For one moment, let's ignore all of the scientific squabbling over the supposed pros and cons of stretching. Instead, let's just take a moment and share what we know for sure: Regardless of age or athletic ability, stretching is an activity that can benefit anyone.
Stretching can help improve flexibility, and, consequently, range of motion in your joints. Better flexibility may improve your performance in physical activities or decrease your risk of injuries by helping your joints move through their full range of motion and enabling your muscles to work most effectively.
Stretching can help reduce muscle tension and assist in raising energy levels by increasing blood flow to the muscles. Moreover, there's the added benefits that come from the positive meditative effect that can result from stretching. The calm and quiet that comes with just a few moments of stretching can help clear your mind and focus on the proper form needed for your workout.
So whether you're an active stretcher, looking ways to increase your range of motion during a run, or you just want to feel better, here are seven moves that will change the way you move and feel.
You can do these 7 dynamic stretches before or after a workout - or just on their own as part of your active recovery. As an added bonus, these moves take minimal time and can be done virtually anywhere. So let's get to it!
7 Moves for the World’s Greatest Stretch:
1. Elbow to Instep A in a Lunge Position - targets the hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps & lateral calf.
2. Elbow to Instep B in a Lunge Position - targets deeper into the hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps & lateral calf.
3. External Torso Rotation with Reach in a Lunge Position - Deepens hamstring and gluteus stretch; adds shoulders, pecs, upper and lower back, internal and external rotators of hips and obliques. Enhances spinal mobility.
4. Internal Torso Rotation with Reach in a Lunge Position - Deepens hamstring and gluteus stretch; shoulders, pecs, upper and lower back, internal and external rotators of hips and obliques. Synchronizes thoracic spine mobility with lumbar spine stability.
5. Hip Flexor/Quadriceps Stretch A - Hip flexors, quadriceps, abdominals.
6. Hip Flexor/Quadriceps Stretch B - Deeper into abdominals, lats; adds biceps.
7. Hamstring/Calf Stretch - Hamstring and calf stretch.
Here’s a quick video demo of the entire stretch sequence.
