foot dome
Target: Plantar Fascia (thick tissue on the bottom of your foot)
how to do it: Take a lacrosse ball or golf ball and place the middle of your foot on top of the ball. Wait for your desired time. You may also want to use a ball to release any tension. Do this by moving your foot back and forth on the ball, especially in areas that feel a little pain. Repeat on the other leg.
banded calf stretch
goals: calf muscle and Achilles tendon
how to do it: : Grab a yoga strap or exercise band and lie down on the floor. Bend the right leg and keep it on the floor. Wrap the band around the ball of your left foot and lift the foot into the air. Slightly bend your left knee. Bend the left leg and pull the band toward you until you feel a stretch. Repeat on the other side.
Connected: 10 Best Stretches to Reduce Lower Back Pain
downward dog
Target: hamstrings, hips, calves
how to do it: Start on your hands and knees and then lift your hips into the air through your arms while bringing your head back. Push the tops of your thighs back and try to straighten your legs as much as possible, but don’t lock out 100%. Wait until your desired time.
double leg glute bridge
goals: hip flexors
how to do it: Lie on your back with your knees raised, feet flat on the mat. Squeeze your butt and lift your hips into the air. Hold for 3 seconds and then lower your hips to the floor. Repeat 10-15 times. By the way: This is a great stretch to do as a dynamic warmup before exercise.
Single Leg Glute Bridge
goals: hip flexors
how to do it: This is a more challenging version of the double leg glute bridge. Lie on your back with your right leg bent and your left leg straight in front of you. Lift the left foot slightly off the floor (height doesn’t matter). Squeeze your butt and lift your hips into the air. Lower your back to the ground and repeat 10-15 repetitions on each leg. This is another dynamic stretch that’s great for a pre-workout warmup.
seated hamstring stretch
goals:hamstrings, lower back
how to do it:Sit with your legs extended straight in front of you. Sit straight and then reach up to your toes (or as far as you can) without rounding your back. It’s okay to keep your knees slightly bent. Wait for your chosen time.
stand forward twist
goals:hamstrings, hips and calves
how to do it: From a standing position, reach for your shins, your toes, or the floor. Bend your knees if you find that your hamstrings are particularly tight. Rest here and breathe.
Standing Quad Stretch
goals: quads and hip flexors
how to do it: Stand with your feet directly below your hips. Lift your right ankle and hold it with your right hand. For balance: Look at a point on the floor and/or raise your left arm. Press into the cheek of your right hip to increase the stretch. Do this in the opposite direction.
Standing IT Band Stretch
goals:IT BAND, HIPS AND LATS
how to do it: Start standing with your feet together. Place your right leg behind you and bring your right hand above your head. Tilt your hips to the right and hold. Repeat on the other side.
kneeling hip stretch
goals: front of hip flexors, quads and groin
how to do it: Start by kneeling on the floor with your left foot up, right shin on the ground. Place a pillow under the right knee if it is uncomfortable. Bend your hips forward and imagine that you are pressing your pelvis into the floor. To protect your front knee, make sure it doesn’t extend past your big toe. For an added chest opener, raise your arms toward your ears and lift your chest toward the ceiling. Hold, then repeat on the opposite side.
pigeon pose
goals: Hip flexors and deep lateral rotators (muscles that rotate the femur or thigh bone)
how to do it: It is easiest to enter this from the downward facing dog position. Start there, then lift your left leg up into the air and behind you. Then bend the knee and bring that leg forward toward your chest. Place the left foot on the floor so that the shin is as parallel to the front of your mat as possible. Keep your right leg straight behind you (or bend it 90 degrees).. Lean on your left leg and rest your forearms on the mat. Wait until your desired time.
figure four stretch
goals: outer hip and glute muscles
how to do it: Lie on your back and bring your left ankle over your right thigh, just below the knee. Grab your right foot from behind and gently pull your foot toward your chest. Bend the left leg to protect the left knee. Do the same in the opposite direction.
butterfly
goals: hips, waist and lower back
how to do it:Sit straight on your mat with the soles of your feet touching each other. Move your feet away from your body to put less pressure on your knees. Grab your feet with both hands, then bend forward from the hips and lower your torso toward the floor. If this bothers your lower back, keep your spine straight and go as low as you can while keeping your back flat.
external hip rotation stretch
goals:external hip rotator
how to do it: Lie on your back with your legs raised in the air, knees bent. Keep your shoulders grounded to the mat and rotate your knees to the right as they reach the floor. Hold for the amount of time you want, then switch to the other side.
internal hip rotation stretch
goals: upper glutes and lower back
how to do it: : Lie on your back with your knees bent toward the ceiling. Lift your left leg and place the ankle above your right knee or on the outside of your right thigh. Keeping both shoulders glued to the floor, rotate your hips to the left until you feel a stretch. Wait for the amount of time you want, then switch.
clamshell with resistance band
goals: glutes
how to do it: Activating your glutes is the best way to take the burden off tight hips. And resistance bands really come in handy for that! Grab one and lie on your left side. Bend your knees. As you rise, squeeze your right glute as you rotate your right knee up and back. Hold for a second, then lower the right knee back down. Repeat 10-15 times and then switch and repeat on the other side.
obstacle race
goals:hamstrings, hips and lower back
how to do it: First of all, sit on your mat with your legs straight in front of you. Bring your left foot in so that your left foot is touching the inner thigh of your right leg. Sit straight and then reach down with your right leg as far as possible without arching your back around. It’s okay to bend your right knee a little. Hold for your chosen time, then switch to the other side.
cat-cow
goals: abdominal muscles, back, spine
how to do it: Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. For the cat: Inhale and arch your back into the air while pressing your navel into your spine. Exhale as you transform into cow: Bend your abdomen toward your mat, lift your chest, and look toward the ceiling.
seated twist
goals: spine and hip
how to do it: Start sitting on the floor with your legs extended straight out in front of you. Cross your right leg over your left leg, keeping your right knee bent toward the ceiling. Then rotate your torso toward your right leg while placing your right hand inside your right thigh. Maintain and hold the turn. Switch to the other side.
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