Topic: Does anyone know some good stretching routines?

[Matthew Menze]

Hey

I can find workout routines coming out of the demon-hole, but I can seem to find a decent stretching routine for building up flexibility. Anyone know any good ones?

Thanks,
Matt

[plasmagrey]

Flexibility is always great to shoot for, but it's a pretty broad goal. Do you want to do splits? kick high? yoga? Narrow down your flexibility goals and you'll have a lot more success.

In general you want to be warmed up before doing any kind of stretching, a good analogy for your muscles is taffy. Warm taffy stretches, cold taffy snaps (ouch). Do 2-5 mins of activity that gets your heart pumping then get on to the stretching.

If you want dynamic flexibility, aka kicking high and such, a good course of dynamic stretches will get you there. (These are also the ideal kinds of stretches to perform before a workout as well.)

Example dynamic stretches:
To minimize injury remember: You are not bouncing. Your limbs are never in freefall. You maintain control of your limbs at all times.

• Forward kick: Hold out your hand in front of you. Kick your straightened leg forward, toward your hand in a smooth, controlled motion until you feel a slight stretch, then bring it down. Repeat for 2 sets of 14, each leg.
• Side kick: Hold out your hand out to your side. Kick your straightened leg sideways and up, to your hand in a smooth, controlled motion until you feel a slight stretch, then bring it down. Repeat for 2 sets of 14, each leg.
• Back kick: Bend forward and lean on the back of a chair. Keep one foot planted on the ground, and kick the other straightened leg backwards in a smooth, controlled motion until you feel a slight stretch, then bring it down. Repeat for 2 sets of 14, each leg.
• Arm swing: Stand with arms forward, palms together. Swing your arms behind your in a smooth, controlled motion until you feel a slight stretch at the back, then bring them forward. Repeat for 2 sets of 8.
• Arm rotation: Stand straight. Pull your shoulders back and stick out your chest. Keep your elbows straight and rotate your arms at the shoulder in a smooth, controlled motion to your full (comfortable) range of motion. Repeat for 2 sets of 8.
• Back bend: This is like the yoga "cobra" pose. Lie face down on your stomach, plant your palms next to your shoulders like you're doing a push-up, and push upwards, but instead of doing a push-up, press your pelvis into the floor so that you're bending your back. Go to your full (comfortable) range of motion.Repeat for 2 sets of 8.

I'm repeating myself, but I cannot emphasize this enough, maintain a smooth controlled motion for all of these exercises or you will pull something.


Static passive stretches build up static flexibility, and these are some of the stretches you can do to prepare for the splits. They are also best performed AFTER your workout during cooldown. These are the classic stretches where you sit down, stick out your leg, and lean forward or whatever. Basic stuff, stretch and hold for 8 seconds or more, repeat. There are plenty of these online for every muscle group imaginable.

Static active stretches can be difficult. During these stretches you move your body into position and use your muscles to maintain that position. If you're training for the splits, perform these stretches AFTER your static passive stretches. A lot of muscles are involved with doing the splits, and you gotta stretch each one of them, in the proper sequence (details in Kurz's book), before you do "the big stretch" that stretches them all. Examples are the side split stretch, where you stand on your feet and spread them outwards until you feel a stretch, maintaining balance. Another one is the forward split stretch, where you place one leg forward and one leg backward, then balance yourself on your feet.

I picked up most of this stuff from Stretching Scientifically: A Guide to Flexibility Training by Thomas Kurz.

[Muse_of_Fire]

^^ That's pretty much ballet, right there. As a side benefit, you also get strengthening done while you stretch.

For overall stretching, I'd suggest signing up for a ballet class and sticking with it for at least a year. If there isn't a ballet class near you, I'd suggest what PG has here, and add to that the following:

1. For static passive stretches, hold for at least 30 seconds. Remember that when you're "holding" you should not be getting into a position and "freezing" to hold it. Instead, you should be getting into a position and relaxing/melting into it. As you relax, your body will invite you to go deeper into the stretch.

2. Relax and breathe.

3. Relax and breathe.

4. Relax and breathe.



Way too many people tense up when they stretch, and this is counterproductive. Stretching should feel good and be a relaxing thing.

Yoga can be a great way to learn how to stretch in a structured way; I'd recommend taking some classes first with a certified instructor who can give you pointers on your form (I'm a stickler for form) before working with a yoga video or training on your own.

[Matthew Menze]

Thanks for the advice.

Is there a simple routine I can find and follow? I really need to work on my front bends, my active flexibility is barely enough for a L sit. I would also like to learn the splits....But I seem like I am two feet away at my best...Maybe my hips aren't shaped right?

[Muse_of_Fire]

Splits take a long time.

The secret to gaining flexibility is to stretch regularly: every day or every-other day. The other secret is to relax when you stretch. So few people do it, and it's the most important thing!

If you're interested in a routine, I would strongly recommend taking a few yoga classes (hatha yoga is everywhere and is sort of your basic garden-variety yoga) to get tips on technique and form; and then grabbing some videos to do on your own.

Here are two I recommend:

Rodney Yee's Power Yoga for Flexibility
Yoga for Every Body--this one is pretty "no-frills," but the instruction and cuing are *great* for beginners. It's kind of a crunchy/granola video but if you can look past that it's got a lot of good stuff for beginners.

Apparently the woman who does Yoga for Every Body also does one called Yoga for Inflexible People. I've never tried this one so I can't comment on it, but I like YFEB a lot and I'd guess this one is similar.

For basic hamstring flexibility, seated and standing forward bends are your best bet. Be sure to bend at the hip socket hinge, not at the waist. try to keep your legs parallel and straight without locking your knees.

For a progression to splits, here are some yoga poses that might help:
Warrior 1, Backbend Lunge, Trikonasana, Standing forward bend, Seated forward bend

Once you are warm and stretched, you can start to progress to splits by doing the backbend lunge pose (from above), except without the backbend. Keep your upper body upright; use your hands however you need to on the ground to support your pose. Relax and breathe. Then, slowly walk the hands back and straighten the front leg, pushing your body backwards until your front leg is as straight as it's willing to go. You may feel the need to lift the toes and/or flex the front foot, and that's OK. Make sure you are keeping both hips facing forward, and relax and breathe.

Yoga Journal is a fantastic resource, especially their Pose Finder.

Hope that helps you!

Just remember: form, relaxation, and consistency are your best friends for achieving your flexibility goals.

[Steven Low]

I disagree, splits do NOT take a long time.

I remember a study I saw a while back -- they took regular people (who were obviously nowhere close to splits) and put them on a 3x (or maybe it was a 5x) a day stretch program. By 1-2 months, all of them had splits.

[Muse_of_Fire]

True, but Steve, these people were stretching 2-5x/day. That's more than most people generally undertake unless they are very motivated. For me, splits took nearly 15 years, and I was studying an art form that essentially requires them.

I think the big point is that it requires regular, consistent flexibility training to get.

[Zeus]

I wrote up a bunch of stretching exersize descriptions at the top of the page, I am gunna be working on that rticle alot in the next day or two and it should be up in the main page in the next few days, I would take what you need to be more flexible, take the stretch from it and do that to gain flexibility. As PG said they should be done after a workout for flexibility or LIGHTLY before a workout to help prevent tears and sprains etc.

Basically the way i stretch is i go into the stretching position until it hurts, really bad, as bad as i can possibly muster, Then I hold it for as long as I possibly can. Yea it sucks, It hurts, but I have great flexibility from it. (exept for a few *cough* straddle splits*cough* stretches)

I try to do just full stretching routines daily but on the days I stretch at martial arts or gymnastics, I usually just do the ones I didn't do there.

[Muse_of_Fire]

Gah! You go until it really hurts, really bad!? I disagree... for me I go to where it feels like a stretch is happening, and then I relax into the stretch while I hold for 30 seconds to a minute, focusing on breathing. As I relax, I can go deeper into the stretch so that by the end I'm further on the stretch than I was when I started. I just make sure to stretch every day.

Here is a link to a very informative and very detailed (and very long!) article on stretching. In it, it talks about the dangers of stretching to pain.

Hopefully it will help you, Matt. Good luck!

[Zeus]

Hmm, never knew all of that....I learn sooo much here. I am going to start stretching like that, thanks muse! although I am going to miss that searing pain

[plasmagrey]

I would also like to learn the splits....But I seem like I am two feet away at my best...Maybe my hips aren't shaped right?

No problem! The great thing is, there's an easy way to test if your bone structure allows for splits:

Side Splits test:
Get a stool or other stable surface that is the same height as the bottom of your hips.
Place that stool on your left side.
Stand up on your right leg and place your left heel straight down on that stool beside you (toes should point to the ceiling, bottom of the foot should point directly to your side).
Your left leg is now in the same orientation as it would be for a side split.

If you can do this on both legs (one at a time!), you can do the side split.

Front Splits test: (carpet recommended)
Get someone to watch you from the side, or do this beside a mirror.
kneel down on one knee until it touches the floor (plant your knee and foot in a straight line).
Shift your hips downward until both of your femurs (i.e. the top leg bones) make a straight line (viewed from the side). Your friend, or your mirror, will tell you if you're making a line.

If you can do this on both legs, you can do the front splits both ways.

[plasmagrey]

2. Relax and breathe.

3. Relax and breathe.

4. Relax and breathe.



Way too many people tense up when they stretch, and this is counterproductive. Stretching should feel good and be a relaxing thing.

Thanks Muse, after a week this advice on relaxing has gotten me a significant increase in range of motion on my stretches.

(Was going to modify my post, but time ran out )