5 Stretches you should do everyday

5 Stretches you should do everyday:

Often resistance training and cardio take precedence over flexibility and myofascia release (aka. foam rolling).   In order to establish a good full range of motion it's crucial that we have the flexibility in both the muscle as well as the ligaments and tendons.  In this article I'll take you through 5 stretches that you should do everyday to increase both flexibility and range of motion.

1. Bar pass throughs
2. Runners lunge to splits
3. Pectoral Minor 
4. Pectoral Major
5. Piriformis

Check out the following pictures with descriptions on how to perform these stretches.  Hold your stretches for at least 20 secs.  Static stretching should be done at the end of your workout or in the evening.  I prefer before bed as a way of creating a pre-bed routine and unwinding from a busy day.

Bar Pass Through:

Often I hear clients comment on shoulder pain or discomfort.  So much of what we do on a daily basis is done in the frontal plane making it is easy for our shoulders to become tight and overdeveloped in the front.  This movement is great for loosening the shoulders prior to work.  This particular stretch could be done pre or post workout.    

 Hold the bar with a grip that starts with the bar in your hips, but allows for a complete pass through (if your hands are too narrow it will prevent the bar from a total pass through.)

Slowly raise the bar in front and overhead keeping arms straight.  Bring the arms behind your head and continue until the bar touches your hips in the posterior (back)

Do 5-10reps front to back

Runners Lunge to Splits:

This is a great stretch for both runners and non-runners alike.  Runners lunge opens the hips while stretching the psoas/hip flexor.  Moving into the splits is a great way to stretch the hamstrings.  

Begin by taking a large step forward dropping the same side elbow to the foot that is forward.  Allow your hip to open up to the outside of the elbow.  Work to bring both forearms to the floor.

Next straighten the front leg until your legs resemble an upside down "V"

Work to keep the front leg straight if this is too difficult walk your hands up your leg until you can comfortably straighten your front leg

Pec Minor:

As mentioned above sore shoulders can be the symptom of our training.  Overtraining in the frontal plane (chest, front delts, abs) and very little time working the posterior chain (Hamstrings, glutes, erector spinea, rhomboids, traps, posterior delts) leads to tightness and soreness in the chest and shoulders. Sometimes this can be remedied with stretching.  Here are a couple stretches that can hopefully provide some relief to nagging shoulder pain.

This stretch works best on a corner of the wall or a door frame.  Stand facing away from the wall/door lift your arm to 45 degrees from your shoulder, palm flat on the wall.  Gently lean into the arm on the wall until the desired stretch is reached.

Pec Major:

This stretch is best performed on a door frame.  Set the arms so they are parallel to the the ground and the forearms are perpendicular to the ground.  Now, gently lean into the stretch until the desired amount of stretch is achieved.  Hold 20 secs. relax and repeat.  

Piriformis:

If you're a runner, hiker, biker, or just about any other form of athlete this stretch is one of the best.  The piriformis is responsible for hip movement durning walking, running, biking etc….So, with constant movement can come some shortening of the muscle which may lead to some hip discomfort or sciatic pain.  Try this stretch to aleviate your pain.

   

Start in a crab walk position.  Hands and feet flat on the floor, bottom in the air.  Left either foot and place the ankle over the knee, hips are still in the air.  Once you have the ankle over the knee than slowly return your bottom to the floor keeping your torso upright and your bottom on the floor slowly walk your bottom toward the heel of the foot that remains on the ground.  

Hold this stretch for 20 sec. lift hips and repeat to the other side.   

Summary:

Make stretching and foam rolling part of your pre/post workout, and I guarantee you'll be happy with the results.  As always if you have questions on how to perform these stretches let me know and I'll be happy to walk you through them.