Do THESE 5 Stretches and See What Happens To Your Body

if you've been following this channel you've seen plenty of my takes on different exercises squat jumps battle ropes and running are just a few but stretching is equally important aerobic and strength exercises contract your muscles and put pressure on your bones stretching obviously stretches those muscles out so you can engage them better during your next workout a 2023 systematic review with a meta analysis of randomized controlled trials clearly shows that static stretches improve strength and power and another 2022 study shows that 10 minutes of daily stretching can quote counteract significant decreases in strength flexibility and

jumping performance in response to a reduced level of physical activity basically stretching increases your flexibility improves your range of motion and can even help prevent injuries in this video we're going to dive into the best stretches you can do to keep your body in top shape so grab a mat find a comfortable spot and let's get into it okay the first one I love is is the dead hang stretch I have a whole separate video on it that you can watch however before you jump into it know that dead hangs are great for certain conditions

but not for others for example dead hangs are sometimes used for shoulder impingement rotator cuff injuries and pinched spine nerves however people with hypermobility and instability in the shoulders or spine should avoid this stretch but let's get into why I love the dead hang stretch first it's excellent for spinal decompression simply hanging from a bar allows gravity to gently pull your spine which can help relieve pressure between your vertebrae this is especially good for back pain or if you spend a lot of time sitting besides dead hangs improve your grip strength Mobility posture and endurance

and help you gain strength for pull-ups if you can safely perform dead hangs aim to hang for 20 to 30 seconds to start and gradually increase your time as your strength and endurance improve the daily goal from my perspective at least is 2 minutes per day though some physical therapists recommend up to five minutes per day anyway remember to keep your body relaxed and breathe deeply throughout the stretch you can also play around with grip width and length position to Target your muscles differently for example the textbook position is keeping your legs straight and hands

positioned slightly wider than shoulder width however you can keep your knees bent and your arms twice as wide as shoulder width to see what happens then come back here to tell me what kind of stretch feels better the second stretch is called the Samson stretch this one means getting into a lunge with your hands above your head your front leg should be at a 90° angle and your back legs knee should be on the floor so here's why I love this awesome stretch the Samson stretch targets multiple muscle groups simultaneously so it's incredibly efficient for

your hip flexors quads chest and even your shoulders and back besides the Samson stretch alleviates tension in your hips and lower back which is exactly what you need if if you spend a lot of time sitting opening up your hip flexors and lengthening your spine is how you promote better posture and reduce the risk of lower back pain of course the Samson stretch also improves your overall flexibility and range of motion to get the most out of it focus on pushing your hips forward while reaching your hands as high as possible you'll feel a deep

satisfying stretch along your entire front body hold this position for about 30 seconds then switch sides and repeat and this is the part where I include a plug which is something I rarely do however you can check the link in the channel description or video description if you want to get more similar Fitness advice from me a real fitness trainer but personalized and focused on your needs now back to the video the third stretch I like and few people know about is the happy baby pose basically you'll lie on the floor on your back bend

your knees and grab the outsides of your feet with your hands your knees should be bent at a 90° angle and positioned wider than your torso this move is great for opening up your hips and offering a deep stretch to your inner thighs hamstrings and gr muscles you need all that if you have tight hips from sitting for long periods or from intense workouts this pose also releases tension in your lower back gently rocking side to side while holding your feet massages your lower back against the floor the result is you get rid of all

built-up tension or discomfort in that area besides the happy baby pose can improve your overall flexibility and range of of motion because you can achieve greater mobility in your hips and lower back and this type of Mobility is essential for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle well into your golden years fourth on my list is cat Cow because it's perfect for spinal flexibility relieving back tension and creating strength for beginners start on all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips inhale arch your back and lift your head and tailbone this

is cow exhale round your spine and tuck your chest into your chest this is cat hold each position for a few seconds moving slowly between cat and cow for about a minute focus on deep steady breaths to enhance the stretch cat Cow gently massages your spine increases blood flow and improves your posture it's excellent for warming up your back before a workout or releasing tension after sitting for long periods I also like it because it can strengthen your abs and lower back for certain exercises for example some beginners can some sometimes not do squats at

all because they round their backs too much that's because of a weak core both in terms of ABS lower back and glutes however doing the cat toow stretch for a couple of minutes along with 50 to 100 Bridges per day can increase your strength immensely in Just 2 weeks that way you can perform squats with the right form and progress to even more difficult exercises the fifth stretching exercise I recommend is the butterfly stretch I included it here because because I think it complements the other exercises quite nicely for instance it specifically targets your inner

thighs which often get tight from activities like running or cycling the inner thigh muscles are also among the first to lose muscle tone with prol sitting to perform the butterfly stretch sit on the floor with your feet together and your knees bent out to the sides hold your feet with your hands and gently press your knees towards the floor this stretch improves flexibility in your grun and inner thighs which is great for Mobility but also posture a tight groin area can make you bend or arch your lower back too much whereas low inner thigh Mobility

interferes with your walking posture basically this stretch is indirectly great for lower back pain prevention too hold the butterfly stretch for about 30 seconds keeping your back straight and breathing deeply as you exhale try to gently press your knees closer to the floor to deepen the stretch don't forget that stretching should always feel good not painful enjoy the process and listen to your body now tell me what stretches you like most and why remember to like subscribe and hit the notification Bell for more fitness tips and routines check the link in the description for personalized

Fitness advice and let's move this chat to the comments