Post-workout stretching helps ease muscle soreness and speed recovery. Regular stretching improves flexibility by lengthening muscles and tendons and increasing joint range of motion, while simultaneously increasing blood flow to muscles for nutrients delivery and waste removal.
Stretching before and after exercise should include both dynamic, movement-oriented stretching as well as static stretches to help your muscles prepare for exercise, as well as restore them back to a normal rate of blood flow after.
Arm and Wrist Stretch
Tight wrists and forearms can limit movement and cause pain in your shoulders, arms, and hands, making exercise essential to maintaining strong and flexible wrists and forearms. Strength training may take some time for newcomers but with consistent practice and patience you can train your body through its full range of motion without experiencing discomfort and pain.
Do 2-3 sets. Start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward at your hips to stretch out your shoulders, chest, and biceps – holding this pose for 30 seconds to stretch them out completely. Continue this practice over several sets.
Wrist rotational stretch is another excellent arm stretch to perform after exercise; this movement increases range of motion in both pronation (turning your palm down) and supination (turning it up), helping prevent injuries while improving hand and forearm functionality.
To perform this stretch, begin by extending both arms at your side. With one hand, grasp the other wrist using both thumb and fingers and rotate it up and down gently until a stretch has been felt in your forearm – this move will also strengthen tendons within your wrists!
The Behind-The-Back Biceps Stretch is an excellent exercise designed to target your biceps as well as, to a lesser degree, chest and shoulders. Simply stand up straight with hands clasped behind your back with palms together; slowly bend back your wrists backward until you feel an effective stretch along your forearms; this also serves to lengthen tendons in wrists hands and inner forearms!
After your workout, this stretch is an effective way to loosen up your pectoralis major and minor, anterior deltoids, and biceps. Stand approximately one foot from a wall. Extend your right arm back behind you until its fingertips touch the wall behind. Bring back closer towards your body until a greater stretch is felt in both chest and shoulders – repeat on left side. This exercise is excellent for post-pump soreness as well as tension that has built up over time such as driving or sitting behind computer desk.
Calf Stretch
Stretching after exercise often brings to mind bigger muscles like glutes and back. But calves also deserve attention: tight calves can lead to pain inefficiencies in your body according to NYC-based personal trainer Sarah Otey of NEOU Fitness.
Calf stretches are an effective way to dispel build-up of lactic acid that contributes to post-workout soreness, and one method of doing this is using the heel drop stretch. To perform it properly, stand on both feet evenly balanced while bending left knee and lifting right leg simultaneously and holding for 10-20 seconds before repeating with other leg.
Calf muscles play an essential role in dispersing body weight to the feet & ankles, so when they become tight it can interfere with how you walk, run or jump – leading to discomfort, tight calves, stiff knees or even serious injury.
Proper calf stretching can help maintain flexibility as we age, which is especially essential for those who participate in sports or exercise regularly. Overuse, sudden start/increase of activity or not moving enough can result in injuries to the calves; overstretching puts too much strain on muscles that could result in injuries to other parts of the body such as hips.
One of the best ways to stretch your calves is through performing static, or still, stretches. Static stretches should be held for 10-20 seconds to allow muscles to relax gradually as a stretch is held over an extended period. These static stretches can be performed either alone or as part of a complete exercise routine that includes warm-up exercises & cool-down stretches.
Wall-Facing Staggered Flex is another method for stretching calf muscles. To perform it, stand with feet 12 inches away from a wall. Place both hands on it for support & step right foot backwards into mini lunge flexing front knee as you keep back leg extended; inhale and lean into wall while pressing back heel into floor to feel stretch in calf muscles.
Triceps Stretch
No matter if you are an amateur runner, cyclist, baseball player, football player or lifter; your upper arms play an integral role in everyday life. When they become tight and sore it can make simple tasks such as blow-drying your hair or picking up children more challenging; to help prevent this happening regularly practicing triceps stretches can lengthening muscles on the back of your upper arm for recovery purposes while helping prevent injuries as well.
Performing the Triceps Stretch is simple and can be performed both seated or standing. Begin by extending your right arm across your body at about pec height and then bend its elbow backwards behind your head as though scratching your head. Hold onto this extended arm with your left hand while gently pulling it back until a moderate stretch in your triceps is felt; repeat for the other arm.
If you want a more challenging variation of this exercise, try crossing your right arm across your chest instead. Although more challenging, this variant helps increase flexibility while simultaneously targeting both front deltoid muscles as well as your triceps.
Another good option for using a doorway as your backdrop is standing with legs shoulder-width apart and perpendicular to the doorway. Reach your left hand down along the side of your body before reaching up with it to grab the bottom end of the towel; using its back, pull in various directions from there.
As with all stretching exercises, begin slowly and only go as far as is comfortable without feeling any pain or causing injury. If it starts hurting, stop immediately! Also keep in mind that stretching doesn’t guarantee injury-free workouts; but it may help avoid some common exercise injuries like muscle soreness and cramping. If unsure which stretches are right for you consult with your physician or physical therapist who can give tailored recommendations tailored specifically towards your needs and goals.
Shoulder Stretch
If you participate in sports that involve overhead movement, such as baseball or tennis, or work at an elevation above shoulder height often, such as reaching overhead frequently for work purposes, your shoulders may become tight and painful. One way to reduce tightness and sprains by stretching these muscles regularly: stretching.
The shoulder stretch is a static stretch which targets both the front and back shoulders. This stretching exercise can be done either standing or sitting up straight; just make sure you maintain good posture! Clasp your hands together behind you before lifting arms upward, stretching muscle groups as they do so. This exercise is especially helpful for desk workers or people with poor posture who wish to improve range of motion of their muscles.
Dynamic stretching can help prepare muscles for exercise, while static stretching is best used as post-workout recovery. Static stretching can reduce muscle soreness by moving lactic acid out faster from muscles faster, decreasing inflammation and increasing flexibility; additionally it improves your ability to perform future exercises by increasing flexibility and range of motion in affected muscles.
When performing shoulder stretches or other stretching exercises, it’s essential to keep in mind not to overstretch muscles to a point of pain. Doing so could indicate over stretching of muscles which could result in injury to them.
Shoulder pain can be an indication of serious problems and should be seen by a physician immediately. However, mild and improving shoulder pain could simply be evidence that your muscles are healing well – thus negating further treatment needs in the future.