Stretches to Prevent Injuries During Activity
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Stretching to Prevent Injuries
While many people prefer to focus on building muscle and skill, flexibility and range-of-motion are also key components of your overall fitness and injury prevention. Read on to get some inspiration for what stretches you can add to your fitness routine to help you stay on your feet and in the game.
Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch
The cross-body shoulder stretch is one of the most popular stretches performed before exercise. This stretch is great for improving the mobility of your shoulder’s supportive muscles like your deltoids and supraspinatus.
To properly perform this stretch, follow these steps:
- Start in a standing position with your feet facing forward, about shoulder-width apart.
- Taking your left hand, grab your left arm above your elbow, keeping your elbow about shoulder-height.
- Gently pull your left arm toward your chest to stretch your left shoulder.
- Hold this position for about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat on the other arm.
Forward Lunges
Forward lunges are another excellent stretch to help warm up your body for activities and sports that involve similar motions. Not only do they help to improve the range of motion of your hips, they also help to improve your balance and stability.
To perform forward lunges, follow these steps:
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips with your elbows straight out to your sides.
- Step forward with your right foot.
- Once your right foot is firmly planted, bend both of your knees until your legs make a 90-degree angle. To measure, your right knee should not surpass your toes.
- Push off from the ground with your right foot and return to your original standing position.
- Repeat this on the other leg.
- Alternate between each leg, repairing 10 times per side.
Seated Straddle Stretch
The seated straddle stretch is excellent for opening up your hips. Along with helping you to do “the splits,” this pose reduces your risk of aches, pain, and injuries that affect the inner thighs.
To practice a seated straddle stretch, follow these steps:
- Begin in a seated position on a yoga mat with your legs spread as far as you can while sitting comfortably upright.
- Leaning forward, reach your hands out in front of you and place your palms flat on the mat.
- Be sure to keep your knees extended, toes pointed, and core engaged as you maintain a flat back position.
- Hold this position for about 20 seconds.
- Return to your original position and repeat this stretch 4 times.
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