A major cause of muscle injury are tensed muscles. This can cause cramps, knotting, and easy tear. Stretching is a good way to relieve the stress from muscles to relax them. This also has the effect of relaxing your mind, as tensed muscles make for bad stress.
Despite this, not all stretches are created equal. Some are more effective at relaxing muscles than others, while others are specifically designed for a certain group of muscles.
The following are three stretches that you can perform to help improve the health of your muscles.
1. The chair trifecta stretch
This stretch is especially for office workers who sit most of the time. Studies have shown that these group of people are more likely to have a shorter life expectancy and to suffer from cancers and heart diseases, as well as have mobility problems later in life. Get up from your chair and do this stretch to help allay some of these concerns.
While facing your chair, put a foot on it with your knee at a 90 degrees angle. The other foot should be stretched behind you, making sure your knee and the rest of your leg are in alignment. With your abs drawn in to balance your spine, move your torso forward until a stretch develops in your groin.
Now throw your hands straight up over your head, with the palms facing each other, as your pelvis leans forward. Move your arms now to straight ahead of you, in front of your chest, then move your chest, arms, and head outwards from your standing leg. Let the arm finally rest on your bent-leg, on its bent-knee, while lifting the arm that is by your standing leg, right up to your ear, leaning forward a little as you move that hand over your head. You should feel a stretch on the side your body, and legs should be switched to repeat the movements on the other leg when done.
This stretch will help to increase the thoracic mobility of the spine, the proprioceptive system that helps to control body balance, as well as the mobility of your shoulders.
2. Your best stretch forward
This stretch begins in a crab walk position with your arms directly under your shoulders, a 90 degrees bend to your knees, and your stomach facing upwards. Next, make sure your body at a perpendicular angle to the ground, and is in a straight line, by raising your hips and squeezing your shoulders together.
Next, a stretch should envelope the entire front of your body as your heels nearly touch your butt, and your knees are moved past your toes, by moving your weight forward.
3. A hip-groin stretch
With your knees bent and your feet flat on your bed, lie face up on your mattress, as you move your right knee to your chest, hugging it, then turning your thigh outwards to move your right ankle across the knee of your left leg. Your left thigh and right knee should be forming a triangle at this moment.
Now move your arms to pull your left shin to your chest, by reaching it around your left shin. Roll slightly on your back, and you should feel a stretch in your glute and the outer side of your right hip. Move to the other side after holding for a few seconds.
