Gone are the days when people used to only associate stretching with runners, athletes, and gymnasts. One can easily notice how millions of people have learnt the importance of regular stretching and how most have adopted this practice in their routine. Everywhere you look, you can likely see people stretching. This could be after they had their run, after they woke up, or just whenever they wanted to do fitness. In return this trend keeps rewarding them with improved flexibility, balance, stability, and joint motion. Ok, where do you start? For maximum gains from a stretching program, experts recommend you start with beginner stretches.
Beginner stretches are pretty straightforward to perform, primarily because we all instinctively stretch at times. We may do this after waking up or after sitting down for so long. Whether we know it or not, these stretches are the foundation of beginner yoga stretches. This means you are familiar with some beginner stretches. Knowing this, have you ever wondered what stretches you could do if you were to start a stretching training program? If so, then this read is for you.
This piece aims to provide insights on the best beginner stretches to improve flexibility, stretch the hips, or benefit runners and athletes. We will discuss how each beginner stretch is performed and eventually share some pro tips to help you reap the most from these stretches.
We all have our favorite exercises to do, and so it would not be surprising if you had some favorite stretches as well. That said, the concept of the best stretches extends from what we love to what works best for your fitness goals.
For example, you may love doing the side stretch but before running may want to stretch your leg muscles instead. Although a side stretch is good, it won’t help with loosening up your leg muscles. This means that the best stretches must take into account your fitness goals.
Read More: Leg Stretches To Leave Muscle Pains, Cramping, And Discomfort In The Past
If you would like to be more flexible, target your hip flexors or back, or improve your balance, then check out this list. It combines both static and dynamic beginner stretches to help you loosen up and attain your fitness goals. The stretches included in the list are as follows:
Benefits: Do not be fooled by how easy this stretch appears. Its benefits are tremendous. The stretch helps loosen up all your body muscles, primarily if performed after waking up (4). It also alleviates any pain or discomfort.
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Benefits: The other perfect beginner stretch is the side stretch.
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Benefits: The Hip Flexor Stretch ranks among the staple beginner hip stretches. It works perfectly well in stretching your hip flexors (5). Hip flexors allow you to lift your knees and flex at your waist.
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Benefits: The Butterfly Stretch helps loosen up your hips, groin, knees, and inner thighs (6). Again, don’t let the simplicity of this technique fool you as it is perfect for stretching your lower body muscles.
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Benefits: One of the best beginner yoga stretches to try at home is the Child’s Pose. The calming and restful yoga technique effectively stretches your lower back as it passively elongates your spine (1).
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Variations: You can place your arms over your head instead of stretching them in front. Doing this enables you to stretch the latissimus dorsi, a flat muscle connecting your spine and the long arm bone (1).
Benefits: The Warrior 1 stretch is a standing yoga pose that stretches the front part of your body. It also helps in building strength in your core, back, and legs (9).
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Benefits: The Downward Facing Dog works most of your upper body muscles. It stretches your chest, arms, back, and leg muscles (2).
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Read More: Yoga vs Stretching: Who’s The Winner in this Ongoing Debate?
Benefits: One of the best stretches for beginner runners is the Standing Quad Stretch. It targets all your leg muscles, particularly your quads. Doing this stretch before and after running can help beginner runners reduce their risk of injuries to their leg muscles (6).
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Benefits: The Standing Hamstring Stretch is one of the best stretching exercises to add to your everyday running workout routine. It works out your leg muscles, particularly your hamstrings, helping avoid muscle stiffness and tightness in this area (3).
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Reps: 3
Benefits: The Side Lunge Stretch is recommended among beginner stretches to improve flexibility. It targets your hamstrings, glutes, quads, and inner thighs.
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As mentioned earlier, we promised to share with you some tips to make these beginner-friendly stretches easier to perform. The tips are as follows:
In some cases, beginners forget to hold their stretches as their focus is more about getting done with the stretching routine. If you do not hold your stretch, you will not get to stretch your targeted muscles. So, breathe normally and try to hold all your stretches for about 30 seconds (8).
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You may be tempted to bounce a bit when performing various stretches, for instance, the standing quad stretch. Remember that this stretch emphasizes that you do not lock or bend the standing leg. So when you bounce back and forth, you increase your risk of sustaining injuries. Keep your stretches smooth and controlled unless they require you to bounce or make various sudden movements.
Do not expect to improve flexibility by doing beginner stretches only once. You will only get to reap such and more benefits if you stretch regularly. Mayo Clinic recommends beginners strive to perform their stretches 2 to 3 times a week (8).
Instead of striving to stretch for longer, focus on nailing each beginner stretch. You may hold a stretch for a long time but end up with various injuries because you are incorrectly doing it. Do not mind that person in the gym who’s holding their stretch for a minute or two. First, work on mastering the correct technique and then gradually increase how long you hold your stretches.
It is imperative that you stretch your muscles beyond their usual length if you want to improve flexibility. Please note, this does not entail overstretching to the point where you experience any pain. Overstretching can cause muscle tears, dislocate a joint, or sprain a ligament (7). Try to stretch up to a comfortable point, and for the duration, you have been instructed to do so.
If you are starting a stretching training program, your focus should be on beginner stretches. Some of the best beginner stretches include the vertical stand, side stretch, Child’s Pose, Downward Facing Dog, and Warrior 1.
If you are looking for stretches targeting your hip flexors, opt for the Butterfly and Hip Flexor stretch. Similarly, if you are a beginning runner and want some great stretches, consider the Standing Hamstring, Standing Quad, and Side Lunge stretches.
These expert-approved stretches can help you get in shape and attain your fitness goals in no time. However, you must remember to do them correctly, perform controlled stretches, and stretch for the instructed period. This will save you from experiencing any pain, discomfort, or injuries.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for decision-making. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!