Stretch No: 1. Standing hamstring stretch
Muscle(s): Hamstring
Stretch Duration: 8-10 secs for warm up
Teaching Points:
•
Stand with one leg just in front of the
other
• Bend the back knee and rest your weight
on the bent knee
• Tilt the hips forwards as if sticking your
bum in the air!
Alternatives:
•
Point toes up to increase intensity.
Stretch No: 2. Standing gastrocnermius stretch
Muscle(s): Gastrocnermius
Stretch Duration: 8-10 secs for warm up
Teaching Points:
•
Stand with one leg far in front of the
other
• Keep the back heel flat on the floor
• Bend the front leg and keep the back leg
straight
Alternatives:
•
•
•
Perform the same stretch in front of a
wall
Place your hands on the wall, lean
forward and push against the wall
sitting stretches covered on sheet 7
Stretch No: 3. Pectoral stretch
Muscle(s): Pectorals
Stretch Duration:
• 8-10 secs warm up stretch
• 30+ developmental stretch
Teaching Points:
•
feet hip width apart, hands behind back
and draw the elbows towards each other
until you can feel the stretch across the
front of the chest. Relax the head.
• knees slightly bent. Place feet hip distance
apart. Make sure toes are pointing
forward. Keep shoulders even as you
complete this stretch.
Alternatives:
•
•
Place arms behind your back. Clasp your
hands together, extending your arms
behind you.
Come back up and un-clasp hands slowly
Muscle(s): 4. Trapezius
Stretch Duration:
• 8-10 secs warm up stretch
• 10-15 secs maintenance stretch
Teaching Points:
•
Interlink the hands and reach out until
you can feel the stretch across the upper
back.
• Maintain neutral lowers spine and keep
abdominals tight
Alternatives:
•
•
Cat stretch for maintenance On all fours
on the floor, arch your back up as high as
possible
Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds then
relax.
Stretch No: 5. Quadriceps stretch standing
Muscle(s): Quadriceps
Stretch Duration:
• 8-10 secs for warm up
Teaching Points:
•
Stand on one leg and pull the other foot
up behind your bottom
• Keep your knees together and push your
hips forwards to increase the stretch
Alternatives:
•
Same stretch lying down, covered on
sheet 9
Stretch No: 6. Adductor stretch standing
Muscle(s): Adductor
Stretch Duration:
• 8-10 secs for warm up
Teaching Points:
•
Keep the hips facing forwards, bend one
leg so the toe points to the side.
• Ensure the knee is in alignment with the
ankle.
• Extend the other leg to the opposite side
keeping the toe facing forwards.
Alternatives:
•
•
If you cannot feel the stretch, extend the
straight leg keeping the flexed knee in line
with the ankle.
Sitting adductor covered on sheet 10
Stretch No: 7. Tricep stretch
Muscle(s): Tricep
Stretch Duration:
• 8-10 secs at warm up
• 10-15 maintenance
Teaching Points:
•
•
Extend one arm up straight; flex the arm
behind the head, placing the hand
between the shoulder blades.
Support the arm with the other hand,
taking care not to press on the elbow
joint.
Alternatives:
•
Same , but bring up supporting hand from
below, interlinking hands
Stretch No: 8. Deltoid stretch
Muscle(s): Deltoid
Stretch Duration:
•
•
8-10 secs during warm up
10-15 secs maintenance
Teaching Points:
•
Stand upright and cross one arm across
your body
• Using the opposite arm, pull the arm
being stretched towards the opposite
shoulder
• Do not pull over elbow joint
Alternatives:
•
Bend stretched arm at the elbow
Stretch No: 9. Lateral side bend
Muscle(s): Obliques
Stretch Duration:
• 10-15 secs maintenance
Teaching Points:
• Pull in abs
• Hand on leg if support needed
• Do not lean forward
Alternatives:
•
•
Increase intensity by looking up to your
hand
Alternative lying down covered on sheet 8
Stretch No: 10. Neck Side Stretch
Muscle(s): Upper fibres of Trapezius
Stretch Duration:
• 10-15 secs maintenance
Teaching Points:
•
Look straight forward and do not let the
chin drop down
• Move your ear towards the shoulder
• Don't let your shoulder lift up
Alternatives:
•
•
When stretching, further the stretch by
using one hand to apply gentle pressure
to the side of the head in direction of
stretch
Push the other hand ground wards
Stretch No: 11. Downward facing dog
Muscle(s): Gastrocnermius and Soleus
Stretch Duration:
• 30+ developmental
Teaching Points:
• start on your hands and knees
• push up through arms and shoulders
• Keep feet hip width distance apart
• Heels need to stay on the ground
• let your head hand down
Alternatives:
•
See warm up stretch for alternative on
sheet 1
Stretch No: 12. Pose of a child
Muscle(s): Latissimus dorsi
Stretch Duration10-15 secs maintenance
Teaching Points:
•
•
Kneel on the floor
Lean forwards with the arms outstretched
as far as possible and hands on the floor
• Push your buttocks down towards your
feet keeping your hands still to increase
the stretch
Alternatives:
•
•
Stand upright with your arms above your
head
Reach up as high as possible
Stretch No: 13. Front Lunge
Muscle(s): Hip Flexor
Stretch Duration:
• 30+ secs developmental
Teaching Points:
•
•
•
Spread legs as wide apart as possible
Front knee to stay behind or above ankle
If support needed lean on thigh of front
leg
• Keep the rear leg slightly bend
Alternatives:
•
Stretch can be increased by lengthening
the rear leg or decreased by placing rear
leg knee on ground
Stretch No: 14. Lying and sitting hamstring
stretch
Muscle(s): Hamstring and Gastrocnermius
Stretch Duration:
• 30+ secs developmental
Teaching Points:
•
Lie down with your back flat on the
floor, with both of your knees bent.
Place your feet flat on the floor, about
6 inches apart.
• Bend your right knee up to your chest
and hold onto your right thigh with
both hands placed behind your knee.
• Slowly straighten your right leg,
feeling slight stretching in the back of
your leg.
• Slowly pull the leg towards you to
increase the stretch
Alternatives:
•
Sitting, stretch up then reach out for
your toes.
Stretch No: 15. Gluteus maximus stretches
Muscle(s): Gluteus
Stretch Duration: 10-15 secs maintenance
Teaching Points:
•
•
•
•
Lie on floor or mat.
Bend knees with feet on floor.
Cross lower leg over thigh of other leg.
Grasp back of thigh of grounded leg with
both hands.
• Pull leg toward torso
Alternatives:
•
Bend the left knee and take the left foot
across your right thigh, planting it flat on
the floor.
Place your arms around the left knee and
gently draw it across the body, keeping
the foot on the floor and your body central
•
Stretch No: 16. Spinal Rotation
Muscle(s): Obliques
Stretch Duration: 10-15 secs maintenance
Teaching Points:
•
Lie on your back (on the mat or on the
floor) with arms outstretched at shoulder
level. Bend both legs.
• Slowly, drop your knees to the right until
the right knee is touching the floor.
• While dropping your knees, keep your
shoulder blades flat on the floor.
• However, don't force the stretch.
Alternatives:
•
•
•
Sit as in seated glute stretch as shown for
stretch 15
Push knee with same side arm
Face towards far side shoulder
Stretch No: 17. Cobra stretch
Muscle(s): Upper Spinal muscles
Stretch Duration: 10-15 secs maintenance
Teaching Points:
•
•
Lie down on your stomach.
Keep your legs together, arms at your
side, close to your body, with your hands
by your chest.
• Keep your buttocks muscles tight to
protect your lower back.
• Keep your head up and chest and heart
out.
Alternatives:
•
•
Follow the steps above.
When you've gone as high as you can,
gently raise yourself on your hands,
stretching the spine even more
Your pelvis should always remain on the
floor.
•
Stretch No: 18. Lying quat stretch
Muscle(s): Quatriceps
Stretch Duration: 10-15 secs for warm up
Teaching Points:
•
Lay on your front and pull one foot up
to meet your buttocks
Alternatives:
•
See sheet 3 for standing quat stretch
Stretch No: 19. Short and long adductor stretch
Muscle(s): Adductor
Stretch Duration: 30+ Developmental
Teaching Points:
•
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and
feet together
• Place your hands on your ankles and
push down gently on your knees with
your elbows to increase the stretch
Alternatives:
•
•
Sit on the floor with your legs as far apart
as possible and knee straight
Keep the back straight and lean forwards
from the hips!