STRETCHING IDEAS-Source was:

Corner Stretch for Chest

Stand facing a corner with one hand on each wall, about chin level. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders. Repeat this muscle stretching technique for flexibility.

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Hamstring Stretch

For a good hamstring stretch, lie on your back on the floor. Leave one leg extended on the floor and raise the other, knee straight, until you feel the stretch in your hamstring. Loop a towel around your leg and hold the ends in your hands to make it easier.
Again, remember to always warm up well before stretching! /
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Cat Stretch

Get on the floor on all fours. Arch your back like a cat, then relax and let it sag toward the floor. Don´t move your arms or legs while stretching, just your back. /
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Neck Stretch

Turn your head as far as you can so your chin is over your shoulder, or close, then hold for 20 seconds. Repeat the stretch on the other side. Don't hold your breath. /
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Calf Stretch

You should stretch your calves two ways with two different stretching exercises.
First is the usual way where you lean against a wall, step back with the leg to be stretched, knee straight, then keep your heel down and push your hips forward until you feel the stretching in your calf.
Second, keep the same position but bend your knee, which will give a better stretch to the soleus muscle and the achilles´ tendon. /
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Quad Stretch

  • Pull your foot up, with the knee bent and the thigh straight up and down, next to the supporting leg. Stand, balancing on one foot as you pull the other foot straight back and up to your bottom.
During this muscle stretching, don´t pull the leg back and to the side, which stresses the knee, and don´t lean forward, which reduces range of motion and decreases stretching effectiveness. /
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Hamstring Stretch

Do your stretch, tense or contract the target muscle, then finally relax and extend your stretch.
To stretch your hamstrings from the common inside hurdler´s stretch, sit on the floor with your right leg extended and the sole of your left foot against your right inner thigh. Keeping your back straight, reach toward your right foot until you feel the stretching. Pause and contract your right hamstring as though you were pushing your heel into the floor, relax your leg completely and reach a little further toward your foot. You´ll find you can get another inch or so out of muscle stretching with this technique. /
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Side of Leg Stretch

To get a good stretch of the side of the right leg, cross the leg behind your left leg while standing and lean sideways to the left for thorough leg muscle stretching. Then, reverse your legs and try it. /
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Ankle Flexibility

A, B, C, D, E, F, G...To keep your ankles flexible with muscle stretching, try the alphabet stretch. Trace the alphabet in the air with your toes, one foot at a time. /
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Side Bend Stretch- stomach muscle stretch

Work your abs with this great stretching exercise. Do the standing side bend as an abdominal oblique stretch. Lean to your side slowly until you feel the muscle stretching. Repeat on other side. /
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  • Trunk and shoulder extensions- Slowly extend both your arms overhead as high as possible and hold them 30 seconds (Graham, 1998)
  • Trunk and shoulder rotation- With your right arm at shoulder level, look and slowly turn to your left; hold for 30 seconds. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction. (Graham, 1998)
  • Inner thigh stretch- Sit on the floor with your legs spread apart and extended. Slowly lean forward with one arm on each side of one leg and hold the position. Repeat the exercise on the other leg. ((Graham, 1998)
  • Lying knee pull- Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and arms straight at your sides. Bring your left knee to your chest, grabbing under the knee for five seconds. Repeat the exercise with your right leg. Remember to keep your extended leg straight and on the floor. (Graham, 1998)
  • V-sit- Sit with legs in a V. Feet about 12 inches apart. Lean forward with both hands touching and hold for 30 seconds.
  • Crawl stretch - From a crawling position, attempt to make your one foot touch your head by bringing one foot backwards and up. At the same time lift up your head and get your foot and your head as close as possible and hold for 15 seconds. Repeat using other foot.
  • Hand behind back - Bring one hand up over your shoulder and down towards the center of your back while bringing the other hand up from your waist. Try to touch your hands or get them as close as possible. Hold for a commercial. Repeat with the hands reversed.
  • Arm across Chest stretch
  • Cross feet stretch- Stand with legs next to each other. Put one foot over the other, crossing your legs, and bend down. Try not to bend your knees as you reach to the ground.
  • Legs Wide- Stand, Open legs wide, lean to one side. Repeat to other side
  • Butterfly Stretch- Sit, put the bottom of your feet together, try to touch your nose to your feet and count to 10.
  • Back Twist- Stand, twist back to one side, hold it there. Then reverse.
  • Calf stretch- Stand, put your one heel on the ground, grab the toe of that foot and pull towards your knee without lifting the heel from the ground.
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