Muscles Emphasized: Side Deltoid
While keeping the arms across your body, apply pressure on the arm in order to add to the stretch on the shoulder.
- Standing Assisted Neck Flexion Stretch
Muscles Emphasized: Trapezius Muscle
Stand on the ground with your feet together. Keep the spine extended and sit your hips back slowly. Then, round the upper back while pushing the chin to the chest in the meantime.
- Lat Stretch with Spinal Traction
Muscles Emphasized: Latissimus Dorsi
Take a form grip on a bar and lift the feet off the ground very slowly. You should feel this stretch in the chest and lats. If you have taken the feet off the ground completely, you are likely to feel traction in the lumbar spine. This stretch is not recommended for people who have undergone a shoulder injury recently or have impingement of the shoulder.
Muscles Emphasized: Latissimus Dorsi
Place the hands on the corner of a wall or post. Keeping your spine extend, push the hips out to the side slowly. If you are experiencing some issues with your lower back, don’t perform this stretch.
Muscles Emphasized: Latissimus Dorsi
Stand on the ground with your hands and knees firmly on the floor and then slowly bring the hips back until your forehead reaches the floor. You should bring the knees wider if you want to advance the stretch. Keep the upper back positioned in the shape of an arch, and then rotate the shoulders externally so that you stretch the lats and chest muscles.
Muscles Emphasized: Soleus and Gastrocnemius
You can either perform this stretch on a rack or on the edge of a stair step. Rotate the ankles towards inside and outside to stretch the calf muscles.
Muscles Emphasized: Psoas and Hamstring
Given the fact that this stretch is quite advanced and it is not appropriate for beginners, you should be extra cautious. This is especially applied to people with hip problems. Start in a kneeling lunge position. It would be good to have the support of a chair, while the hip flexors and hamstrings release.
- Seated Forward Fold/ Seated Toe Touch
Muscles Emphasized: Hamstrings and Calfs
Sit on the seat bones and bend the knees, if necessary. As the flexibility gets better, your legs will become much stronger. Keep the spine as straight as possible, especially if you are experiencing some back issues. You can also perform this stretch by lying down on the back with the feet up the wall.
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