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Stretching is almost an automatic pre and post workout regimen for sports persons, bodybuilders, and athletes. It is also much misunderstood, maybe because it appears elementary – raise your hands, bend your body, touch your tour toes, lean sideways etc. But these very movements deliver extraordinary benefits of flexibility and strength to the body.
Importance of Stretching Exercises
With the hectic daily responsibilities of life and work, we tend to stress out and become tired by the end of the day. Sitting long hours in the same chair and in the same position at work, as well as, managing the daily professional and personal responsibilities can make our days stressful.
Following a simple stretching routine can really make a difference. You will feel more relaxed and flexible after releasing all the stress from your neck, shoulder, back and joints at the end of the day. Stretching releases built up stress and tension, and improves blood flow to muscles and joints, providing immediate relief.
Muscles decline with age, losing mass through disuse. But if the proper routine of stretching exercise is maintained not only will the muscles retain their mass, more muscle growth (but not excess muscle gain) will occur and more flexibility will be achieved. Body motions will be free, without the hindrance of aches and creaky joints.
To achieve this, however, diet also needs to be maintained, through a balanced mix of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins and/or dietary supplements, like HGH Energizer Supplement, and others.
What Benefits does Stretching Help Achieve?
- Better joint flexibility
- Increased blood circulation
- Greater energy levels because of better oxygen and glycogen delivery
- Easier, faster and superior neuro-musculoskeletal coordination
- Increased power
- Enhanced endurance
Do all of the stretching exercises give you power?
Not necessarily all of these stretching exercises, according to research, but there are super effective ‘dynamic stretching’ exercises like the ones below that will help you gather all the benefits of stretching, giving you the feeling of a strong person, without the use of any equipment.
When you do dynamic stretching you effectively use the weight of your body as a form of resistance. You do not hold your movements but flow with it till the end.
Here are 10 stretching exercises that will involve all the major muscle groups of your body to keep you invigorated throughout your day. You can do as many reps as you feel comfortable, switching sides as needed, with no rest in between except a 30-60 rest between sets. At the end of these exercises will emerge a new supple, invigorated and strong you.
1. Neck Stretch for Neck muscles
Stand with your back stuck against a wall. Turn your head to the right, right face against the wall. Raise your right hand, reach the crown of the head and pull it down slightly. While in this position, raise your left arm up and lower it down again.
Repeat and switch sides.
2. Neck Extensor Muscle Stretches
- Stand facing straight ahead. Inhale and drop chin far down toward the chest. Exhale and raise your head to normal position. Do 2-3 reps. Bend forward, hands on knees to support your upper body. Exhale and bring neck down to chest. Inhale and raise neck back. Do 2-3 reps.
- Stand straight, face forward. Exhale and bend your head sideways on your right shoulder. You may pull gently with your right hand. Inhale and come back to normal position. Do 2-3 reps and repeat with other side.
- Place your left palm on your right cheek. Exhale and push your head to the right, in line with the right shoulder. Inhale and return to normal position. Switch sides after 2-3 reps.
3. Arm Circles for the Shoulder muscles
Stand with feet apart and firmly on the floor. Stretch both arms sideways in line with the shoulders. Starting with small circles rotate both arms simultaneously, clockwise, gradually enlarging the circles to full swings, then reducing circles again. Reverse direction and gradually alternate the swings, one arm swinging after the other.
4. Bamboo Pole Stretch for Chest muscles and Triceps
Stand, holding a bamboo (or any) pole with both hands at shoulder width. Lift the pole up the head and bring it behind the neck. Bring back to starting position. Do few reps in quick succession.
5. Toe Touches for Lower Back muscles and Quadriceps
Stand with feet wide apart, feet pointing forward. Raise your hands to be parallel to the floor, palms facing downwards. With your right hand reach your left foot, slightly bending your left knee in the process, all the while keeping the other hand straight up. Immediately repeat the process with the left hand on the right foot. That is one rep. Do this is quick succession for about 20 reps.
6. Cobra Stretch for Lower Back, Abs, and Hips
Lie on your belly, face down on the floor, hands underneath your shoulders. Inhale and, with your hands push your upper body off the floor, arching your head, neck, and back, like a cobra. Fixing your face forward rotate your hips to the left, then center and then right in slow pendulous motion. Exhale and return to starting position and repeat.
7. Dog Down and Cobra Stretch for Lower Back, Abs and Hamstrings
Stand with feet apart. Double at the hips, bring your hands down, palms on the floor. Crawl up to bring your body to an inverted ‘V’ – dog down – position. Crawl further down into the Cobra position (but without rotating hips). Repeat 3 times.
8. Knee pulls for Hips and Glutes
Stand with feet apart. Lift one knee towards your chest and wrap your arms around it pulling it upwards. Release, take one step forward and repeat the process with the other knee. Do several reps in quick succession.
9. Reverse Wall Stretch for Hips and Quadriceps
Position yourself in front of a wall, facing it and kneel down on one knee, folding the leg in such a way that top of the foot is locked against the wall. Place both your hands on the other knee at right angles in front of you and rock your hips slowly to and fro. Repeat about 15 reps and switch sides.
10. Dynamic Groin Stretch for the Groins and Hamstrings
Stand with feet wide apart and hands on your thighs step into side lunges on both sides. Come back to standing position, turning around and lunge again. Lunge as deep as you are comfortable.
In Conclusion
Dynamic stretching always uses gentle movements. Your body goes through the motions gradually, warming you up and activating your muscles to grow strong and flexible.
Though it takes very little time – 10 to 15 minutes at the most – its benefits are spectacular and it is particularly useful for busy people who have little or no time for intensive workouts. Combined with a proper diet or dietary supplements, like the best HGH supplement, these stretching exercises are sure to give you the taste of health, vitality, and strength.
Author Bio:
Jorge is a rabid health and fitness aficionado. He is sports lover and a fitness enthusiast who believes in healthy living. His inspiration lies in all those things that are healthy and natural.
He loves to share his knowledge about health, nutrition, and recommend everyone to use best bodybuilding supplement for muscle growth that lifts the energy up during extreme workouts.
Ken Weiss is a health blogger who is passionate about natural and holistic cures for men’s health issues. He is the founder of menshealthcures.com
very informative content….