Stretches

IzzyBooNZ1

What are your favourite stretches to do, to improve flexibility , balance & strength?

Also do you need to do a brief warmup beforehand?

For those who sit alot during the day at work, are there any stretches that can be done that you don't need much of a warm up for ?

thanks !

kr1stadee

I'm watching this thread. I'm still pretty new, so I'd love to hear some ideas!!

betsy329

I have found that stretching, warming up, and stretching again help. To do a quick warm up you can jump rope (which i hate but do it anyways). I stretch my legs like crazy, but don't know the names of any stretches I do...lol...yoga is supposedly an awesome way to stretch and build up your core..

Tat2dDom0105

I stretch for a good ten minutes before I go to class.



Usually my routine consists of these:

1. Lay on my back, grab both ankles, and rock back and forth. This helps stretch my back

2. Again, laying on my back.........I cross one leg over the other and stretch in the direction of the crossing leg. Then I do the other side.

3. Scorpion Stretch. Laying on my stomach, i put my hands out in front of me like i'm doing a pushup, but my lower body stays on the ground..........and then I push up, having my arms extended, stretching my lower back in the process.

4. I sit and put one leg across the other, and I rotate my ankles clockwise and then counter-clock wise, switching feet.

5 . Hamstring stretch. I lay flat on my back, and grab one leg then bring it as close to my head as possible.....keeping it as extended as possible. Then I switch legs.

6. While sitting flat, I put one leg in back of me while I stretch the front leg's hamstring. Then I switch legs.

7. Butterfly Stretches. I sit almost Indian style, but I put both feet together while having my knees bent and staying on the floor. This helps stretch the groin.

8. While sitting down on the floor, and keeping the legs straight, I then spread them apart, then reach to each side of my legs, again........working those hamstrings.

It sounds like alot do to, but I go through this routine pretty quickly, and it's done every single time I have Tae Kwon Do class that day. Hope this helps anyone out there looking to lossen up before their martial arts training. It definitely works for me.....