise), will reduce the recovery time of muscles and joints, and also improve overall health. Blood circulation promotes cell growth and maintains organ functionality.
• Stretching exercises improve your flexibility and mobility, thereby reducing the risk of injury during exercise or daily activities. Besides, this will help improve strength performance by increasing the range of motion.
• Stretching after exercise lowers your heart rate and restores your blood pressure.
• Regularly performing stretching exercises for the back, chest and shoulders straightens the spine, improves posture, and helps get rid of back pain.
• Stretching exercises reduce tension and reduce stress caused by intense exercise. Stretching after exercise also encourages the release of endorphins, providing a feeling of calm and satisfaction.

Do not confuse warming up before physical activity with stretching after exercise. The purpose of the warm-up is to wake up the body, prepare the body for the load, warm up the muscles and joints. The warm-up should include dynamic stretching, joint exercises and cardio warm-up. The purpose of stretching after exercise is to lower your heart rate, calm your body, and stretch your muscles after exercise. This is the final stage of the workout; stretching is always performed at the end of the session.

How is stretching performed?

The duration of stretching is usually 10-15 minutes. If you are limited in time, you can reduce the duration of stretching to 5 minutes. (this is the required minimum), but in this case you will either do it quickly and poorly, or pay attention only to individual muscle groups. Ideally, in addition to regular stretching after training, once a week, do general stretching of the whole body for 30-45 minutes.

If you've had an intense workout, you'll want to get your heart rate back up before stretching. Walk at a calm pace for 1-2 minutes, taking deep breaths in and out to restore your breathing. Then begin stretching exercises, consistently stretching all muscle groups. The order of the muscles does not play a fundamental role; you can perform the exercises in any order.

Take a pose, slowly stretch the muscle until you feel slight discomfort (but not pain!) and hold in this position for 30 seconds. If you want to deepen the stretch and improve flexibility, you can hold each pose for 45-60 seconds. Stretching is performed statically; you should not rock or put pressure on the muscle. Stretch slowly and gradually, accompanying the stretch with deep breathing.

Pay special attention to those muscle groups that were involved during the workout. But stretching other muscle groups will not be superfluous. Stretching relaxes your muscles, so it cannot be performed before or during class. You need to stretch after every workout: don't neglect stretching exercises if you want to stay healthy and improve your physical performance.

Features of stretching after training:

1. Stretching after training should be static. Avoid pulsation, springs, and pressure on the working muscle. An even, soft tensile force is a determining condition for quality exercise.

2. Stretching training should be accompanied by deep breathing. This will help you relax and stretch your muscles in a better way.

3. You should not practice exercises in pairs, in which the other person puts additional pressure on the muscles and ligaments. . Stretching this way can damage joints or strain ligaments.

4. Try not to round your back while bending towards your feet. If you lack flexibility, you should not try to jerk to your feet, arch your back, or pull your head down. Your back must remain straight, otherwise you risk injuring your spine.

5. This is why it is very useful to do stretching exercises in front of a mirror. This way you can see all your mistakes and shortcomings.

6. To make stretching easier, you can use a chair, for example, when bending, if you cannot reach the floor, or as a support:

7. You can also use a strap, towel or elastic band for convenience during stretching:

8. Stretching should be pleasant and comfortable; you should not stretch through pain. Your body should be relaxed, your muscles should not be tense.

9. Stretching does not replace massage, so for regular training we recommend using a massage roller. This inexpensive, useful equipment will help you avoid injuries and muscle pain.

We offer you a ready-made selection of stretching exercises that will help you pay attention to all the muscles of your body. You can perform the exercises in any order, but traditionally stretching is performed from top to bottom. The suggested stretching exercises can be performed both after cardio exercise and after strength training.

Upper body stretching exercises

1. Biceps and forearm stretch

2. Shoulder and arm stretches

3. Chest and Arm Stretch

Core stretching exercises

1. Stretch the obliques and upper back

2. Stretching the back and arms

3. Stretches for the back, lower back and buttocks

4. Stretching the lower back and abs

5. Stretching the back, shoulders and hamstrings

Lower body stretching exercises

1. Stretching the legs and buttocks

2. Stretching the hamstrings, hamstrings, buttocks

3. Stretching the adductor muscles (inner thigh)

4. Stretching the gluteal muscles and lower back

5. Quadriceps stretch

Thanks to YouTube channels for the photo: MFit, Allison Van Fossen, Love Sweat Fitness, FiT Global Fitness Network.

Post-workout stretching video

Reading time: 14 minutes

Doing the splits is a dream of many people from early childhood. But even if you have good flexibility, without preparatory exercises, doing the longitudinal splits will not only be difficult, but also risky: you can pull muscles and get injured.

We offer you the best exercises for longitudinal splits, which will allow you to gently and painlessly stretch your muscles and joints. Regular deep stretching will help you get into the splits quickly, even if you've never done it before.

10 rules for stretching for longitudinal splits

1. Stretching can be done only after a good warm-up. Any cardio for 20-30 minutes is suitable as a warm-up. Before stretching into the splits, you should feel that your body is warmed up.
2. If you want to quickly do the longitudinal splits, then try to stretch twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. Morning stretching, although difficult, is very effective. In the evening you will be able to stretch easier - by the end of the day your muscles will be more pliable and flexible.
3. Exercises for longitudinal splits are best performed in static poses. Try to use up-and-down pulsating exercises to a minimum, as this can lead to sprains.
4. Hold each pose for at least 30 seconds. You can gradually increase both the duration of the exercises and the range of motion.
5. While stretching, you need to focus on the sensations in your body. You should feel a gentle stretch in the muscles, but not pain. If you feel sharp pain, reduce the amplitude of the exercise or stop exercising.
6. If you are stretching in a cool room, dress warmly. Even after a good warm-up, muscles tend to quickly cool down at low room temperatures, and this makes stretching difficult.
7. When performing longitudinal split exercises, always keep your back straight, don't round it. Pull the top of your head up and when bending, try to lower yourself to your feet with your stomach, not your head.
8. You can record the results with a centimeter tape, measuring the distance from the groin area to the floor surface at the moment of maximum stretching.
9. If you neglect stretching for a few days, be prepared to fall back in results. The most important thing in stretching for splits is regularity.
10. Don't put yourself no specific deadlines for splits (week, month, three months). Everyone has different physiology, so someone can do the longitudinal splits quickly, while others will need a year of regular training to achieve results.

If you want to do the splits faster, you can purchase additional tools for effective stretching. For example, split stretching machine. Stretching on the simulator is very convenient and comfortable - you do not need external pressure or holding positions. Using a stretching machine will keep your muscles relaxed and more pliable for stretching.

10 exercises for stretching and warming up before the splits

We offer you a ready-made version of warming up and warming up before the splits, which will help you conduct your splits training much more effectively. Stretch on a warm body is much easier and more enjoyable! Be sure to warm up before each splits workout.

The number of repetitions on one side is indicated for each exercise. For example, the first exercise is walking in place with knees raised. You should perform 20 leg raises with your right leg, 20 leg raises with your left leg, for a total of 40 repetitions. You can increase the number of repetitions at your discretion (decreasing is not recommended!). If you feel that after doing the exercises you haven’t warmed up enough, repeat the complex again.

1. Walking in place with knees raised : 20 reps

2. Swing to your feet : 20 reps

3. Rotations for the hip joints : 20 reps

4. Side lunge : 15 reps

5. Tilt towards the leg : 15 reps

6. Back Squat: 20 reps

7. Back lunges : 10 reps

8. Jumping rope: 40 reps

: 40 reps each (just count to 80 in sync with the movement)

10. Jumps with arms and legs raised: 35 reps

We remind you once again that before performing longitudinal splits exercises, be sure to warm up well. Performing these exercises without warming up is fraught with dangerous injuries and sprains, and this will delay your dream of doing the splits for a long time.

How to do the longitudinal splits: technique

If you have already completed the preparatory exercises, then You can try doing the longitudinal splits. You will need two blocks or a stack of books. If you're flexible enough, you won't need blocks.

1. Kneel with your front leg pointed forward at a 90-degree angle and the toe of your back foot touching the floor. Straighten your back, tighten your stomach, straighten your shoulders. The pelvic bones should be in one line and point straight forward. Inhale and as you exhale, begin to gradually move your legs apart in different directions, lowering your pelvis down.

2. Reach the extreme tolerable position and freeze. As soon as your pelvis has dropped low enough, hold the floor with your hands and stretch your legs at the knees.

3. Gradually, step by step, you will be able to do the longitudinal splits.

4. Carefully come out of the split position. Stretch your legs forward in front of you, shake them a little to get rid of tension. Perform a similar exercise on the other leg.

Screenshots in the article are used from the official YouTube channel of Olga Sagay.

With high-quality performance of longitudinal splits exercises, you will definitely reach your goal. Longitudinal splits are available to absolutely everyone at any age, regardless of innate flexibility. But some will need more time to stretch, others less. It depends on both genetic characteristics and sports background.

Svetlana Markova

Beauty is like a precious stone: the simpler it is, the more precious it is!

Content

No matter how demanding your daily schedule may be, there should be room for relaxation to get your mind and body in order. Stretching exercises for beginners are something that does not require much physical effort, while being an effective means for increasing body tone, flexibility, and firmness. Office work and university studies lead to decreased activity, while a sedentary lifestyle leads to disruption of normal blood circulation. To prevent stooping, constant fatigue, and nervous stress, perform a stretching routine for beginners.

Types of stretching

There are several options for stretching muscles. They differ from each other in the time spent, amplitude, and are carried out before or after the main workout. Choose your stretching option that makes you feel comfortable. The list is compiled from safe to risky types. It is not necessary to try everything - beginners stop at the first three to figure out which method is more effective.

1. The static type of stretching is most popular among athletes and yoga masters. Stretch the muscles little by little, reach the limit and remain in this position for 20 seconds. Do 3-4 approaches. The only caveat is that you should not endure the pain.
2. Passive type - when a partner (professional trainer or instructor) makes gradual physical efforts. At this moment you need to take a deep breath, exhale and relax.
3. Dynamic view - when you are in constant motion. A trivial example: take a standing position, lunge forward and back with one leg, then the other. The effect intensifies along with the acceleration of the amplitude and the increase in the distance from one foot to the other. When you come to the gym, you will notice this type of stretching, alternating with strength exercises, throughout the entire class.
4. Active form - you yourself apply force in order to stretch the muscle as much as possible. For example, holding onto a support, raise your leg and strengthen the action with your hand.
5. The ballistic form is a risky option, popular among Japanese fighters. An inexperienced beginner can easily provoke an injury or sprain by immediately applying this stretch. All movements are made quickly, sharply, sweepingly.

Focus on the result and stick to the basic rules, then stretching exercises for beginners will benefit you. The main advice from experienced sports trainers is to act carefully, smoothly, without jerking. Before you begin stretching, determine the muscle groups that will be involved. They should be warmed up well with strength exercises, otherwise injuries are inevitable. Focus on the larger muscles first to improve blood flow to the vulnerable small fibers.

Whatever methods and sets of exercises you use, do not forget about your back. If it is kept in a bent position, the muscles will not be elastic. While stretching, you should not hold your breath, because your body must be saturated with oxygen. During the process, try to relax your muscles rather than tense them. Increase the stretching time every day, and then you will reach the ideal result of 60 seconds, or even more.

A set of stretching exercises for beginners

If you are going to attend a fitness club, dance training, yoga or another sport, then the trainers will conduct a mandatory warm-up with you at the beginning, and a rich exercise program in the middle. At the end, you can safely start stretching. But if you want to tone your body at home, proceed by following the basic rules mentioned above. Before stretching, warm up from top to bottom: from the head, shoulders, arms, chest, to the back, lower back, hips, legs.

For the back

If you spend the day in the office, your back muscles become stiff, salts accumulate in them, and pain occurs even at a young age. To avoid disastrous consequences, do some simple stretching after a workout or a good warm-up. If you don't have the strength to exercise, take a bath to prepare your muscles for further stretching. Then start the exercises.

1. Starting position – lying on your back. Bend your knees, leaning them against your body, and hold for 30 seconds. Do it one by one.
2. Bend your knee at a right angle, placing it on the adjacent leg. The shoulder blades, shoulders, and head remain pressed to the floor. Try to relax as much as possible.
3. Return to the starting position, lift your legs straight up behind your head, trying to keep your hips pressed to the floor. When your legs feel supported in this position, lift your pelvis, holding it at a 90-degree angle to the surface. Try covering your ears with your knees.

The following stretching exercises will require a fitness mat to avoid damaging your skin:

1. Sit on the floor, clasp your knees with your hands, lower yourself onto your back and roll back and forth.
2. Get on all fours and do the familiar “cat” - arch your back down, up, and make circular movements with your hips.
3. Move your pelvis back so that you sit on your feet, and leave your hands at the starting point. Stretch well - and your back will be happy with this stretch.

Change your starting position. Take a standing position:

1. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and slowly squat with a straight back. To make the stretch more effective, find either support to grab onto or lean your shoulders against a wall to stay in the same position throughout the stretch.
2. Return to the starting position, clasp your hands, stretching upward, then lower them in front of you, tilting your head and pressing your chin to your chest. Shoulders should be relaxed.

Arms and upper body

Stretching these parts of the body is done in a standing position:

1. Clasp your hands behind your back and slowly raise and lower them. You should feel a stretch in your pectoral muscles.
2. Next exercise. Clasp your hands in front of you and raise them with your palms up. Try bending over in a relaxed state.
3. Take your starting position, bend your elbow, and place your hand behind your head. With the other hand, apply a little pressure on the forearm area. Repeating this movement with the other arm will stretch your triceps.
4. Extend your left arm straight towards your right shoulder, while using your right hand to apply slight pressure from above.

Legs and lower body

Stretching the lower body and legs is done in two positions: standing and sitting. Take the starting position - standing:

1. Find support, lift your leg up, bending your knee, press with your hands. Repeat the stretch with the second limb.
2. Take your left foot with your right hand, place it gently in the buttock area, stay in this position for 15-20 seconds. You need to do the same stretching exercise with the second leg.

Change your starting position - sit on the floor:

1. Spread your legs apart and begin to reach first for one foot with your hands, then for the other, and then in the middle. At this moment of stretching, involve your partner so that he intensifies the bend, but acts extremely carefully.
2. Close your legs, stretch your hands to your feet, your stomach to your hips. The main condition for this exercise is a straight back! It’s better to have your knees bent, but your posture should be straight forward.
3. Start the next exercise in the “Turkish style” position, connecting your feet together. This pose is borrowed from yoga, but you will feel the effect immediately. Stand up and lunge forward with one leg as far as possible. You should now have a 90 degree angle formed by the knee. Turn around to create a transverse stretch, gradually bending your body forward. Repeat with the second leg.

Video: effective stretching for splits

Many girls dream of doing the splits in all positions. But with age, this task becomes more difficult to achieve. By completing the simple exercises shown in the video below, you will prepare your body for the beginning stretches for the splits. Do this at the end of your workout. If you don't have the willpower to stay in this position longer, ask a partner to supervise you or help you stretch a little. Do not make any sudden movements during the exercise! Everything is very smooth! After a couple of weeks, you will be pleasantly surprised by the results of your home stretching.

In order for your body to remain young and beautiful for a long time, you need to constantly work on yourself by doing physical exercises.

We bring to your attention exercises for stretching all muscle groups. Each muscle stretching exercise targets a specific area of ​​your body.

A set of stretching exercises will help you learn how to do stretches correctly. If you do stretching exercises systematically, you will feel the results within a month.

What are the benefits of stretching exercises?

Firstly, muscle stretching exercises will help keep your muscles toned, which means you won’t have to worry about the occurrence of many diseases, such as hernia, slipped discs, etc.

Secondly, your posture will always be beautiful. This is especially important for women.

Thirdly, simple exercises for stretching muscles can replace long workouts in the gym, because they do not require special conditions and a lot of time.

Stretching muscles helps maintain flexibility and mobility of joints, which means you are not afraid of stress.

The set of exercises in pictures is the creation of the famous yoga expert Vicky Timon, who decided to teach everyone how to properly stretch different muscle groups.

Right now you can see how to properly stretch the rectus abdominis muscles, external oblique muscles, internal thigh muscles, stretching the buttocks, lower legs, feet, you will see how to train the muscles of the thighs and back, forearms, lateral, anterior and suboccipital muscles of the neck, etc. d.

In a word, carefully review the stretching exercises for all muscle groups and be sure to try stretching at home.

How to do stretches correctly: exercises to stretch all muscles

1. Stretching the rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles. 2. Stretching the inner thigh muscles.











25. Do a lateral stretch of the external oblique muscles. 26. Exercises for stretching the gluteal and external oblique muscles in a lying position.