5 unusual stretching exercises we’re not used to seeing in gyms

5 unusual stretching exercises we’re not used to seeing in gyms

These moves are great for developing flexibility and adding variety to your workout plan.

Stretch trainer and certified personal fitness trainer.

Talks about unusual stretching exercises.

Many people know the sample stretching program in the gyms: the frog, the seated fold and many static exercises. There are three planes in which a person moves every day. But we often train only in one, performing flexion-extension and forgetting about twisting and bending to the side, arm and leg extension. The workout will be more effective if we try to move the same way we do outside the gym.

Today we want to share some atypical exercises that will add variety to your training program.

Standing Inclines

Since everyone is so fond of stretching the back surface of the thigh, I offer an alternative to the sit-up fold. Different variations of this exercise are possible.

Tehnika:

• Feet at pelvic width, feet parallel to each other. If you are a beginner and you do not have enough elasticity in the muscles of the back of the thigh, then bend your legs at the knees. Hands on your waist or on your hips;
• exhale and bend forward by bending at the hip joints, keeping your back straight. Do not throw your head back. You should feel a pleasant stretching of the back surface of the thigh, but not under the knees. If you feel a pull under your knees, bend your legs more. There should also be no pulling in the lower back;
• on the inhalation return to the starting position.

Exercise is performed in dynamics 10-15 times, on the last count hold in the end point and stay up to 30 seconds.

Standing bends with body movements

Tehnika:

• stand, feet parallel to each other;
• perform a bend and, lingering in the final point, begin to stretch the muscles of the back surface of the thigh – the body moves to the left, the pelvis to the right and vice versa.

Stay in this position for up to 30 seconds.

Stretching the inner surface of the thigh

Improve the elasticity of the inner surface of the thigh and mobilize the spine.

Tehnika:

• support on four points. Hands under the shoulders, knees under the pelvis. Back in a neutral position;
• one of the legs stretched out to the side and placed fully on the foot. Throughout the exercise do not take it off;
• on the inhalation, pushing off the floor with your hands, push the buttocks back to a pleasant stretch on the inner side of the extended leg. As soon as you reach this point, twist the pelvis towards yourself (imagine that you are pouring a bucket of water backwards) and launch a wave in the spine;
• on exhalation pull the mat towards yourself, rounding the back vertebra by vertebra, and transfer the weight on your hands to the starting position.

Stretching has a beneficial effect on the whole body, relieves spasms and improves your mood.