>>COOL DOWN

After all that exercising, you really ought to

ease off a bit. Here’s the finest stretching
routine known to man

Life conspires to shorten our muscles. Every

hour we spend sitting or driving, every mile
we run, every weight we lift helps make
certain muscles shorter. Unless we stretch
these muscles to help them return to
their original lengths, they stay short. And
shorter, tighter muscles ruin our posture, and
make it more difficult to perform simple,
everyday tasks.
The stretches shown here will increase
your muscles’ range of motion to improve
performance in sport and exercise, help
prevent injury and generally make life
more comfortable for you.
As one muscle stretches, another
contracts. In this illustration (right),
while the calf and hamstrings are
1 Quadriceps
stretching, the tibialis anterior and
quadriceps are contracting. If any muscle 2 Hamstrings
stretches too far, the stretch reflex kicks in
and the muscle suddenly goes from a stretch 3 Tibialis anterior
to a contraction to avoid injury. Say you fall 4 Calf
asleep in a meeting. As your head nods
forward, your neck muscles stretch suddenly,
and then just as suddenly contract to jerk your
head back up.
In sport, you sometimes have too
much momentum and the stretch reflex
can’t keep the muscle or its connective tissues
from stretching too far. A strain, sprain or
tear is the end result.
Here’s a scary fact: once a ligament or
tendon is stretched too far, it never returns to its
original length, so the joint it connects to is
permanently less stable than before the injury.

YOUR GOALS
Beginner: Accustom Intermediate and
your muscles and advanced: Dramatically
connective tissues increase range of
to stretching exercises, motion for sport
and increase range of and exercise.
motion in crucial joints, Some stretches
such as those in your in this
hips, lower back and programme
shoulders. build strength.
BEGINNER
Frequency: At least stretch three times.
three times a week. You can do all of the
Stretch duration: 15 stretches indicated in
to 20 seconds per circuit fashion, one
stretch. right after the other,
Technique: To and do three circuits.
perform most of the Or you can do each
exercises in this stretch three times
section, simply get before moving on to
into the position the next.
shown in the Progress: Increase
illustration, feel a each stretch to 25 to
gentle pull in the 30 seconds’ duration.
targeted muscles, How long: You can
and hold that use this programme
position. Don’t try to your entire life, and
push or pull yourself add other stretches
into dramatically you learn. But if you
deeper stretches; that want to increase your
will simply activate strength and flexibility
the stretch reflex, and for sports
your muscles will performance, move
contract while you’re up to the
trying to stretch Intermediate TRICEPS STRETCH SIDE BEND SHOULDER STRETCH
them. This produces programme.
muscle fatigue, if not
injury. Your flexibility C AT S T R E T C H
will improve over ● Start with your back
A B
time without adding rounded (A), and then allow
that extra, it to sag (B). Hold each
unproductive effort. position for 3 to 5 seconds,
Try to perform each and perform for a total of
30 to 45 seconds.

FLEX TIME
Most of us think the time to stretch is
right before a cardiovascular or weight
workout. We’re wrong: “The biggest
myth about stretching is that it’s a
warm-up,” says exercise researcher Len
Kravitz. “You shouldn’t stretch until
you’re already warmed up.” A cold FIGURE OF FOUR STRETCH
muscle is easily injured, so you don’t
want to stretch until you’ve already
raised the temperature in your muscles
by several degrees. Stretching after a
workout, as part of your cool-down, is
ideal. On the other hand, you don’t need a
warm-up if you just get up from your
desk a few times a day and gently
stretch out tight muscles. B U T T E R F LY G R O I N S T R E T C H WALL CALF STRETCH
INTERMEDIATE
Frequency: 3 to 5 a strenuous workout.
times a week Finally, you’ll also
Stretch duration: 20 do some static
to 30 seconds for stretches; these are
static stretches (in simple ‘get into a
which you hold a position and hold it’
single position). exercises, similar to
Other stretches are the ones in the
described below. Beginner section. S TAT I C S I D E - LY I N G Q U A D R I C E P S S T R E T C H
Repeat all stretches Static stretches are
three times for for your hip flexors,
maximum benefit. knees and lower
Technique: You’ll use back, which might
three techniques in get hurt during more
this routine: CR, aggressive CR and
CRAC and static. CRAC stretches.
CR stands for Precautions: A study
contract-relax, but all at the University of
you need to know is Mississippi showed
that you flex a muscle that CR stretches can
hard for six seconds, improve flexibility by S TAT I C S P I N A L R O TAT I O N S TAT I C S T R A D D L E S T R E T C H
then relax and stretch up to 18 per cent.
it for 12 seconds. That’s a huge
CRAC stands for increase, but it comes C R O U T E R -T H I G H S
contract-relax- with some risk. You GLUTEAL STRETCH
B
agonist-contract, but should feel all these ● Lift one leg as high as you can,
you don’t have to stretches in the then try to lower your leg towards
remember that. All it middle of the muscle. the floor while resisting with your
means is that you flex If you feel it most hands for 6 seconds (A).
a muscle, then strongly in a joint, ● Now relax your leg muscles and
stretch it, then flex stop the stretch. pull the leg into a deeper stretch
the opposite muscle, The next time you for 12 seconds (B).
then stretch the train, try a gentle ● Repeat with the other leg.
original muscle static stretch for that
A
again. As soon as you body part.
feel that last stretch, Who needs them:
you’ll realise why These stretches are
someone came up best used during
with this complicated periods of hard
technique. You’ll see training for specific
your muscles go goals – preparing for
further than they ever a sports season or
have before. Just as training for an
important is that endurance event such
second-to-last step, as a marathon. At
flexing the muscle other times you’ll
opposite the one probably want to go
you’re stretching. back to a programme
You’ll actually make that includes only
your muscles static stretches.
stronger here, at the
point where they’re
most likely to be
injured in a match or
INTERMEDIATE
A A

B B

C C

CRAC GROIN STRETCH CRAC HAMSTRING STRETCH

● Contract inner- muscles and gently contract gluteals (B). ● Contract left into a stretch for 12 and pull hamstrings
thigh muscles for 6 push them into a ● Relax gluteals, hamstrings for seconds (A). into a deeper stretch
seconds, trying to stretch for 12 return hands to tops 6 seconds, trying ● Contract left for 12 seconds (C).
raise knees towards seconds (A). of thighs, and push to lower leg to the quadriceps as you try ● Repeat with the
each other while ● Place hands down, bringing the floor while resisting to push leg down with right leg.
resisting by pushing underneath thighs and inner-thigh muscles with a towel. both hands for 6
down on thighs. try to push legs up for into a deeper stretch ● Relax hamstrings seconds (B).
● Relax inner-thigh 6 seconds as you for 12 seconds (C). and gently pull left leg ● Relax quadriceps
COBRA STRETCH

A B

C R T R I C E P S / L AT I S S I M U S S T R E T C H
● For 6 seconds, try to your other arm (A). for a count of 12
straighten your bent ● Now relax your seconds (B).
S TAT I C S I D E PECTORAL/ arm as you resist by bent arm and pull it ● Repeat with the
STRETCH SHOULDER STRETCH pulling on a towel with into a deeper stretch other arm.

F L E X I B L E O P T I O N S C H E AT S H E E T
TECHNIQUE HOW TO DO IT THEORY REALITY
Static Get into a position and hold it, usually for A safe and effective way to increase range No downside here; it seems to work
15 to 30 seconds. of motion and limit injuries. well for everyone.

Active-Isolated (AI) Contract a muscle for 2 seconds,
then relax and stretch that same muscle
for 2 seconds.
If you hold a muscle in a stretched
position for longer than 2 seconds, the
stretch reflex kicks in, rendering the
stretch useless and possibly dangerous.
Two seconds in a stretched position
is not enough time to fully stretch
muscle and connective tissue, unless
the stretcher is already a highly
conditioned athlete.

Proprioceptive Contract a muscle for 6 seconds, relax it, These techniques ‘switch off’ stretch- Physical therapists have been using
Neuromuscular and then push or pull the muscle into a reflex mechanisms, allowing a greater PNF successfully for 50 years. It
Facilitation (PNF); deeper stretch. Often, a therapist or increase in range of motion. requires far more effort than static
includes CR and trainer helps you perform the stretches. stretching though, making it a bad idea
CRAC techniques if you have a muscle or bone disease.
described previously