Various muscle-related diseases caused by modern people’s habit of sitting still and moving less are basically related to the tendency of muscle tension. There are countless examples of ailments caused by poor flexibility. All runners and sports enthusiasts must not ignore the importance of stretching and flexibility while increasing strength training.
In today’s cities, most office workers face computers and work at their desks for a long time. Their muscles remain tense for a long time, and there are countless examples of illnesses caused by poor flexibility. For example, tightness of the pectoralis major muscle is a major cause of hunchback, while tightness of the iliopsoas muscle is an important factor in the forward tilt of the pelvis affecting the power transmission of the entire lower limbs.
But why is flexibility so important, but people don’t pay as much attention to strengthening flexibility as they do to strength exercises?
Personally, I think there are two reasons: First, since we were young, we think that stretching exercise is a relaxation exercise. Since it is a relaxation exercise, we can do it or not. The purpose of many people’s physical exercise is to run fast and jump high, and these seem to be the same as mine. It doesn’t matter whether you relax or not; secondly, the various teaching products currently on the market do not pay the same attention to pulling. Everyone knows that those who practice abdominal muscles have torn their abdominal muscles, and those who practice core strength have planks. It must be said that this is largely due to the vigorous publicity of the media, but there is much less content about stretching.
In addition to the basic stretching movements before and after running introduced in the previous article “Runner’s Guide to Ligament Stretching”, this article provides a more comprehensive introduction to various stretching methods. I hope it can provide you with simple and comprehensive guidance. These few movements are the beginning and the emphasis on pulling will be strengthened.
- Triceps stretching
Key points: Keep your upper body upright and cross your arms behind your head
- Stretching of shoulder girdle muscles
Key points: Alternate arms and hold each side for 10-15 seconds.
This action can effectively relieve shoulder pain caused by long-term use of keyboard and mouse.
- Iliopsoas muscle stretching (1)
Key points: The pulled leg should be behind, the knee joint should not touch the ground, and the knee joint of the front leg should not exceed the toes.
- Iliopsoas muscle stretching (2)
Key points: Extend the stretched leg as far back as possible.
- Gluteus maximus stretching (1)
Key points: Pick up the leg on the side being stretched and keep it as close to the chest as possible, without lifting the pelvis on the other side from the ground.
- Gluteus maximus stretching (2)
Key points: Cross the stretched leg to the other side and grasp the knee joint with your hands.
- Gluteus maximus stretching (3)
Key points: Bend the knee joint of the leg on the stretched side and place it in front, and press down on the body.
- Lateral abdominal muscles and pectoralis major stretching
Key points: The leg on the pulled side is twisted to the other side, and the arm on the pulled side must be extended at 90 degrees as close to the ground as possible.
- Stretching the anterior head of the quadriceps muscle
Key points: Lie prone, bend your knees and grasp the ankle joint on the side being stretched.
- Hamstring muscle stretching
Important: The knee joint must be straight.
- Hamstring stretch (single leg)
Key points: Straighten the knee joint of the leg being stretched.
- Side abdominal muscle stretching
Key points: Straighten the stretched leg and place it on the ground. Cross the other leg as shown in the figure. Twist the body to the side of the stretched leg and fix the elbow at the knee joint.
- Vastus medialis stretching
Key points: Straighten the stretched leg and press down on the body.
- Groin stretching
Key points: The soles of the feet are facing each other, and the legs vibrate regularly.
- Iliotibial band traction
Key Points: The pulled leg is behind.
- Triceps calf stretch
Key points: The leg on the side being pulled is behind, and the heel should not leave the ground.
- Triceps calf stretch (2)
Key Points: The leg being stretched must land on the ground, straighten the knee joint and keep the heel from the ground, and place the other foot on top to increase the stretching effect.
Precautions:
(1) The appropriate feeling is that the stretched muscles have a slight feeling of stretch and soreness, which disappears after the movement is over. Do not use excessive force, which may cause muscle strain.
(2) The best stretching time is immediately after exercise, because the muscle temperature is high at this time and the stretching effect is best. The time should be kept at 10-15 seconds. A longer time will not have unnecessary effects. A shorter time will not cause any unnecessary effects. The purpose cannot be achieved.
(3) There is no special requirement for the sequence of stretching actions. It is best to follow the sequence from the trunk to the limbs, and from the proximal end to the distal end.
(4) The names of all the above actions indicate the muscles that the action mainly pulls, but it does not mean that this action can only pull this muscle. For example, the action of stretching the triceps surae in the article, if the hamstring muscles People with poor flexibility will also feel a stretch when doing this action.
(5) Everyone’s flexibility is different. You should increase or decrease the difficulty of the movements based on your own situation.
