Stretching for beginners. Exercises for different parts of the body, fitness equipment, yoga, music and mood

Stretching exercises are a popular form of physical activity. She is present in the training plans of professional athletes and beginning adherents of an active lifestyle. Information on the features and effects of stretching on the body will help you get to know the required area of fitness closer.

The benefits of stretch marks

Stretching exercises – a type of fitness aimed at increasing the flexibility of the body and creating an attractive silhouette. Stretching – another name for training – is translated from English as “stretching”. The positive effect of stretching is achieved by alternating periods of tension and muscle relaxation.

The benefits of stretching exercises:

• Lack of age restrictions.
• The opportunity to do at home.
• Exercises of different difficulty levels for any physical fitness.
• The formation of a slender figure. Stretching draws muscles, but does not increase their volume.
• Maintaining youthful body tissues.
• Improving the blood supply to internal organs.
• Relaxation.

Weaknesses of stretching exercises:

• Achieved flexibility indicators require ongoing supportive classes. Otherwise, the body will again lose elasticity.
• Fast results are not guaranteed. You need to tune in to hard work on the body.

Who is not recommended for stretching

Health problems – reasons for the prohibition of stretching:

• Diseases of the spine.
• Injuries to muscles, joints and ligaments.
• Vascular problems.
• Heart diseases.
• Hernia.

Types of Stretching

View	Characteristic	Who will suit
Static	Stretching muscles and holding them in a stationary, stretched position for several seconds	For beginners
Dynamic	Stretching muscles during active movements: swings and jerks. Exercises involve a gradual increase in the amplitude of movements and an increase in muscle tension.	Experienced amateur athletes and professionals
Ballistic	Jerky stretching	Exclusively for professionals: dancers and athletes
“Air” (aerostretching)	Exercises on special hanging loops led by an instructor	To trained clients of fitness centers with experience in “ground” stretching

Tips for Beginners

Answers to the basic questions arising for beginners of stretching will help to make training understandable and effective:

• How to get dressed  There are no strict requirements for clothes and shoes for stretching. The main condition is convenience. It is allowed to practice barefoot.
• How much to do A serious approach requires 5-6 lessons per week. A more gentle option is at least 2 workouts. Each stretching session lasts from 30 minutes to an hour. The optimal number of exercises is 15.
• How to choose exercises Novice athletes are advised to take simple options and achieve their quality performance. As flexibility develops, you can gradually increase the difficulty level of your classes.
• How long do each exercise With static stretching in a stretched position, you need to linger up to 40 seconds. In dynamic exercises, it is worth doing 20 repetitions in 1 approach. For the best training result, it is recommended to do up to 3 approaches.
• What to pay special attention to during training Breathing should be deep and even, without delay. When stretching your legs, you should not bend your knees much: this increases the risk of injuries in the ligaments. It is optimal to keep them slightly bent. The goal is to feel the stretching of the muscles of the legs, not the ligaments in the knees. Severe muscle pain after stretching is a sign of muscle congestion and a reason to take a break in training.

  

• When to wait for the result With intensive training and average physical data, the body will become more plastic a couple of weeks after the start of stretching exercises.

Stretching at home: how to maintain motivation

Stretching for beginners – exercises that you can perform at home.

Pluses of independent studies:

• Save money on access to the fitness center and instructor services.
• Choosing a comfortable time and training regimen.
• Lack of witnesses of possible mistakes and failures.

Weaknesses:

• Risk of injury without professional instruction.
• A limited selection of exercises: the size of the home and the budget do not always allow you to place sports equipment at home.
• The risk of losing motivation and abandoning classes.

In order not to leave the distance, supporters of independent stretching exercises should allocate a fixed time for training in the usual daily routine. To maintain motivation, you need to make stretching a pleasant type of activity.

The attractiveness of classes can be increased by buying a beautiful tracksuit and related products such as an exercise mat on the floor. Aesthetic surroundings will maintain interest in training and prevent them from turning into a boring routine.

Music for Stretching

Stretching is one of the types of fitness that can be combined with listening to music. Classes to the music allow you to combine business with pleasure, set the training pace and focus on exercises without being distracted from them. The duration of the composition should correspond to 1 group of exercises.

The choice of compositions depends on individual tastes. The priority is smooth melodic songs and instrumental works. Beginners are not recommended to play rhythmic music with a fast rhythm: dynamic jerks to the beat of the song are fraught with tearing of ligaments.

Musical directions compatible with stretching classes:

• Classic.
• Soul.
• Jazz.
• Pop hits.
• Club music.

You can use ready-made playlists for stretching exercises or make a list yourself.

Examples of compositions:

• Madonna “Frozen”.
• Adele “Skyfall”.
• Lana del Ray “One Million Dollar Man.”
• David Usher “Black Heart”.
• Ellie Goulding “Love Me Like You Do”.
• Waltzes of Strauss.
• David Garreth (arrangements of classics and pop hits).

Workout order

A muscle stretching session consists of 3 parts:

1. Warm up.
2. The main set of exercises.
3. Hitch.

The warm-up is designed to warm up the muscles, prepare the body for physical activity and prevent injuries. For her, simple exercises performed at a brisk pace are suitable: jumping, tilting, raising arms and legs.

The main part of the lesson includes stretching exercises of different muscle groups:

• Back.
• Abdominal Press.
• Shoulder girdle and arms.
• The lower part of the body.

The order of elaboration of body zones is any. First, static exercises are done, then dynamic ones.

Hitch – muscle relaxation. During the hitch, you need to lie down calmly, focusing on muscle relaxation.

Upper Body Stretching Exercises

Arm triceps:

1. The starting position is standing. Extend your right hand vertically up.
2. Bend the right hand at the elbow, leading it behind the head.
3. Grab your elbow with your left hand and gently pull.
4. Stay in the extended position for 10 seconds.
5. Do the exercise, changing hands.

Chest:

1. The starting position is standing near the wall.
2. Lean your forearm on the wall.
3. Turn the opposite side of the case back. Hold the pose for 10 seconds, sensing a stretching of the pectoral muscles.
4. Repeat for the other side of the body.

Shoulders:

1. The starting position is standing straight.
2. Arms bent at the elbows.
3. Get your hands (one on top, the other below) behind your back and connect them with a “lock”.
4. Pull arm muscles.
5. Swap hands and repeat the exercise.

Lower body stretch

Hips:

1. Starting position – standing.
2. Bend 1 leg at the knee and lower down on it.
3. Straighten and put back the second leg.
4. Lean forward with straight body, trying to touch the elbows of the floor.
5. Repeat exercise for 2 sides of the body.

The calf muscles:

1. Starting position – standing.
2. Put the forefoot of 1 foot on an elevation (step, crossbar).
3. Pull the foot towards yourself, feel the muscles of the lower leg stretch.
4. Repeat for the other leg.

Hip:

1. The initial posture is sitting with legs wide apart.
2. Lean forward without bending the lower limbs at the knees.
3. The goal is to lower the housing to the floor.

Back stretching

Stretching back sitting:

1. Starting position – sitting with legs straight forward.
2. On exhalation, slowly incline the body to the legs. Hands in front.
3. The goal is to touch the toes with your hands. Hold in an extended position for 15 seconds.

 “Baby”:

1. The initial position is standing on all fours.
2. Bring your hips back while straightening your arms.
3. Sit on legs bent at the knees. Hands are straightened, face is facing down.
4. Feel the stretching of the back muscles.

“Mill” – a dynamic stretching for the muscles of the back:

1. Starting position – standing, legs wider than shoulders.
2. Straighten your arms to the sides.
3. Make inclinations with the turns of the body, trying to alternately touch the floor with your right and left hands. In this case, the other hand is directed vertically upward.
4. Make 20 slopes.

Stretching the abs

“Camel”:

1. Starting position – kneeling, feet shoulder width apart.
2. Lean back with your hands on your feet.
3. Feel the spinal traction. Head up.

Lying Stretching:

1. The initial position is lying on your stomach. Hands rest against the floor.
2. Raise the head, chest and abdominal area one by one, extending arms and leaning on them.
3. Tighten your buttocks.

Tilts back:

1. Starting position – kneeling. Stops straighten and place them wider than the hips.
2. Get down on your buttocks.
3. Lie on your back. Legs bent at the knees remain under the body.

Perfect twine

Twine is an acrobatic figure, presented in 2 varieties:

• Longi
  tudinal twine: one straightened leg is in front of the body, the other is behind. The pelvis is perpendicular to the floor surface.
• Transverse twine: the straightened left and right legs are divorced to the corresponding sides of the body.

In both cases, the legs should be firmly pressed to the floor and together make a straight line. Stretching for beginners twine landing exercises will not only allow you to perform an acrobatic figure, but also benefit the body.

Positive effect of twine:

• The formation of a relief silhouette of the muscles of the legs.
• Press study.
• Activation of blood circulation in the pelvic area.
• Stimulation of the digestive system.
• The development of elasticity of the ligaments of the inguinal zone. This is true for pregnant women: flexible ligaments can facilitate the birth process.

The main task for those who want to sit on the twine is to achieve muscle flexibility in the hips, pelvis and inguinal.

Twine boarding should be given about 5 days a week. The duration of the training is 40-50 minutes.

The speed of the result depends on the natural data and the intensity of the classes. With a conscientious approach to training and average natural data, the path to longitudinal twine takes about 4 months, to the transverse – 6 months.

Twine Stretch Exercises

“Butterfly” – muscle stretching in the groin area:

1. The initial position is sitting on the floor.
2. Bend the legs at the knees, move them apart and pull them towards the body. The feet touch each other.
3. Put your hands on your knees, trying to press them to the floor.

Crossings are transverse. Gluteal muscle development:

1. The initial position is standing on the floor with legs wider than shoulders.
2. Squat down on 1 leg, straightening the second. The foot of the supporting leg is on the floor. Sock 2 limbs looking up.
3. Pull the muscles of 2 legs, feel the tension of 1 buttock.
4. Slowly roll from the first leg to the second, making it support. Move close to the floor. During the roll, feel the stretch in the groin and inner thighs. Repeat the rolls 20 times.

Lunge with a turn of the body. The development of flexibility of the buttocks, ligaments in the hips and lower back:

1. The starting position is standing.
2. Bend the right leg at the knee, lower, making it support. Straighten your left leg and lay it back. Keep your hands on the supporting right leg, keep a straight posture.
3. Get down closer to the floor, reaching the ligament tension in the thighs and gluteal muscles. Stay in the extended position for 15 seconds.
4. Carefully turn the housing to the right. Hold at maximum stretch for 10-15 seconds.
5. Change the position of the case by turning it to the left and stay in this position for 10-15 seconds. During U-turns, feel the extension of the inguinal and gluteal muscles.
6. Repeat exercise for the other side of the body.

Video tutorial extensions for twine at home:

Stretching during pregnancy

Stretching for beginners – exercises that are suitable as fitness during pregnancy. The main goal of stretching for pregnant women is to increase the elasticity of muscle tissues and ligaments and prepare them for childbirth.

The benefits of stretching during pregnancy:

• Relief of pain in the lumbar spine.
• Reducing the morbidity and pain of childbirth.
• Reduce the risk of postpartum stretch marks in the abdomen.
• Activation of digestion. During stretching of the hip and abdominal zone, blood flow to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract increases. Thanks to this, it is possible to establish the functioning of the intestine.

Contraindications to stretching exercises are dictated by health disorders and problems with bearing a baby:

• High blood pressure.
• Weak walls of the internal genital organs.
• Danger of fetal death and early birth.
• Bloody issues.
• Pain in the back and lower abdomen.

Stretching for beginners (exercise during pregnancy should be done with caution) should be simple. Starting position – sitting on your knees or buttocks. Standing exercises are allowed, but in minimal quantities: they threaten to increase the load on the legs and spine.

Prohibited types of stretching during pregnancy:

• All dynamic exercises.
• Tilts of the body from a standing position.
• Lying on your back.

The rules of stretching during pregnancy will help not overload the body and get the most out of it:

• Duration of classes – up to 20 minutes.
• A prerequisite is the absence of discomfort.
• The main rule when doing the exercises: without fanaticism. No need to strive for records of flexibility, load the body with lengthy exercises and fast pace.
• The optimal number of approaches for each exercise is 3, followed by an increase in stretching. The muscle is held in a stretched state for up to 10 seconds.

Yoga stretching

Stretching – for beginners and experienced yogis, is an essential component of practice. These exercises allow you to achieve harmony of mind and body.

Yoga asanas (poses) are divided into 2 groups:

• Power.
• Aimed at stretching.

Strength positions are aimed at gaining strength. Stretching asanas, by contrast, are relaxing.

The combination of both types of poses in practice ensures the balance of multidirectional energy flows. Together they create a balance of power and peace.

The properties of stretching that make it an indispensable pa
rt of yoga:

1. Muscle relaxation. Power asanas make the body persistent, but increase muscle tension. It creates barriers to the free flow of energy and is fraught with the accumulation of negative emotions. Stretching the muscles releases them from the clamps.
2. Increased muscle and ligament flexibility and improved blood circulation. Stretching creates the conditions for the unhindered movement of energy flows.

Examples of stretching yoga poses

Asana “Gate” warms up muscles, stretches a back:

1. Starting position – kneeling.
2. Straighten your right leg and set it aside.
3. Inhale and at the same time point your left hand vertically up. You need to feel the stretching of the back and spine.
4. With an exhale, move your right hand down the right leg.
5. A new breath – at the same time bend the chest forward, sending the left shoulder blade back.
6. Hold for several breaths and repeat for the other side of the body.

Asana “The Frog” stretches the muscles of the legs and feet:

1. Starting position – lying on your stomach. Hands are straightened.
2. Exhale while bending your knees. Bring the heels to the buttocks.
3. Grab the right foot with the right hand, the left with the left. Hold the pose for 2 breaths.
4. Exhale by lifting the body and head from the floor. Look up.
5. Change the position of the hands: they should hold the feet on top.
6. Put your palms closer to your toes. Point the heels toward the floor and try to touch it. Hold the pose for about 20 seconds.

Asana “Dog down the face” – stretches the back side of the legs, relaxes the muscles of the back and spine:

1. The starting position is lying on your stomach.
2. Exhaling, rise and fix the pose, leaning on your knees and hands.
3. Raise the pelvis, bending down the lower back.
4. Exhale, simultaneously raising the knees. Lean on your toes.
5. Straighten your arms and legs, raise your hips. Stretch your spine and feel your leg muscles stretch. Hold the position for several breaths.

Exercise machines for stretching

Stretching muscles with special devices is an alternative to exercises for beginners. You can work with stretching equipment in the fitness center or purchase a device for home use. Products are sold in sports stores and on the Internet.

All simulators are divided into 2 groups depending on the object of study:

1. The body and spine.
2. Legs.

Devices for training the body:

• Inversion table – a platform with an adjustable angle of inclination. The user lies on it so that the head is below the legs. Stretching is due to the athlete’s own weight.
• Inversion boots – lining on the shins designed for mounting on the horizontal bar. They allow you to hang upside down on the bar without using your hands.

Exercise machines for legs:

• For stretching to twine – design for raising legs in transverse twine. The product is equipped with a lever for adjusting the stretching.
• For feet – devices worn on the legs. They are intended for the treatment and prevention of flat feet.

Advantages of using simulators:

• Reducing the risk of injuries: the user can control the degree of strain on the muscles, avoiding overestimation of their flexibility.
• Effectiveness and quick effect of classes.
• Lack of discomfort and pain.

Minuses:

• Cost. It starts at around $ 54.
• Sizes. The largest exercise machines are inversion tables. Their use in a standard city apartment is difficult. Leg stretchers are more compact. You can find folding units for stretching legs.

Stretching exercises are a type of fitness that is suitable for beginner athletes. Stretching will allow you to form an attractive silhouette, relieve muscle tension and prolong the youth of the body.

Video on the topic: stretching for beginners, exercises

Leg and back stretching exercises for beginners: