Here’s a brief explanation of some of the stretches that can follow any of your workouts. Click the small pictures to see a larger version, and read the instructions for each stretch below.
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Quads
Hamstrings
Calves
Upper back
Chest & Shoulder
Hip flexor
Triceps
Biceps
Glutes
Neck
Lower back
Back stretch
Quads
Hold on to a chair or wall to balance with your left hand and shift your weight onto your left foot. Lift your right foot behind into your right hand and gently draw it up and back to your backside until you feel a good stretch through the front of the thigh. Try to keep your knees together. Hold for 15–30 seconds, then change legs.
Hamstrings
Lift one heel up onto a step, tilt forwards pushing your hips backwards, gently drawing the toe of the foot towards you until you feel a good stretch through the back of the leg. Hold for 15–30 seconds, then change legs.
Calves
Face a wall and place the ball of your foot against the wall keeping the heel on the ground. Gently bring your weight forward so that your nose is to the wall. Try to keep the front leg straight or until you feel a decent stretch through the calf muscle. Hold for 15–30 seconds, then change legs.
Upper back
Stand with your arms straight out in front of you with your thumbs pointing downwards. Cross your arms placing the palms together. Apply a little pressure between the hands and gently draw your arms forward, curling the upper back and dropping the head. Hold for 15–30 seconds.
Chest and shoulders
Link your hands behind your back, drop your shoulders and gently lift your hands up. Hold for 15–30 seconds.
Hip flexor
Kneel on one knee with your front leg bent at 90 degrees. Gently shift your weight forward and place your hands behind your head. You should feel a stretch running vertically down the front of your hip, from your hip bone to the top of your thigh.
Triceps
Lift one arm directly above your head, bend the elbow taking the hand down towards your spine. Rest the other forearm on your head and take hold of the bent elbow gently drawing it back until you feel the stretch through the back of the arm. Change sides.
Biceps
Stand side-on and an arm’s length away from a wall. Place the hand closest to the wall straight out to the side and slightly behind your body. Turn your fingers backwards pointing away from your body and push your hand flat against the wall. Gently turn your head away from the wall. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Glutes
Lie on your back and cross your right ankle over your left bent knee. Lift your left foot off the ground and take your hands around the front of, or under, your left knee. Draw the knee towards you, keeping your head and shoulders on the ground. Hold for 15–30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Neck
Place your hand on your head and gently tilt it towards one side without applying much pressure at all. Hold. Release your hand, take your head back to the neutral position and repeat on the other side. Finally, draw your chin into your chest and place both hands on your head, very gently applying a small amount of pressure. Hold for 15–30 seconds.
Lower back twist
Lie flat on your back with your arms straight out to your sides, palms facing down. Slide your feet up towards your backside, keeping them flat on the floor. Gently roll your legs across your body so that the bottom leg rests on the ground and your top knee sits directly on the bottom leg. To add some intensity to this stretch place your hand, on the side that your legs are positioned, on top of your top leg and gently pull towards the floor. Hold for 30 seconds and return to the start position before repeating on the other side.
Back stretch
Start in a kneeling position, on all fours. Gently lower your stomach towards the ground; at the same time gently raise your head and look towards the sky, being careful not to strain your neck. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Gently reverse the movement by pulling your stomach up and in, belly button to spine, making your back arch skyward as high as you can. At the same time lower your head and look towards the floor, pulling your chin as close as possible to your chest. Hold this position for 10 seconds. This is sometimes called the cat stretch.