Post-workout stretching is a set of exercises to relax muscles after physical activity. Final stretches are an important part of your workouts and help you improve. muscle elasticity and joint mobility . Stretching exercises not only protect your body from injury, but also help you train more effectively.

Why do you need to stretch after a workout?

During exercise, your muscles contract, in other words are shortened. After completing the exercise, the muscles lengthen, but not completely, remaining slightly shorter than before the exercise. In order to regain its original length, the muscles will need several days - this is called recovery.

Until the muscle returns to its original length, it will not recover and will not be able to work to build new strength. Therefore, if you do not stretch after training, then you yourself delaying your recovery , which means you reduce the effectiveness of your classes. During muscle stretching, you lengthen your muscles and return them to their original length. Without stretching, muscles take much longer to recover.

In addition, muscles remember their shortened length, so if they “forgot how” to lengthen, they will contract worse. Strengthening the muscles reduces the amplitude, and this already entails a drop in strength indicators. And not only! Muscles control our joints, and their lack of elasticity disrupts joint biomechanics, which threatens injury and inflammation.

What are the benefits of stretching?

• Stretching after exercise improves muscle elasticity and joint mobility. It speeds up muscle recovery, reduces the likelihood of injury, helps avoid stagnation in training.

• Stretching stimulates the growth of new muscle fibers, and subsequently strength. According to studies, stretching can increase the effectiveness of your workout by 10%.

• Stretching after exercise will help improve blood circulation in your muscles. This will reduce muscle soreness (muscle pain after exercise) , will reduce the recovery time of muscles and joints, and also improve overall health. Blood circulation promotes cell growth and maintains organ functionality.

• Stretching exercises improve your flexibility and mobility, thereby reducing the risk of injury during exercise or daily activities. Also, it will help improve strength performance by increasing the range of motion.

• Stretching after exercise lowers your heart rate and restores your blood pressure.

• Regularly performing stretching exercises for the back, chest and shoulders straightens the spine, improves posture, and helps get rid of back pain.

• Stretching exercises reduce tension and reduce stress caused by intense exercise. Stretching after exercise also encourages the release of endorphins, providing a feeling of calm and satisfaction.

Do not confuse and stretching after workout. Task warm-ups– wake up the body, prepare the body for the load, warm up the muscles and joints. The warm-up should include dynamic stretching, joint exercises and cardio warm-up. Task stretching after workout – lower your heart rate, calm your body, stretch your muscles after exercise. This is the final stage of the workout; stretching is always performed at the end of the session.

How is stretching performed?

The duration of stretching is usually 10-15 minutes. If you are limited in time, you can reduce the duration of stretching to 5 minutes. (this is the required minimum) , but in this case you will either do it quickly and poorly, or pay attention only to individual muscle groups. Ideally, in addition to regular stretching after training, on a separate day, do general stretching of the whole body for 30-45 minutes.

If you've had an intense workout, you'll want to get your heart rate back up before stretching. Walk at a calm pace for 1-2 minutes, taking deep breaths in and out to restore your breathing. Then begin stretching exercises, consistently stretching all muscle groups. Muscle order does not play a fundamental role, you can perform the exercises in any order.

Take a pose, slowly stretch the muscle until you feel slight discomfort (but no pain) and stay in this position for 30 seconds. If you want to deepen the stretch and improve flexibility, you can hold each pose for 45-60 seconds. Stretching is done static, you should not rock or put pressure on the muscle. Stretch slowly and gradually, accompanying the stretch with deep breathing.

Pay special attention to those muscle groups that were involved during the workout. But stretching other muscle groups will not be superfluous. Stretching relaxes your muscles, so it should not be done before or during exercise. You need to stretch after every workout: don't neglect stretching exercises if you want to stay healthy and improve your physical performance.

Features of stretching after training:

1. Post-workout stretching should be static. Avoid pulsation, springs, and pressure on the working muscle. An even, soft tensile force is a determining condition for quality exercise.

2. Stretching should be accompanied by deep breathing. This will help you relax and stretch your muscles in a better way.

3. You should not practice an exercise in pairs, in which the other person puts additional pressure on the muscles and ligaments. . Stretching this way can damage joints or strain ligaments.

4. Try don't round your back while bending towards your feet. If you lack flexibility, you should not try to jerk to your feet, arch your back, or pull your head down. Your back must remain straight, otherwise you risk injuring your spine.

5. This is why stretching exercises are very useful. in front of the mirror. This way you can see all your mistakes and shortcomings.

6. To make stretching easier, you can use a chair, for example, when bending, if you cannot reach the floor, or as a support:

7. You can also use a strap, towel or elastic band for convenience during stretching:

8. Stretching should be pleasant and comfortable; you should not stretch through pain. Your body should be relaxed, your muscles should not be tense.

9. Stretching does not replace massage, so for regular training we recommend using a massage roller. This inexpensive, useful equipment will help you avoid injuries and muscle pain.

We offer you a ready-made selection of stretching exercises that will help you pay attention to all the muscles of your body. You can perform the exercises in any order, but traditionally stretching is performed from top to bottom. The suggested stretching exercises can be performed both after cardio exercise and after strength training.

Upper body stretching exercises

1. Biceps and forearm stretch

2. Shoulder and arm stretches

3. Chest and Arm Stretch

Core stretching exercises

1. Stretch the obliques and upper back

2. Stretching the back and arms

3. Stretches for the back, lower back and buttocks

4. Stretching the lower back and abs

5. Stretching the back, shoulders and hamstrings

Lower body stretching exercises

1. Stretching the legs and buttocks

2. Stretching the hamstrings, hamstrings, buttocks

3. Stretching the adductor muscles (inner thigh)

You need to stretch after warming up. This way you can deepen the stretch without injuring your muscles and ligaments.

Warm up before stretching

When you stretch after a workout, your muscles are already warmed up and no additional warm-up is required. If you decide to arrange a separate stretching lesson, first do a few exercises:

1. Joint warm-up: twirl your joints, bend and twist your body.
2. 5-7 minutes of cardio: running or Jumping Jacks, Rock Climber, running in place with high knees, .

Once you've warmed up a bit, you can start stretching.

How and how much to stretch

With these exercises, you can arrange an independent stretching session and thoroughly stretch all the muscles of your body. However, it will take about 60–90 minutes. For a quick stretch, choose one or two exercises for each muscle group involved in the workout.

To give your muscles a good stretch, hold each pose for 30 seconds to two minutes. You can remain still or gently spring. Sudden movements can cause injury, so leave them for another sport.

We will give exercises for stretching from top to bottom: neck, shoulders and arms, chest and back, abs, buttocks, thighs, legs.

Neck stretching exercises

Tilt your head back, stretching the front of your neck. From this position, tilt your head to the left. For greater effect, place your left palm on the right side of your head, but do not press hard.

Place your right hand on the left side of your head. Tilt your head forward and to the side, increase the pressure with your hand.

Repeat on the other side.

Place one hand on the back of your head and the other on your chin. Lower your head, making a double chin. At the same time, the neck remains straight, the back of the head tends upward. You should feel it in the back of your neck, especially at the base of your skull.

Shoulder stretches

4. Front Shoulder Stretch

Place your hands behind your back, clasp your wrist with one hand and the other. Bend your elbows and lift your wrists higher. Push your chest forward and feel the stretch in the front of your shoulders.

5. Mid-Shoulder Stretch

Grab your opposite elbow with your hand, press your shoulder towards you and pull it down. Repeat with the other hand.

6. Back Shoulder Stretch

Grasp your right arm with your left above the elbow, press it to your body and straighten it, lower your right shoulder down. With your left hand, pull your right hand up, lifting it with your elbow. Feel the tension in your backside.

Repeat with the other hand.

7. Triceps stretch

Go to the wall, lift your left elbow up, and place your forearm behind your back. Lower your left shoulder blade down. To check that it has actually dropped and will not rise during the stretch, place your right hand below your left armpit.

Repeat on the other side.

8. Biceps stretch

Grab a doorknob, counter, or other support and turn your back to it. Turn your elbow upward and move your body slightly forward.

Repeat with the other hand.

This pose allows you to simultaneously stretch the triceps of one arm and the front of the shoulder of the other. Place one hand behind your back from above so that your elbow points upward, and the other from below so that your elbow points to the floor. Try to bring your wrists together at the level of your shoulder blades.

Switch hands.

10. Wrist Extensor Stretch

Sit on your knees, place your hands in front of you so that the backs of your hands touch the floor and your fingers point towards each other. Gently shift your weight into your hands, stretching your forearms. To enhance the effect, try clenching your fists.

Chest stretching exercises

11. Chest stretch in the doorway

Go to the doorway, lean your elbows on the doorframes and push your chest forward, pectoral muscles.

Place your hand on the wall, lower your shoulder and turn in the opposite direction. Repeat with the other hand.

Back stretching exercises

Stand next to a rack, exercise machine or other support, turn your left shoulder towards it. With your right hand, grab the rack high above your head and move your pelvis to the right and down, stretching the entire right side of your body.

Repeat on the other side.

14. Stretching the lower back muscles

Sit on the floor, move your right leg forward, left leg back. Bend your knees at an angle of 90 degrees or slightly more. Place your right hand on the floor, raise your left above your head. Pull your left leg down and back, tilt your body forward and twist towards your right leg.

Switch legs.

Sit on the floor, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Grasp your shins with your hands on the inside, place your wrists on your feet. Lean forward as low as possible.

Sit on the floor, buttocks should touch your heels. Lean forward, lie on your stomach on your knees and extend your arms.

Get on all fours, then move your pelvis back and up so that your body resembles an angle. Your arms and back should be stretched out in one line, your knees can be bent, and your heels can be lifted off the floor. The main thing is that your back remains straight, without rounding in the lower back.

Grab a low horizontal bar and hang freely, relaxing your body. Feet should remain on the ground. Relax them, bend your knees slightly.

Lie on the floor on your back, arms along your body, legs straight. Raise your legs and then throw them behind your head. Hands rest with elbows on the floor, hands support. Do not lean on your neck, the fulcrum is your shoulders.

Abdominal stretching exercises

Get on your knees, push your chest up, lengthening your spine, and then lean back, placing your hands on your heels. Try to bend in the thoracic region. Don't throw your head back, look up.

Lie on the floor on your stomach, place your hands under your shoulders. Push yourself up, your pelvis rises, your legs remain on the floor. Lower your shoulders, bend in the chest.

Stand straight with your feet together. Raise your arms and join your palms above your head. Bend your chest and tilt your body back. Tighten to avoid strong arching in the lower back.

Stand up straight, raise your arms above your head, clasp your fingers and turn your palms up. Stretch up and bend first to one side and then to the other.

Lie on the floor on your back, arms out to the sides, palms down. Move your pelvis to the left, lift your left leg, bending it at the knee, move it behind your right leg and try to place your knee on the floor. Turn your head to the left and relax.

Repeat the exercise on the other side.

Exercises for stretching the buttocks

25. Lying stretch

Lie on the floor on your back, raise your knees bent. Place the ankle of your left foot on the knee of your right. Press the knee of your right leg onto your left to deepen it. Repeat with the other leg.

Get on all fours, place your right ankle on your left knee. Push your pelvis back to deepen the stretch. Repeat with the other leg.

27. Seated stretching

Sit on the floor, stretch your legs forward, straighten your back. Bend one leg at the knee, grab your shin with your hands and press it to your chest. The shin should be parallel to the floor, the forearms lie on top and press it to the chest, one hand covers the other.

Repeat with the other leg.

Sit on the floor, bend one leg at the knee at a right angle and move it forward, take the other back and straighten it. You can lean forward and place your forearms on the floor.

If you have difficulty doing this pose on the floor, try placing your foot on an elevated platform.

Exercises to stretch the front of the thigh

Calf Stretching Exercises

48. Stretching against the wall

Press the toe of your right foot against the wall, take your left foot a step and a half back. The feet are pressed firmly to the floor, the left leg is straight. Try to reach the wall with your right knee, this will stretch the muscles of your left leg.

Switch legs.

Stand close to the wall. Place your right toe on the wall, take your left leg a step and a half back. Bend your left leg at the knee, increasing the stretch. Switch legs and repeat.

Sit on the floor, stretch your legs straight in front of you. Place one leg on the thigh of the other. Grab your foot with your opposite hand and pull your toe up.

Switch legs.

Few can boast of good stretching, except perhaps those who need it in the field professional activity or personal hobbies. Dancers, gymnasts, yogis, and martial arts lovers simply need stretching and flexibility. But if you are not a professional (or even an amateur) in areas where you need a flexible body, stretching can be a pleasantly beneficial physical activity.

As we age, our muscles, ligaments and joints lose elasticity and mobility. The result is looseness, poor posture, joint pain, and increased trauma. Therefore, stretching or stretching is quite popular today. If you need stretching to improve your success in your favorite sport, then God himself commanded you to stretch! And if not, then you can simply enjoy your flexible body and incredible benefits for the body.

Let's start stretching from scratch

Stretch can and should be done at any age. Of course, the younger the muscle tissue, the better and faster the results are achieved. But there is no age limit for stretching. The only thing you should take care of is to be careful when handling your body if you start stretching from scratch.

Classes with instructor always have an advantage over independent attempts, because a professional can always correctly correct your actions. But sometimes the opposite happens. If you decide to do stretching, but you have no training, then coming to stretching groups with experienced students and working with them immediately at their load level is dangerous.

Be sure to warn trainer about your level, and ask at first not to “help” you stretch. The individual physiology of the body may not accept even the slightest pressure when performing exercises, and you will get injured. Start slowly with the smallest loads, gradually increasing them with each session. In stretching without preparation, it is better not to chase quick results.

Warming up before stretching

Stretching You can practice on your own at home. To get the maximum benefit, result, and not injure yourself, you need to warm up your muscles before stretching exercises. It is best to perform dynamic exercises and jumps. Any dance movements or aerobics will do, the main thing is that it is “lively” and intense, until you sweat and have hot muscles.

Be sure to warm up all groups muscles, starting from the neck and gradually moving down to the feet. Warm-up and warm-up should take 15-20 minutes. If it’s convenient for you to stretch before bed, and you don’t have time to warm up, a hot shower is also suitable, which will also help warm up your muscles, giving them elasticity.

It's better to stretch more often

How much do you need study the stretch itself? If you perform several exercises on different muscle groups, alternating dynamics and statics, then you will not be able to do less than 15 minutes of pure stretching. But the secret of good stretching results is not even this. You need to exercise regularly, that is, daily. The muscles should gradually get used to the new state, and this should become the norm for them. Otherwise, you will be moving towards your cherished goal for a long time.

The more often you practice stretching, the better, the more effective. You can, of course, exercise consistently once or twice a week, and gradually your flexibility will improve. But if you consistently devote 15-20 minutes before bed to stretching exercises, you will achieve amazing results! When you cross the “zero line”, you can perfectly combine visiting group classes with a trainer 2-3 times a week and your daily fifteen-minute exercises to maintain tone and consolidate the results.

A holistic approach to stretching

Muscle flexibility and elasticity should be throughout the whole body. All muscles are interconnected, and stretching some does not exclude the flexibility of others, but on the contrary, helps. That is, if you want to do the splits, stretching the lateral muscles and abdominal muscles is also necessary.

The rule of an integrated hike also works for the same group muscles: you need to stretch them in several different ways, rather than doing just one. For example, to stretch the muscles under the knee, you can do bends while standing, sitting, one leg, two, and so on. You can choose any sets of stretching exercises for yourself, those that are convenient for you at this stage of your flexibility. The more you practice, the more difficult the exercises should be, the higher the stretching bar. Without constantly increasing the load, there is no point in exercising.

Dynamics and statics in stretching

If necessary " spring"during exercises or remaining static? It is best to combine these two states within reasonable limits. The "spring" is easier to perform, so most often they start training with it, and it is used in the initial stages of stretching classes. But you should remember to be careful, and do not make sudden movements or large amplitudes.

Statics is more useful and gives the desired Effect, but it’s difficult to do it at first. Add static exercises gradually. Fix the muscle tension in the maximum state for you, and hold it as long as you can. You should reach a limit of 30 seconds in one static stretching pose. But, of course, it will all start in about five seconds.

Relax while stretching

Exactly this The main thing, and the most difficult thing. Muscles, while they are tense, are difficult to stretch. A relaxed muscle is more flexible and less pain is felt. To relax the muscles at the point of tension, you need to practice a little.

First, try it correctly and deeply breathe. Breathing helps you relax as you exhale. Concentrate your attention on the desired muscles and relax them as much as possible. When you learn to relax this way while stretching, you will begin to truly enjoy the process and noticeably improve your results.

What else should you know about stretching?

During exercises stretching You should always keep your back straight. A slouched back not only does not help, but also interferes with proper muscle function. For example, when bending your body toward your legs to stretch your hamstrings, it's not how far you can reach with your arms using a hunched back, but how far you can place your lower abdomen on your legs. The straighter the back, the more difficult this exercise, the more correct, and the better the effect.

If you want to do the splits, and start almost from scratch; after a few days of doing stretching exercises, be sure to start trying to slowly do the splits. This way you can determine which muscles are “interfering” with you, and, therefore, adjust your course of exercise.

And one last thing. Stretching- it hurts. But the pain should be pleasant for you, not sharp, always at the limit, and always with pleasure. If you feel pain, it means this is where your body is not flexible enough. Which means you need to work on it!

- Return to section table of contents " "

Everyone understands that in order to do the splits, you need to stretch. If you have had experience with such exercises before, then it will certainly be easier for you to get back into shape; if you are a beginner, stretching will take longer.

Also ability do the splits quickly depends on age. Over the years, our body becomes less flexible, joints lose mobility, and muscles and ligaments lose elasticity. However, you don’t need to think that if you are over 30, you won’t be able to do the splits quickly. The whole point here is what period of time is considered “fast”.

You can sit down today (with outside help, of course) and tomorrow you will rest in the traumatology department. And you can stretch intelligently, depending on your age and degree of flexibility.

If you do decide to do stretching exercises to do the splits quickly, let's first determine the degree of your flexibility, and depending on this, we will find out what type of stretching is suitable for you.

Test

Warm up for 20 minutes and start the test.

Stand straight, put your feet together, bend down.
1. Fingers do not reach the ankle joint – 0
2. Fingers touched the floor - 1
3. You can touch the floor with your palm - 2

Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend to the side.
1. Fingers touch the knee – 1
2. You can’t reach your knees with your fingers – 0
3. You can touch your calves with your fingers – 2

Lie on your back, cross your legs over your head.
1. You cannot touch the floor with your feet – 0
2. Straight legs touching the floor - 2
3. You can touch the floor, but your knees are bent - 1

Sit on the floor, stretch your legs straight in front of you. Lean forward.
1. You reach your toes with your fingers - 1
2. You can only touch the ankle joints – 0
3. You curl your toes – 2

Now let's count the points and find out the result.

Less than 3 points. The former flexibility has been completely lost. To do the splits quickly, you need to stretch carefully and not endure pain when stretching. If the pain does not go away a few seconds after finishing the stretching exercise, you should reduce the intensity. Before exercise, a long warm-up is recommended to maximize muscle warm-up.

From 3 to 5 points. You have average flexibility and may well return to your previous capabilities. You just need to do it with caution. In order to do the splits quickly, you're better off doing a dynamic form of stretching.

From 6 to 8 points. Congratulations, you have a great stretch. In order to do the splits quickly It’s better for you to focus on the static form of stretching exercises, working on the principle “there is pain - there is no pain.”

Types of stretching

Ballistic stretch. You can use this type of stretching to quickly do the splits only if you exercise regularly. This type of exercise includes various swings and springing movements. At the same time, the thigh muscles lengthen, stretching to the maximum. However, only seasoned athletes can practice more complex types of such stretching, for example, jumping and landing on a split.

Dynamic stretching involves exercises, when you take some kind of stance and freeze in it, stretching your muscles, for a while. This type of stretching is suitable for do the splits quickly, at least with an average level of training, or some time after the start of training.

Static stretching least traumatic and suitable for beginners. Your muscles are pulled under your body weight or with the (gentle) help of your assistant. You do not take any active actions, everything happens on its own.

For greater effect, it is better to combine dynamic and static loads in one workout, and it is better to start with the first.

How much do you need to stretch to do the splits quickly?

If you're just starting out with stretching exercises, this pattern may be right for you.
You stretch the muscle until you feel slight pain. After this, the exercise ends and you wait about 15 seconds. If during this time the pain goes away completely, the load has been chosen correctly. If not, you pulled the muscle too zealously, you need to apply less effort. On average, one approach takes a beginner half a minute.

If you have any experience in sports, in order to do the splits quickly You can stretch according to the principle “there is pain - there is no pain.” In this case, you begin stretching, wait for pain to appear, and wait another 30 seconds until the pain goes away. This principle is based on the physiological characteristics of the muscle. While stretching, it begins to hurt due to the stretching reflex. After 30 seconds, the pain goes away and you finish the stretch.

Whatever type and principle of stretching you choose, exercise in order to do the splits quickly, need regularly. It is recommended to do this twice a day for 40 – 60 minutes.
You need to start with a warm-up or cardio workout, which should take at least 20-25 minutes - the less prepared you are, the longer the warm-up will take.

And, of course, the main question asked by those who want do the splits quickly– how long will it take? At a young age (up to 25 years), you can do the splits after 3-4 months of training. If you are not yet thirty, this will take from 4 to 6 months; if you are over thirty years old, it will require more than six months of regular classes.

These terms are approximate, calculated for a person with average data. The degree of your flexibility, compliance with the rules and regularity, as well as some characteristics of your body and organism can change these terms, both in one direction and in the other.

Alexandra Panyutina
Women's magazine JustLady

By alternating and combining these simple techniques, you can quickly, significantly and safely improve your stretching.

1. We work out regularly. The best schedule is 6 times a week.

2. We take into account biorhythms. In the evening, the body lends itself to stretching much better than in the morning. In the morning the body is more stiff.

3. We monitor the mood. For effective stretching, the body must be relaxed. And in order for the body to relax, the mind must be calm. Irritation, stress, anger, resentment, anxiety, worry, etc. – an inappropriate emotional background for such practice. Before training, we bring the mind and feelings into a calm state. If this does not work, we postpone stretching until better times.

4. We're not in a hurry. Stretching does not tolerate fuss and haste. We do everything slowly, and in no case force anything. When doing stretching, it is especially important to follow the rules of injury safety, because any injury, even a minor sprain, will force you to limit your practice for several days or even weeks and will nullify all achieved results.

5. Let's warm up. Warm muscles are much more elastic. Even a simple hot shower before exercise will noticeably improve your stretching. An intense 15-minute warm-up with warming up the whole body will immediately significantly increase the range of movements. If you play sports, be sure to take time to stretch immediately after your workout - you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.

6. We arrange the asana correctly. Initially, poor body position limits stretching capabilities and increases the risk of injury. And although sometimes incorrect adjustment of the asana creates the illusion of greater amplitude, this does not happen due to improved flexibility, but due to body distortions. But that's not what we want.

7. We avoid pain. We do nothing, overcoming the pain. First, because the involuntary neuromuscular mechanism is triggered, the pain automatically leads to muscle spasm, making stretching almost impossible. Secondly, pain is an alarm signal that the body gives us to warn us of danger.

8. Let's relax. We enter the asana and take the maximum accessible body position with a feeling of slight tension in the stretched muscles. We fix this position and try to relax as much as possible. We do this gradually, focusing attention on small areas of the body, starting from the periphery. For example, when stretching the thigh muscles (in a sitting or lying position), we first relax the toes, then the ankle joint, calf muscles, knee, etc. This technique helps: we take a deep breath and, as we exhale, imagine that the air is leaving through the relaxed area of ​​the body. You can also rub and massage the stretched muscles.

As soon as the muscles relax and the tension passes, we slightly increase the amplitude and repeat all over again. If the muscles categorically refuse to relax, we reduce the amplitude.

9. We're tense. After the muscles have relaxed in a stretched position, we strain them with all our might and hold this tension for 8 to 15 seconds. We maintain a static body position and do not move. Muscles must contract isometrically, i.e. motionless. Let go of the tension and immediately stretch, increasing the amplitude. This is a very effective technique called post-isometric relaxation (PIR). PIR allows you to overcome the resistance of muscle reflexes that prevent stretching. You can repeat the entire sequence of relaxation - tension - stretching 2 - 3 times. The effect will be significant. As an example, let's try to tense the gluteal muscles for 10 - 15 seconds in uttanasana (forward bending). The tilt amplitude will increase. (We follow safety precautions for lumbar region: press the stomach to the thighs, do not fully extend the knees before this becomes possible.)

10. We engage antagonist muscles. When some muscles in the body contract, other muscles designed to produce the opposite movement automatically relax. For example, when we tense our hip flexors (quadriceps, etc.), our hip extensors (hamstrings) automatically relax. In this way, the body optimizes its work so that when moving it does not waste additional strength to overcome the resistance of antagonists. We can use this phenomenon to improve stretching. To do this, we simply tense the antagonist muscles with a conscious effort while stretching. Continuing the example with uttanasana: we strongly strain the quadriceps of the thigh (the anterior group of thigh muscles) and the abdominal muscles, drawing in the stomach.

11. We stretch the right and left sides in turn. If the asana allows (as a rule, this technique is suitable for symmetrical asanas), we change the position of the body so that the force shifts first to one side, then to the other. For example, in upavishtha konasana we move first to one leg, then to the other, then return to the center. Photo 1, 2.

12. Breathe. The following technique helps to increase the amplitude of stretching: take a deep breath, taking in a full chest of air, and hold your breath for 5 – 10 seconds. We exhale and at the same time as we exhale we try to stretch more. This technique works great in twists.

13. We use muscle locks - bandhas. Another good technique is to use muscle locks. In the practice of stretching, mulabandha is mainly relevant for us - tensing the muscles of the perineum and pelvic floor and uddiyana bandha - drawing in the abdomen and pulling the diaphragm up. In particular, uddiyana bandha is effective for increasing the amplitude of forward bends, both in a standing and sitting position.

14. Use hand levers. In some cases, you can help yourself with your hands, using them as leverage. For example, when bending forward, we move our arms behind our backs, clasp our hands together and pull our straight arms up (towards the head).

Unfortunately, using leverage increases not only the effectiveness of the stretch, but also the risk of injury. Therefore, when using such techniques, you need to be especially careful and take your time.

15. “We take help from a friend.” A partner's help will come in handy when using post-isometric relaxation. For example, consider supta padangusthasana - lying on your back, raise your straight leg up and pull it towards you, stretching the muscles of the back of the leg. We pull the leg towards us as far as possible and ask the partner to fix the leg in this position. We begin to strain the muscles of the leg, as if trying to lower it to the floor; the partner resists, preventing the leg from falling. We hold this position for 8 - 10 seconds, after which we relax the muscles and pull the leg towards us, and the partner helps fix the leg in a new position with greater amplitude.

Such techniques are possible in many asanas, but only experienced practitioners are suitable for the role of a partner, and, to be completely honest, experienced yoga instructors.

16. We use props. If there is no partner, sometimes you can replace him with props. For example, in the same supta padangusthasana we put a belt on the leg and push it down. We pull the belt towards ourselves, providing resistance to the movement of the leg and preventing it from falling.

Props also help compensate for flexibility deficits by relieving tension in the muscles being pulled. For example, in janushirshasana, if the knee does not lower to the floor, the hip adductors (inner thigh) are forced to resist gravity and, instead of relaxing and stretching, contract. A “brick” placed under the thigh allows you to relieve tension from these muscles and makes it possible to stretch them. We use a belt if it is not possible to reach the foot with our hands.

Standard blocks for yoga - “bricks” - can be replaced with a stack of books and, as the muscles relax and stretching increases, reduce the height of the stack, removing a book at a time.

17. Increase muscle strength. Stronger muscles strain less when tense, relax more easily, and are more amenable to stretching. If, despite all efforts, progress in stretching is unsatisfactory, we strengthen the muscles and increase their strength.

18. Always finish stretching with strength exercises. Intense stretching disrupts the coordinated work of muscles, resulting in poor coordination of movement in the next few hours after training. To prevent this, we end the workout with strength exercises on the target muscle group.

18. The body will say “thank you.” Stretching exercises relieve muscle and emotional tension, promote general relaxation, improve body awareness, joint mobility and overall well-being, and increase the range of available movements; in the long term, they improve coordination and help prevent injuries. Movements become more harmonious and correct, posture and the condition of internal organs improve.

Olga Prilepova, doctor, certified yoga teacher; author's websitewww.namaste.md