Stretching, the part of a healthy lifestyle that so many ignore. But eating right and exercise isn’t the only thing your body needs to be perfectly healthy; a full body workout requires a full body stretch and cool down!
1. The Headless Horseman![]()
This exercise stretches your upper shoulders and neck because it’s neck rolls! The key is not to put your head all the way back. Only roll side to side very, very slowly. We tend to hold a lot of tension in our shoulders and necks because of how we sit when we work on computers and study and read and do any activity sitting down.
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2. The Turtle![]()
This stretch should stretch your glutes and maybe some of your lower back and the backs of your thighs. It’s called The Turtle because when a turtle is stuck on its back it has to rock itself back and forth to become right-side-up again. Essentially, that’s what this stretch is. To do The Turtle, lay on your back and pull your knees towards your chest. For a deeper stretch, rock side to side (making you a turtle stuck on its back).
3. The Cat & Cow
Two animals that do not usually interact with one another. The Cat and Cow stretches are very common in basic yoga. They stretch your upper and lower back. The Cat is when you are on your hands and knees and you arch your back upward, like a cat does when it is scared. The Cow is the very opposite. Though still on all fours, The Cow allows you to push your back downward toward the floor. Cows don’t tend to have great posture, which is why this is called The Cow.
4. The Superhero’s Landing
If you’ve watched any Marvel of DC Comic films (especially Deadpool), you know all about the Superhero Landing. When a superhero jumps from insane heights, they always land on the ground in a crouch; one knee on the ground and the other bent. The Superhero’s Landing stretches your hip flexor. In a crouch, use the bent leg to support your weight while pushing your other thigh towards the ground. If done right, you should feel the stretch in the front part of your thigh that’s faced toward the floor.
5. The Horizontal Diving Stance
Have you ever seen Michael Phelps on his diving board ready to go into the pool? He’s bent at the waist, his hands are near his feet, his knees are bent. For this stretch, you don’t want to have your knees bend and you want to be sitting but basically, you’ll be the horizontal version of Michael Phelps, pre-dive. The Horizontal Diving Stance is a hamstring stretch; the hamstring is the muscles in the back of the thigh.
6. The Lazy Susan
A real Lazy Susan is a rotating tray that is set in the middle of a table and allows guests to reach all of the foods being offered without passing every single dish all around the table. Our Lazy Susan is a lot different than that. It stretches your quads (the front part of your thigh). There is a more involved version of this stretch that involves standing and stretching each leg individually, but I named it The Lazy Susan because who wants to stand? For this stretch, you sit on your knees and lean as far back as you can. Use your hands to support you so that you don’t overstretch or tear the quad muscle. Eventually, you may be able to lay flat on the floor, as shown in the picture above, and that is The Ultimate Lazy Susan.
7. The Immovable Wall
To stretch your calves, stagger your stance, lean against the wall with your arms straight out. Straighten one leg back onto your toes. Switch legs periodically. Easy right? It is, and it feels amazing!, but I called it The Immovable Wall because of how everyone looks while doing it. It looks like you’re trying to push the wall away from you and real walls don’t move.
So, there you go! An easy, quick and whole-body stretching routine! Feel better by releasing endorphins with exercise. Feel healthier by consuming more health foods. Feel wonderful after stretching! Keep up all your hard work, you got this!
