Static Stretching Exercises

The Exercises
The following are examples of general static stretching and mobility
exercises that could form part of the cool down program at the end of a
training session. The aim is to relax the muscles and facilitate an
improvement in maximum range of motion. In all exercises breathe easily
whilst performing them and hold the static stretches for 20 seconds.
Chest Stretch
Stand tall feet slightly wider than shoulder!width apart "nees
slightly bent
#old you arms out to the side parallel with the ground and the palms
of the hand facing forward
Stretch the arms bac" as far as possible
$ou should feel the stretch across your chest
%iceps Stretch
Stand tall feet slightly wider than shoulder!width apart "nees
slightly bent
#old you arms out to the side parallel with the ground and the palms
of the hand facing forward
&otate the hands so the palms face to the rear
Stretch the arms bac" as far as possible
$ou should feel the stretch across your chest and in the biceps
'pper %ac" Stretch
Stand tall feet slightly wider than shoulder!width apart "nees
slightly bent
Interloc" your fingers and push your hands as far away from your
chest as possible allowing your upper bac" to relax
$ou should feel the stretch between your shoulder blades
Shoulder Stretch
Stand tall feet slightly wider than shoulder!width apart "nees
slightly bent
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(lace your right arm parallel with the ground across the front of
your chest
%end the left arm up and use the left forearm to ease the right arm
closer to you chest
$ou will feel the stretch in the shoulder
&epeat with the other arm
Shoulder and Triceps Stretch
Stand tall feet slightly wider than shoulder!width apart "nees
slightly bent
(lace both hands above your head and then slide both of your hands
down the middle of your spine
$ou will feel the stretch in the shoulders and the triceps
Side %ends
Stand tall feet slightly wider than shoulder!width apart "nees
slightly bent hands resting on the hips
%end slowly to one side come bac" to the vertical position and then
bend to the other side
)o not lean forwards or bac"wards
*bdominal and lower bac" muscles
+ie face down on the ground in a prone position
+ift your body off the ground so that you are supported only by your
forearms and toes. The elbows should be on the ground and should
be almost directly below your shoulders. $our forearms and hands
should be resting on the ground pointed straight ahead toes and
feet should be shoulder width apart and your head in line with your
spine
Contract your gluteus ,bum- muscles gently. #old for ten seconds
+ift your right arm off the ground straighten it and point it straight
ahead holding it in the air for .0 seconds
&eturn to the starting position
&epeat with the left arm
&eturn to starting position
2
+ift your right leg off the ground and hold it there for ten seconds
,"eep bac" straight-.
&eturn to starting position
&epeat with left leg
&eturn to starting position
lift your right arm and left leg simultaneously and hold them in
position for ten seconds
&eturn to starting position
+ift your left arm and right leg simultaneously and hold them in
position for ten seconds
&eturn to the starting position
#amstring Stretch
Sit on the ground with both legs straight out in front of you
%end the left leg and place the sole of the left foot alongside the
"nee of the right leg
*llow the left leg to lie relaxed on the ground
%end forward "eeping the bac" straight
$ou will feel the stretch in the hamstring of the right leg
&epeat with the other leg
Calf Stretch
Stand tall with one leg in front of the other hands flat and at
shoulder height against a wall.
Ease your bac" leg further away from the wall "eeping it straight
and press the heel firmly into the floor
/eep your hips facing the wall and the rear leg and spine in a
straight line
$ou will feel the stretch in the calf of the rear leg
&epeat with the other leg
#ip and Thigh Stretch
Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart
Turn the feet and face to the right
%end the right leg so that the right thigh is parallel with the ground
and the right lower leg is vertical
0radually lower the body
/eep you bac" straight and use the arms to balance
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$ou will feel the stretch along the front of the left thigh and along
the hamstrings of the right leg
&epeat by turning and facing to the left
*dductor Stretch
Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart
%end the right leg and lower the body
/eep you bac" straight and use the arms to balance
$ou will feel the stretch in the left leg adductor
&epeat with the left leg
0roin Stretch
Sit with tall posture
Ease both of your feet up towards your body and place the soles of
your feet together allowing your "nees to come up and out to the
side
&esting your hands on your lower legs or an"les and ease both
"nees towards the ground
$ou will feel the stretch along the inside of your thighs and groin
1ront of Trun" Stretch
+ie face down on the floor fully outstretched
%ring your hands to the sides of your shoulders and ease your chest
off the floor "eeping your hips firmly pressed into the ground
$ou will feel the stretch in the front of the trun"
Iliotibial %and Stretch
Sitting tall with legs stretched out in front of you
%end the right "nee and place the right foot on the ground to the left
side of the left "nee
Turn your shoulders so that you are facing to the right
'sing your left arm against your right "nee to help ease you further
round
'se your right arm on the floor for support
$ou will feel the stretch along the length of the spine and in the
muscles around the right hip
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2uadriceps Stretch
+ie face down on the floor resting your fore!head on your right hand
(ress your hips firmly into the floor and bring your left foot up
towards your buttoc"s
Ta"e hold of the left foot with the left hand and ease the foot closer
to you buttoc"s
&epeat with the right leg
$ou will feel the stretch along the front of the thigh
%efore you start any exercises after surgery chec" with your doctor and
ma"e sure it is 3/ to start exercising again. 4ost doctors give a six!wee"
restriction for lifting and other strenuous physical activity. $our body
needs this time to heal !! not 5ust the scar you see on the outside but all
the tissues inside as well. )on6t rush it7
4y fitness trainer helped me get bac" into shape after my hysterectomy. I
as"ed her to help me explain the exercises she had me do. 1irst she
explained that whenever you wor" your abdominal muscles you should
also wor" your bac" muscles and your pelvic floor muscles. These
muscles form a cage around your pelvis and you should wor" on them
e8ually.
(elvic floor muscles. %efore each repetition of the following exercises
lift your pelvic floor muscles also "nown as the 9/egel9 muscles and hold
them through the repetition. If you are unsure which muscles these are
stop urinating midstream next time you use the bathroom. Those are your
/egel muscles. :hen you exercise thin" about lifting rather than
s8uee;ing for best results.
*bdominal muscles. This exercise is the safer version of the dreaded
9sit!ups9 we did in high school. 9*bdominal crunches9 loo" almost li"e you
aren6t wor"ing but you are and you will feel it7
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+ie on the floor with your "nees bent hands behind your head. Tilt your
pelvis bac" ,flatten the small of your bac" against the floor-.
+ift your head and shoulders up until you feel your abdominal muscles
contract ,don6t forget to /egel first7-. )o not bend your nec" or let your
chin drop ,a grapefruit should be able to fit under your chin so they say-.
Slowly lower your head to the floor again. &epeat .0 times then stay up
and do .0 mini!crunches before returning to the floor. $ou can gradually
do more sets of .0 as your strength increases.
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&oll onto your stomach. /egel then bring your arms and legs off the floor.
#old for a few seconds then relax. &epeat .0 times rest then do another
set of .0.
%ac" muscles. *nytime you wor" your abdominals you should wor" your
bac" muscles too to "eep your posture balanced. 9%ridging9 is a good
bac" exercise.
Start in the same position as the abdominal crunches above !! +ie on the
floor with your "nees bent hands behind your head. /egel s8uee;e your
buttoc"s then left your hips off the floor. #old for a couple of seconds
then lower your hips to the floor. &epeat .0 times. 3n the tenth time stay
up and hold for a count of .0 then lower your hips to the floor. &epeat the
set as many times as you can tolerate.
*bs and bac" together. This exercise wor"s both abdominals and bac"
muscles together to strengthen your whole trun".
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Start by "neeling on the floor on all fours. Slowly raise your left arm and
right leg "eeping them straight as possible ,remember to /egel first7-.
Slowly lower your arm and leg again. &epeat .0 times. Then switch sides<
0ood luc"7 +ast words< ta"e it easy it shouldn6t hurt. If it does stop. *s"
for help from a trainer or physical therapist who can ma"e sure you are
doing the exercise properly.
*bdominal 1itness<
he following are suggestions for beginning an abdominal wor"out after
abdominal surgery such as a hysterectomy but may be used for therapy
for most types of abdominal surgery.
*fter abdominal surgery your approach to exercise should be slow and
controlled and gradual. (lease discuss with your surgeon when you may
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resume abdominal training. (lease don6t proceed with exercise until you
have done this.
The abdominal needs to be strong in order to perform most everyday
tas"s. If you begin by doing an isometric hold whenever you thin" of it
you will eventually be in the habit of holding it in without thin"ing about it.
This will help the muscle to be flat. If you never pull it in thin" about what
it must loo" li"e. The muscle may rest when you sleep. *ll other times be
aware. So start with awareness and train your abdominal to be flat and
pulled in. #aving strong conditioned abdominal muscles helps to protect
and support your bac". This can help to reduce bac" pain.
3nce your physician gives you the go ahead to train the abdominal I
suggest the following with these cautions<
If you feel any pain or discomfort while performing any of these exercises
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.. +ie on a hard surface ,floor- possibly with a thin pad underneath you.
%end your "nees feet flat on the floor about .2 inches from your behind.
2. (lacing one fist under your chin ,between chin and chest- to remind you
not to pull the chin to your chest. (lace the other hand beside your ear
but not under your head as this may ma"e you want to pull your head up
which does not help the abdominal to wor". If you are going to have
strong abs you have to wor" them not your nec" and chest.
?. 1ocus on a spot on the ceiling and thin" about your nose going to that
spot. This spot should be directed over your "nees.
@. Tighten the muscle ,don6t 5ust pull it in- until you feel li"e your shoulder
blades want to come up off the floor.
A. =ow lift your shoulders off the floor ta"ing your torso towards the spot
you have chosen up above. *s you lift and lower do not lower so the
shoulders touch the floor and do not allow the abdominal to relax. Start
with a set of B then rest and see how you feel. If you feel li"e more wor"
up to .2. If you cannot do .2 without pain or pulling do only as many as
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you can. *fter you have done as many as you can up to .2 lower all the
way down and give yourself a short .A or ?0 second brea". Then repeat
until you have finished ? sets. ,Caution< if you cannot do all ? sets the first
time wor" up to it. Ta"e your time and be careful paying close attention
to how you are feeling-
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The ab will get a better wor"out if you don6t tilt the chin in but "eep it
elevated. This is why I suggest you place a fist under your chin. This will
give the proper alignment for the nec". )o you wal" around with your chin
on your chestC :ell if you do you shouldn6t. $ou should not do any
exercise ,including abdominal- with your spine out of alignment. Thin"
about your ears being directly over your shoulders. 1or most of us that
means pulling the chin bac" but not down. 4aintain spinal alignment at
all times. Eventually you will want to place one fist under your chin with
your other hand resting upon that wrist.
*nother thing that will benefit you from wor"ing the ab in this manner is
the strengthening of your nec". This will help you to hold your head
upright. This will help with your posture and "eep your head from hanging
as you age.
:or" on this aspect of your abdominal wor"out slowly. $our nec" will tire
you may get a headache and you will feel stress in the front of your nec".
%ut the benefits from being strong all over will greatly benefit you. )on6t
give up on these7
*fter the surgery is over and the surgeon says you can return to your
regular activities your thoughts will li"ely turn to firming up your
abdominal muscles. :hen you6re ready (aige :aehner *bout6s 0uide to
Exercise is ready to start you on the road to fitness.
* few tips to remember before you get started on your new wor"out
routine<
0et permission from your surgeon and your general practitioner
doctor before beginning a new exercise routine.
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Sip water ,or sports drin"s- before during and after your wor"out to
"eep from dehydrating ,this is especially important for ostomates7-.
Start your exercise routine as part of an overall fitness plan which
includes eating a well!balanced diet.
If you s"ip a wor"out don6t guilt yourself over it but resolve to "eep
your next exercise time.
%e aware of your limits. 1or example contact sports may not be a
good idea for those with wea"ened bones.
The first thing to consider is how to fit an exercise routine into your
schedule. (aige advises a day of rest in between each wor"out session
so three times a wee" is a good target. $ou6ll want to schedule your
wor"outs at the same time of day to help you get into a routine.
(aige recommends reverse and regular crunches to target abdominal
muscles ,see 1latten $our *bs for more information-. To prevent straining
your bac" muscles remember to "eep your bac" flat against the floor. It6s
not necessary to have any exercise e8uipment to do crunches but an
exercise ball will help target your abs.
Contrary to what many people thin" doing large amounts of crunches all
at once won6t necessarily help you (aige says. Concentrating on "eeping
a proper form and doing a variety of exercises is the way to get those abs
flattened. 9Choose several different exercises to target different portions
of your abs and then do 2 or ? sets of .A!20 repetitions9 (aige advises.
See the sample wor"out routines below for more information.
*long with tightening up the ab muscles it is a good idea to put some
cardio exercise and weight training into your wor"out. :al"ing running
swimming and bicycling will help create a good overall fitness routine
and are normally easier for people with I%). :eight training can help
strengthen muscles that are wea" after inactivity or use of steroids. (aige
reminds us that 9ab exercises help firm up the muscles of the torso they
don6t do much for reducing the body fat that is covering up the abs.9
The "ey to firming and toning is ma"ing exercise a habit. 4any people will
notice that their strength increases 8uic"ly after starting a
comprehensive fitness program. :eight loss and other noticeable effects
will ta"e more time ! anywhere from B to .D wee"s.
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To "eep from stagnating or getting bored (aige recommends "eeping a
variety in your routine and incorporating many different "inds of exercises
to maximi;e response by your body. :or"out videos focusing on ab
muscles or yoga or (ilates may also help.
Enlist the help of those around you to "eep up with your new fitness
routine. 1ind an exercise buddy head to a gym for a wor"out with a
trainer or as" your doctor to recommend an exercise program. :ith some
determination and sweat you can be on your way to loo"ing and feeling
great despite the abdominal surgery.
Exercises That Tone $our %uttoc"s
(lease perform exercises at your own ris". %e careful7 Exercise smart7
.. Stand in front of a chair with your feet hip!wide apart and s!l!o!w!l!y
s8uat until you 65ust touch6 the seat then s8uee;e your buns
together as you rise. This exercise wor"s to tone the buns by
wor"ing each bun towards your crac". 3nce your butt is toned it
won6t loo" li"e an earth8ua"e 5ust occurred.
The (lus< This toning exercise can even be done at wor".
2. +unges ! (ut one leg behind you then bend the "nee of the opposite leg
so that you can lunge forward. %e careful not to pull anything out of gear.
*s you lunge touch to feel the pull.
?. In a standing position move your leg out to the right then in then out
again ,swinging motion bac" and forth-. $ou6ll feel li"e you are wor"ing
out your thigh area but this exercise is indeed targeting the buttoc" area.
:or" the leg a do;en times then repeat using the other leg.
@. &unning hi"ing "ic" boxing martial arts yoga bi"ing and wal"ing also
wor" extremely well in toning this high profile area.
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A. To achieve greater results incorporate hand weights into your routine.
*s with any exercise regime be sure to warm up and cool down before
and after exercising.
#ere6s an exercise that has helped me a lot. It can strengthen your
abdominal muscles your bac" and your pelvic floor !! all at once !! and
very effectively. It will relieve bac"ache and reduce stress incontinence
,urine lea"s that happen when you cough laugh and snee;e-. It can help
many more than 5ust women who have had hysterectomies.
It is an exercise done standing with heels softly together and big toes
about four inches apart.
T*++< +ift your rib cage up away from your pelvis. Imagine that there is a
string at the bac" of the top of your head lifting you up. $our chin is in a
neutral position !! not down not po"ed forward.
:*S(< Suc" in your belly as hard as you can without pain or cramping
and without holding your breath. *im your belly for your spine and thin"
9wasp waist9. 4a"e the contraction deep and complete.
%'TT< +et the belly tightness flow to your buttoc"s. (inch them together.
$our tail will automatically tuc" under.
+I1T your pelvic floor up toward your belly button. (&ESS your inner
thighs together.
#old all the tightness as long as is comfortable. $our breathing should be
slow and steady with deep breaths in and out.
That6s it7 Eust remember< T*++ :*S( %'TT +I1T (&ESS. &epeat four
times if you can. %ac" off a little if you have a crampF you will be able to
wor" up to a stronger contraction 8uic"ly. )o another set of four at
another time during the day !! while you are tal"ing on the phone or even
washing dishes77 :hen this is easier rise up on your toes and balance
there for a few seconds. Then add head and arm movements. 4oving the
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head and the arms adds a dimension of demand for increased stability
and balance. Invent your own patterns !! be creative.
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