Hi! Are you overworking your muscles and not taking the time to stretch? It’s ok, you’re not alone!
Do these stretches before your next workout for an effective gym session. They will hit every major muscle group of your body that are normally tight for people. Stretching before a workout can act as a circulation boost, which helps send oxygen to your muscles. Oxygen is a form of nourishment to your muscles, which means less straining and aching during your workout, leaving you free to focus on form for a more effective workout. 🙂 Hold each stretch below for 3 breathes. These stretches can also be done after your workout, and instead of holding for 3 breathes, hold for 5-6 breathes each.
Outfit and photography by: Fabletics
If you’d like a more in depth stretching tutorial, check out Get Stretchy, my 30-day video-guided flexibility training.
1. Outer hip opener: Start kneeling on the floor on hands and knees. Step the right foot forward on the outside of the right hand. Keep the hips square and do not let the right hip sway forward. Pull the right thigh and hip back in line with the left hip. Stay upright on the hands, or lower down onto the elbows as shown in the photo for a more intense stretch. Stay here for 3 breathes, then repeat other side.
2. Shoulder and Lat Stretch: Stand a few feet away from a sturdy ledge. With hands touching, Place the tips of your elbows on the ledge, and press the palms together. Walk the feet back so your ears are in line with your upper arm bones. Pull the navel into spine to ensure that your not sinking in the belly like a loose hammock. Hold for 3 breathes.
3. Standing Hip Flexor and Chest stretch: Start standing with feet together. Step the left foot back about 3 feet from your front foot. The space should be enough to bend both knees, keeping front knee directly over your ankle, and back knee under your hip. Pull navel into spine, and lift up and out of the chest. Focus on the lifting action, then bring the hands together over the head for an even more radiant and expanding stretch through the upper body. Hold for 3 breathes, repeat other side.
4. Twisted Spine Wide Legged Forward Fold: Start standing with feet outside of shoulders, both toes facing forward. Slowly lower your torso down to reach hands to ankles. Then reverse the hands, so right hand is on your left ankle, and left hand is on your right ankle. Grab firmly onto your ankles, and drive the chest up towards the sky by pulling navel into spine. Hold for 3 breathes, repeat other side.
5. Side Bend and Inner Thigh Stretch: Start sitting, extend your left leg to the left, and pull your right heel into your right inner thigh. Pull navel into spine to help you sit up tall. Reach left arm toward your left toes. Let your left elbow bend and rest inside your left knee, then reach right arm up and overhead toward your left toes. From above the navel, twist your torso as you roll your right ribs up to the sky and lengthen the right side body. Hold for 3 breathes, repeat other side.
6. Hip opening Pigeon pose: Bring your left knee forward and place it on the floor just behind and slightly to the left wrist, with your shin on a diagonal and your left heel pointing toward your right frontal hipbone. Straighten your right leg, and make sure your right quadricep is squarely facing the floor so that your knee is facing the floor. You can tuck the right toes under to straighten the leg so that the thigh and knee come off the floor. Adjust and roll the knee under until hipbones are square forward on the mat. Continue to draw your left outer hip back and in towards the midline of your body. Release the back toes, and flex your front foot. Eventually you want your left thigh to be parallel to the front edge of the mat. If you are having trouble here, place a thick blanket or block under your left hip. Hold for 3 breathes.
7. Calf Stretch: Start standing on the ledge of a stair. Roll down so hands are on the floor, and walk hands up the stairs far enough to feel a stretch on the back of the calves. Let heels of your feet hang off the edge for an extra stretch underneath the soles of your feet. Make sure hands are firmly in the ground to help support the posture. Let the inner thighs roll back so that the thigh bones can reach back to intensify the stretch. Hold for 3 breathes.
8. Hamstring stretch: Place your right foot on a ledge where you can comfortably stand so your left foot is under your left hip, and your left leg is straight. Fold your body forward over onto the thigh. Hold for 3 breathes, repeat other side.
If you’d like a more in depth stretching tutorial, check out Get Stretchy, my 30-day video-guided flexibility training.
Outfit and photography by: Fabletics
