Easy Stretching Exercises for Flexibility – As important as stretching is to a fitness routine, many fitness enthusiasts don’t indulge in it. Stretching exercises for flexibility will reduce muscle tightness which will make your overall workouts more efficient.
That is why we’re bringing you some daily stretching routines to incorporate into your regime.
Tight muscles are prone to injuries and will put a strain on the joints around it.
Furthermore, adaptive shortening is a process that causes your muscles to shorten and contact as you work them.
A solution to that is, you guessed right, stretching exercises for flexibility.
It will lengthen your muscles, make them more elastic, and even improve recovery time.
Flexibility exercises can make you feel stronger, faster, and even age with grace.
So, stick with us for a list of stretches for flexibility these benefits, and some more you’ll find out below.
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Benefits of Stretching Exercises for Flexibility
Aerobic exercises improve the functioning of your lungs and heart as it puts them to work.
Weight lifting, on the other hand, builds your lean muscle mass. Stretching exercises for flexibility does the following:
- It reduces your risk of injury since it relaxes your muscles and makes them elastic.
- It improves your posture.
- Your general movements become easier as full-body stretch routines make all your muscles flexible. Hence less strain with movements.
Top 11 Stretching Exercises for Flexibility you Can do From Home
These stretching routines for beginners go beyond physical benefits.
It can also boost your mood and help relax your muscles.
You can start by doing a combination of these stretching exercises for flexibility 3 days per week.
1. Knees to Chest
This stretching exercise for flexibility will stretch your lower back and glute muscles.
Over time, it’ll reduce your lower back pains and movement involving the associated muscles will become painless.
How to do it:
- Lay on your back making sure to stretch it out.
- Pull your knees towards your chest as far as you can.
- Hold that position for a minimum of 30 seconds clasping your shin with both arms.
2. Triceps Stretch
This will do your triceps a lot of good especially on your arms day.
It’s also a good morning stretch routine even if you don’t lift weights.
It improves your reach and extends your range of movement.
How to do it:
- Stand with your back erect.
- Bring your right hand towards your back folding it at the elbow.
- Use your left hand to push your right elbow so your palm can reach further. You should feel the stretch on your triceps by now.
- Keep that position for 30 seconds or more.
- Switch to the left hand and repeat the process.
3. Seated Head to Knee Stretch
If you feel stiffness in your back, this stretching exercise for flexibility is for you.
It looks a lot like a yoga pose. It is one of the hamstrings stretches for flexibility that’ll relieve tension in its muscle group of focus.
How to do it:
- Seat with your legs stretched out in front of you.
- Fold your left leg, at the knee, such that its sole is touching the side of your right knee.
- Now lean forward as far as you can.
- Depending on how flexible you are, you won’t lean very far before you start feeling a strain in your hamstrings and your back.
- Thumbs up to your flexibility if your head gets close to your outstretched knee.
- Keep this position for 30 seconds, or more if you can.
4. Standing Quad Stretch
Let’s hope your balance is reliable because you’ll need it for this stretching exercise for flexibility.
You should add this to your morning stretching routine as it focuses on your quads and makes walking easier.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet together.
- Fold your right leg backward and use your right hand to pull its feet against your butt.
- If your balance fails you, place your left hand against the wall for balance.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds to give your quads a good stretch.
5. Reclined Figure 4 Stretch
This stretching exercise for flexibility will reduce the tension in your lower back making it a good flexibility exercise for people with lower back pains. Its main focus is on your gluteus muscles and hip.
How to do it:
- Lay on your back with your feet flat on the floor.
- Bring your right ankle onto your left thigh.
- Now, pull up your left thigh till it is perpendicular to your torso.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds before switching to the other leg.
6. Lying Quad Stretch
You will get the same benefits as its standing variant from this stretching exercise for flexibility.
How to do it:
- Lay on your side keeping your legs stretched out atop the other.
- Pull the foot of the top leg against your butt using the corresponding hand.
- Be sure not to tilt back as you do this.
- Hold it for 30 seconds and then switch to the other side.
7. Child Pose
This one is an all-out yoga pose. Since yoga involves extensions, this makes for a typical stretching exercise for flexibility.
It stretches your shoulder, glutes, and back muscles.
How to do it:
- Get on all fours keeping your knees hip-width apart.
- Lean your torso forward while raising your hips upward and back.
- Stretch your hands in front of you as your forehead almost touches the floor.
- You will feel the stretch in your shoulders and back especially.
- Keep this position for a minimum of 90 seconds.
8. Pretzel Stretch
This is one of the best stretching exercises for legs because it stretches quite many muscles that have to do with your posture.
That helps you save some time. Your hip flexors, glutes, spine, and quads all get a good stretch from this exercise.
How to do it:
- Lay on your right side while resting your head on your arm.
- Lean your left knee in front of you on the floor raising its thigh towards your chest.
- Pull your right foot against your butt using your left hand while tilting its shoulder towards the floor.
- Hold this position for 60 seconds and switch to the other side.
9. Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch
This is an important stretching exercise for flexibility for your stretching for splits.
It stretches your quads, hips, and glutes.
The more you do this exercise, the further you’ll be able to extend your reach.
How to do it:
- Get on your right knee with your left foot flat on the floor.
- Lean forward into your left leg stretching your right hips and quads.
- If you feel your hip flexor can take more stretching, squeeze your glutes.
- Hold this position for 60 seconds or more, if you can.
- Switch to the other leg and repeat the process.
10. Seated Shoulder Squeeze
From the name, you can tell which part of your body will enjoy the benefits of this stretching exercise for flexibility.
This posture relieves tension in your upper back and helps to correct posture.
How to do it:
- Sit and bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor.
- Stretch your arms to the back and clasp them above your lower back.
- Hold this position for 5 seconds. Repeat up to 5 times.
11. Standing Hamstrings Stretch
Here’s another stretching exercise for flexibility that touches on many muscles.
It stretches your calves, neck, back, hamstrings.
How to do it:
- Stand tall with your back stretched and legs hip wide.
- Take a deep breath and as you exhale, bend forward at the hip reaching your head for your shins.
- Grab the back of your legs with your hands to keep you in position.
- Listen to your body and don’t overstretch.
- Hold on for 30 to 120 seconds depending on your endurance.
- Don’t worry if you don’t last long at first, you’ll improve with time.
Conclusion
With the benefits that come with stretching for flexibility and the routine options you now have, you should incorporate it into your workout plan.
If you’re not a fitness buff, most of these are stretching exercises for beginners so, you can do them too.
If you select them according to body parts, you’ll have yourself a full-body stretch routine.
We just robbed you of all excuses not to stretch.
