5 Stretches To Improve Flexibility

Try these simple stretches at home every morning or afternoon to start improving your flexibility and posture and say goodbye to the pains involved with sitting all day.

Single leg raised and bent over hamstring stretch

To lengthen and give your muscles a well-deserved ‘pull’, stretch your hamstrings and lower back with a standing, single leg stretch. Start with an upright stance, chest up with shoulders down and relaxed. Lift your leg straight behind you as you slowly bend forward at the hips, trying to get as close to your toes as possible making the letter ‘T’. Hold for 30 seconds, lower back down to your starting position and repeat on the opposite leg.

Forward flexion towards ground lower back-stretch 

To help lengthen and strengthen your spine and chest after a day of hunching over your keyboard, a great forward flexion stretch to try is upward facing dog.  Start by laying face down on your mat with legs extended long and spread hips-width apart. Bend your elbows and place you palms flat to the ground and push up and back until you feel a comfortable stretch in your abs, chest and back. Hold for 30 seconds, or less, and slowly lower back to the ground. Repeat a couple of times if necessary.

Supported on wall chest stretch

A great way to stretch your chest muscles and to release tension is by a supported wall stretch. The best way to perform this stretch is to stand in a doorway with your forearm placed in a vertical position on the doorframe. Stand with your feet staggered and your back leg on the same side as the chest muscle being stretched. Slowly start to shift your weight forward until a stretch is felt in the front of your shoulder and chest. Hold for 30 seconds then slowly release and repeat on the other side.

Lying Glute Stretch

One of the most relaxing and satisfying muscle groups to stretch and release are the glutes. For a two-for-one stretch to target both your glutes and lower back, lie down on your back with both of your legs fully extended. Bend one leg and bring your knee towards your chest, start to slowly twist to the opposite side by pulling your foot towards your opposite hip. Try to keep your extended leg as straight as possible, hold this stretch for 30 seconds then slowly release to have both legs extended again, repeat on the opposite side.

Bent arm over opposite shoulder stretch 

Sitting all day can create serious tension in your shoulders and triceps area, which can lead to bad posture. To stretch and release your shoulders, stretch your arms overhead, grab and bend your elbow to pull it inwards towards your opposite shoulder. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, slowly release and repeat on the opposite side.

Try these simple stretches at home every morning or afternoon to start improving your flexibility and posture and say goodbye to the pains involved with sitting all day.