Benefits of Stretching for Women
Regular strength training not only makes muscles stronger and bigger – it also shortens them. You’ve probably seen how awkwardly people with large muscles sometimes move. This is what causes the common stereotype about the clumsiness of “bodybuilders” – neglecting stretching during strength training makes the body stiff and tense.
Professional athletes, who care not only about their muscles but also about their plasticity, do stretching regularly, but rarely talk about it. But ordinary citizens, who try to imitate their idols but only see the “tip of the iceberg”, sometimes encounter surprises.
Shortening of muscles is not only an aesthetic problem https://gracify.co.uk/why-do-you-need-a-yoga-towel/. Because of it, your joints become less mobile, you cannot perform exercises in full amplitude, which negatively affects athletic performance. Moreover, in this state, muscles are more susceptible to stretching and even ruptures.
Stretching prevents muscle shortening , makes them more elastic, and joints – more mobile. This, in turn, will protect you from injuries and allow you to train more effectively.
Stretching for girls: basic principles
Wear comfortable, flexible clothing. It is best to remove shoes, as they may interfere with proper foot placement in some exercises. Use a soft mat. Do not stretch before or between sets.
Only begin stretching when your muscles are sufficiently warmed up. Even if you do it not after strength training, but at a separate time, be sure to warm up. Do a few simple but intense exercises that involve the main muscle groups - squats, lunges, jumps, push-ups, arm and leg swings.
Despite the fact that stretching is not the most dynamic activity, it is worth starting it no earlier than an hour after eating. In addition, on some days of the menstrual cycle (usually at the very beginning of menstruation and during ovulation), many women have increased sensitivity to pain https://gracify.co.uk/pilates-mat-vs-yoga-mat/, so it is better not to do stretching on such days.
Any stretching exercise is not a dynamic movement, but rather a position in which you need to hold, applying a certain amount of effort. You need to hold for 30-40 seconds. You will have to endure some pain, but it should be adequate. You do not need to stretch "at all costs", with tears in your eyes and a face distorted by pain. Overcoming too much discomfort, you risk injury, because pain is given to identify danger.
Take your time – no one promised that you would be able to do gymnastic tricks the first time. It takes time to stretch your muscles – you will see noticeable results no sooner than in 4-5 weeks. It is recommended to stretch each muscle group at least 2 times a week, but no more than 3 times a week, so that the muscles work regularly, but also have time to recover.
Stretching exercises for women
Neck
With your neck completely relaxed, gently grab your head with your right hand and try to bring it as close to your right shoulder as possible. Repeat the same for the other side.
Tilt your head back, trying to keep your jaw clenched.
Tilt your head forward and tuck your chin into your chest.
Shoulders
Clasp your hands behind your back and try to move them as far back as possible. This position stretches the front deltoids and biceps .
Move your right arm to the left, as if you were trying to hug yourself around the waist. With your left hand, carefully grab your right elbow and pull it even further to the left. Repeat for the other side.
Do the same as in the previous exercise, but keep your hand at mouth level.
Triceps
Place your right hand behind your head. With your left hand, grab your right elbow and gently pull it to the left. Repeat for the other hand.
Pectoral muscles
Stand next to a vertical support (for example, a door frame) and firmly grasp it with your hand. Turn your body so that your hand is pulled back relative to your body. Feel the tension in your pectoral muscle . Repeat the same for the other side.
Latissimus dorsi
Lie on your right side. Move your right leg slightly forward and bend it at the knee, and move your left leg slightly back. Clasp your hands above your head and stretch forward as if you were trying to reach an object. Repeat on the other side.
Oblique abdominal muscles
Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Place your left hand on your hip, and raise your right hand above your head. Bend your body to the left as low as you can. Repeat the same for the right side.
Rectus abdominis muscle
The best exercise for stretching the abs is the classic bridge. If you can't do it from a standing position, start lying down. Bend your knees and turn your hands with your palms facing the floor at head level, firmly press against the floor and rise, arching your back. Do not lift your heels off the floor. This pose also stretches the biceps and pectoral muscles.
Long back muscles
Lie on your back and lift your pelvis as you would in the classic birch pose. Then, slowly and carefully lower your legs behind your head. If you can’t reach the floor with your toes the first time, don’t rush things. Try to keep your legs as straight as possible, and hold your pelvis with your hands if necessary. Return to the starting position slowly and carefully, holding your pelvis and not letting it “collapse” onto the floor.
Gluteal muscles
Lie on your back. Raise your left leg and bend it at the knee. Raise and bend your right leg as well, but so that the shin is “looking” to the left. Place your right foot behind your left knee and relax your right leg. Then grab your left thigh with your hands and slowly, carefully pull it toward your body – you should feel how the gluteal muscle on the right side stretches. Do the same, changing legs.
Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. Pull your left knee up to your left shoulder, turning your shin to the right and trying to bring it as close to your right shoulder as possible. Repeat for the other leg.
Anterior surface of the thigh
Stand up straight. Move your left leg back, bending it at the knee. Grasp your ankle firmly with your hand and gently pull your leg up. Repeat the same for the other leg. For convenience, you can hold on with your free hand.
Back of the thigh
Sit down, stretch your legs out in front of you, bringing them together. Bend over, trying to touch your chest to your thighs.
Inner thigh
Sit on the floor. Bend your knees, press your feet together and pull them as close to your groin area as possible. Try to keep your knees as close to the floor as possible.
Caviar
Bend over and place your hands on the floor so that your body resembles an inverted V from the side. Press your heels into the floor, feeling the stretch in your calf muscles .