Table of Contents. Show more. Show less. About the Authors. E-Book Description. E-Book Details. Table of Contents. Chapter 1. Neck; Chapter 2. This book contains 86 stretches with well descriptive images and a complete visual guide You can see inside every stretch along with increased flexibility and improved muscular strength. Tags: Books. Facebook Twitter. Please comment if you have any doubt or to address an opportunity to improve.
Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, gastrocnemius, lower erector spinae, soleus, plantaris, popliteus, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus, posterior tibialis. Lesser-stretched muscles: Lower latissimus dorsi, lower trapezius, posterior deltoid, teres major, teres minor, infraspinatus, tri- ceps brachii.
Flex the right hip and place the right leg with the knee straight on a table, bench, or other stable object that is approxi- mately the same height as the hips. Bend at the waist, extend your arms over the lower right leg, and lower the head toward the right leg, keeping the right knee as straight as possible.
Keep the left knee straight and the left foot pointing in the same direction as the right leg. Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Right gluteus maximus, right semitendinosus, right semimembranosus, right biceps femoris, erector spinae, lower latissimus dorsi, right gastrocnemius. Commentary To maximize the stretch of the knee flexors, do not bend the knees, tilt the pelvis forward, or curve the back. Also, bend the trunk straight forward as a single unit, keeping it centered over the right leg.
Increasing the height of the table or bench by 1 to 2 feet 30 to 61 cm above the hips will increase the stretch of these muscle groups. You will also start feel- ing a stretch in some of the left-side muscle groups sartorius, rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, lateralis, and medialis as you increase the height of the table.
Technique Stand upright with weight balanced on the left leg. Flex the right hip and place the right leg with the knee straight on a table, bench, or other stable object that is approximately the same height as the hips.
Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Right gluteus maximus, right semitendinosus, right semimembranosus, right biceps femoris, erector spinae, lower latissi- mus dorsi, right gastrocnemius, right soleus, right popliteus, right plantaris, right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Left sartorius, left rectus femoris, lower trapezius, posterior deltoid, teres major, teres minor, infraspinatus, triceps brachii.
Raise the right leg and rest it on the doorframe. Keep the right knee straight and the left leg flat on the floor. Place the hands palms down on either side of the buttocks. Keeping the right leg straight, use the hands to slowly move the buttocks through the doorframe until you feel a stretch in the back of the leg.
Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Right gluteus maximus, right semitendinosus, right semimembranosus, right biceps femoris, right gastrocnemius.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right soleus, right popliteus, right plantaris, right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis, left sartorius, left rectus femoris. Adjust the distance between the buttocks and the doorframe to increase or decrease the stretch. The closer the buttocks are to the doorframe, the greater the stretch. Once the buttocks cannot be positioned any closer to the doorframe, bending the leg at the hip and moving the leg toward the head can increase the stretch.
Technique Lie flat on your back in a doorway with the hips placed in front of the door- frame. Place a towel, cloth, or band over and around the toes and grasp both ends firmly with the hands. Keeping the right leg straight, place the hands on the doorframe and slowly move the buttocks through the door- frame until you feel a stretch in the back of the leg.
Once you feel the stretch in the back of the leg, use the towel to pull the toes and foot down toward the head. Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Right gluteus maximus, right semitendinosus, right semimembranosus, right biceps femo- ris, erector spinae, lower latissimus dorsi, right gastrocnemius, right soleus, right popliteus, right plantaris, right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Keep both knees straight and as flat against the floor as possible. Reach the hands out toward the center or slide the hands forward along the legs and bend the trunk over between the knees.
Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Semitendinosus, semimembranosus, gracilis, adduc- tor magnus and longus, gluteus maximus, lower erector spinae, lower latis- simus dorsi, medial side of soleus, medial head of gastrocnemius. Lesser-stretched muscles: Lateral soleus, lateral head of gastrocnemius, plan- taris, biceps femoris. Technique Sit comfortably on the floor with legs extended in a V position feet far apart from each other. Slide the hands forward along the legs and bend the trunk over between the knees.
At the same time, grasp the toes of both feet and pull them toward the body. Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Semitendinosus, semimembranosus, gracilis, adduc- tor magnus, adductor longus, gluteus maximus, lower erector spinae, lower latissimus dorsi, soleus, gastrocnemius, popliteus, plantaris, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus, posterior tibialis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Biceps femoris, posterior deltoid, triceps brachii, teres major, teres minor, infraspinatus, lower trapezius.
While balancing the weight on the left leg, raise the right leg and position it on the table, bench, or object. Keeping the knees straight, bend the trunk over between the knees as far as possible.
As you bend the trunk, reach between the knees and place the hands behind the thighs. Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Gluteus maximus, semitendinosus, semimembrano- sus, gracilis, adductor magnus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, sartorius, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Posterior deltoids, triceps brachii, lower trapezius, teres minor, teres major, infraspinatus. Commentary Keep the knees straight, bend the trunk forward from the hip joint, and keep the trunk as a straight unit no back curve. By increasing the height of the table, bench, or other object 1 to 2 feet 30 to 61 cm above the hips, you will have additional benefits to the noted muscle groups. Keep the left knee positioned above the left ankle.
Extend the right leg behind the torso and touch the floor with the right knee; the lower leg lies on the floor. Hold on to an object or place the hands on the left knee to maintain balance. Move the hips forward, pushing the left knee in front of the left ankle and dorsiflexing that ankle. Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Right vastus medialis, right vastus intermedius, right vastus lateralis, middle and upper right sartorius, right rectus femoris, right psoas major, right iliacus, right tensor fascia lata.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right pectineus, anterior part of right gluteus medius. Commentary Move slowly to the stretched position and keep the left knee pointing forward.
Do not let the left knee point to either side or let the right knee move along the floor. While the hips are placed in the forward direction, arching the back can increase the stretch on the muscles. Keep the left foot pointing straight forward and the knee almost straight. To help maintain balance, brace the left hand on a wall. Bend the right knee; grasp the right foot or ankle tightly and pull the right heel back- ward and slightly upward to within 4 to 6 inches 10 to 15 cm of the buttocks.
At the same time, push the hips forward. Pull the ankle slowly in a more backward than upward direction, making sure that the hips also move forward.
In other words, concentrate more on doing hip extension than on doing knee flexion. To place most of the stretch emphasis on the medial muscles vastus medialis and pectineus , rotate the upper body away from the medial muscles rotate the right side clockwise when bend- ing backward. To place most of the stretch emphasis on the lateral muscles vastus lateralis and tensor fascia latae , rotate the upper body away from the lateral mus- cles rotate the right side counterclockwise when bending backward.
Because of the increased possibility of hyperflexing the knee, this is a more advanced stretch; you should do this stretch only if you have very flexible muscles. Technique Stand with the back toward a padded table, bed, or soft platform that is below the height of the hips. Balance the weight on the left leg and bend the knee slightly. Bend the right knee and prop the right ankle on the rear support surface. Place both hands on the rear support surface 6 to 12 inches 15 to 30 cm behind the buttocks.
Move the torso backward slowly so that the heel of the right foot touches the buttocks. Make sure that the ankle and knee are comfortable. Push the hips forward and simultaneously arch the back by bending the shoulders toward the buttocks. Bend the left knee and bring the left heel to within 4 to 6 inches 10 to 15 cm of the buttocks.
Grasp the left ankle tightly and pull the leg backward close to your buttocks. However, do not bring the heel of the left ankle all the way to the but- tocks. Push the hip forward at the same time. Lesser-stretched muscles: Left vastus medialis, left vastus lateralis, left tensor fascia lata, left pectineus, left iliacus, anterior part of left gluteus medius, left anterior tibialis, left extensor digitorum longus, left extensor hallucis longus.
Commentary When doing this stretch, be extra careful not to strain the knee structure by over- flexing the knee. Pull the ankle slowly in a more backward direction than upward direction, making sure that the hips are also moved forward. In other words, con- centrate more on doing hip extension than on doing knee flexion. The muscles involved in the various thigh and knee movements appear in the following table.
For example, if you want to stretch the left biceps femoris, you would perform a movement that involves extension and internal rotation of the left leg. When a muscle has a high level of stiffness, you should use fewer simultaneous opposite movements for example, to stretch a very tight biceps femoris, you could start by doing only knee extension.
The predomi- nant tendon is the Achilles tendon. Three muscles gastrocnemius, plantaris, soleus share this tendon, and the three collectively are called the triceps surae.
The triceps surae muscles are the prime plantar flexors and are assisted by the popliteus and posterior tibialis as well as flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus, which also move the toes.
Another group of three muscles peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, peroneus tertius is located on the outer lateral side of the calf; these muscles are used in pulling the inner ankles toward the floor.
The anterior calf muscles anterior tibialis, extensor hallucis longus, extensor digi- torum longus not only dorsiflex the ankle but also move the foot and toes. The muscles on the dorsal top side of the foot extensor digitorum brevis, dorsal interosseous, extensor hallucis brevis extend the toes.
The muscles on the plantar sole side of the foot flexor digitorum brevis, quadratus plantae, flexor hallucis brevis, flexor digiti minimi, abductor hal- lucis, abductor digiti minimi, plantar interosseous, lumbricales are used to flex and spread the toes. In normal daily activities, the muscles of the foot and lower leg are used more extensively than any other muscles in the body.
Though the musculature of the lower leg is substantially smaller than that of the upper leg, it essentially supports the whole body and receives the heaviest load during walking or standing. As a result, many people have minor aches and pains in these muscles. Thus, at the end of the day people are ready to sit down and let these muscles rest. Stretching and strengthening these smaller muscle groups can alleviate some of the daily fatigue and pain.
Stretching can also improve flexibility and stamina. These improvements enable the muscle groups to work harder and longer throughout the day. Soreness, tightness, cramping, restlessness, and weakness in the arch of the foot and calf muscles are common complaints among people.
These problems often result from the continuous and heavy load put on the muscle. Chronic use of these muscles can also increase muscle tightness and soreness. Tightness then leads to conditions such as tendinitis and shinsplints; tendinitis of the Achilles tendon is quite common.
Tendinitis is associated with overuse and tightness of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Shinsplints are associated with inflammation of the frontal compartment of the lower-leg muscles—anterior tibialis and, in some cases, soleus and flexor digitorum longus. These conditions can become excru- ciating if not treated in the early stages. A variety of stretching and strengthening exercises in those muscle groups will, in most cases, improve these conditions lessen the severity and help prevent future episodes from occurring.
People often have delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, after participating in unusual or unfamiliar activities. Calf muscles tend to be affected by delayed-onset muscle soreness more often than any other muscle group in the body. Light stretching exercises help to improve this condition and relieve some of the pain associated with it.
All of the instructions and figures in this chapter are given for the right side of the body. While bracing the right ankle with the right hand, place the fingers of the left hand on the tops of the right toes.
Pull the tips of the toes toward the sole of the foot. Lesser-stretched muscles: Right peroneus tertius, right dorsal interosseous, right lumbricales. Commentary Hold the ankle firmly in order to keep it and the foot stable.
You will feel the stretch on the top of the foot area dorsal side. If grasping and pulling on the tips of the toes cause too much pain, apply the pressure at the ball of the foot. While bracing the right ankle with the right hand, place the thumb of the left hand along the ball of the right foot and place the fingers of the left hand across the top of the foot with the fingers perpendicular to the toes.
Use the left hand to pull or twist the sole of the foot upward. At the same time, bend the toes toward the sole of the foot. Lesser-stretched muscle: Right anterior tibialis.
Commentary Make sure to stabilize the foot and ankle with a firm hold. Grasping the ends of the toes and pulling them upward while keeping the toes in the flexed position can produce a more effective stretch. You will feel the stretch on the lateral side of the foot little toe side and ankle area—abductor digiti minimi, extensor digi- torum brevis, and extensor hallucis brevis muscles.
While bracing the right ankle with the right hand, place the thumb of the left hand along the ball of the right foot and the fingers of the left hand across the top of the foot with the fingers perpendicular to the toes. Use the left hand to push or twist the sole of the foot down toward the floor. Lesser-stretched muscles: Right extensor digitorum longus, right extensor digitorum brevis, right peroneus tertius, right lumbricales, right dorsal interosseous.
Grasping the ends of the toes and pressing them firmly downward can produce a greater stretch. You will feel the stretch on the medial side of the foot big toe side. Brace the right ankle with the right hand, and place the fingers of the left hand along the bottoms of the toes of the right foot with the fingers pointing in the same direction as the toes.
Use the fingers of the left hand to push the toes of the right foot toward the right knee. Lesser-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis, right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right plantaris, right soleus, right gastrocnemius. Pushing hard on the very ends of the toes with the left palm will provide a much greater stretch. You will feel the stretch on the sole plantar side of the foot. Brace the right ankle with the left hand and place the fingers of the right hand perpendicular across the bottoms of the toes.
Also place the pad of the right thumb on the ball of the right big toe. Use the right hand to pull or twist the sole of the foot upward. At the same time, use the fingers of the right hand to pull the toes of the right foot up toward the top of the foot. Lesser-stretched muscles: Right anterior tibialis, right flexor hallucis longus, right flexor digitorum longus, right posterior tibialis, right abductor hallucis.
If you grasp the very ends of the toes and pull harder, then you will be able to stretch these muscles even farther. Use the fingers of the right hand to pull the toes of the right foot up toward the top of the foot.
At the same time, use the right thumb to push the sole of the right foot down toward the floor. Lesser-stretched muscles: Right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right abductor digiti minimi, right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
You will feel the stretch on the sole plantar side of the foot—the flexor digitorum brevis, flexor hallucis brevis, flexor digiti minimi brevis, and qua- dratus plantae muscles. Point the right foot backward away from the body, dorsal top side of the toes down against the floor.
While keeping the dorsal side of the toes pressed against the floor, lean your weight onto the right leg and press the bottom of the heel down toward the floor.
Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Right extensor digitorum brevis, right extensor hal- lucis brevis, right anterior tibialis, right peroneus tertius. Lesser-stretched muscles: Right extensor hallucis longus, right extensor digi- torum longus, right dorsal interosseous. Commentary It is more comfortable to perform this stretch on a carpet or other soft surface. Be sure not to drag the foot that is pressed to the floor.
Moving the heel medially or laterally will place greater stretch on either the dorsal medial or dorsal lateral parts of the foot. Keeping the heel of the foot on the floor, press the bottoms of the toes of the right foot up against the wall. The ball of the foot should be more than half an inch more than 2 cm above the floor.
Lean forward and slide the ball of the foot slowly down, keeping the toes pressed against the wall. Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plan- tae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right lum- bricales, right plantar interosseous, right abductor hallucis, right abductor digiti minimi.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis. This ensures that all of the toes are stretched equally. Also, slide the ball of the foot down slowly; oth- erwise, overstretching could happen. Bending the right knee slightly and moving the knee forward toward the wall will incorporate the calf muscles in the stretch. Brace your hands against the wall.
Keeping the left foot in place, place the right foot 1 to 2 feet 30 to 61 cm behind the left foot. The left foot is 1 to 2 feet away and the right foot is 2 to 4 feet 61 to cm away from the wall. Keeping the right heel on the floor, lean your chest toward the wall.
You can bend the left knee slightly to facilitate moving the chest up against the wall. Muscles Stretched Most-stretched muscles: Right gastrocnemius, right soleus, right plantaris, right popliteus, right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Get on the path to increased flexibility and improved muscular strength! With more than , copies sold worldwide, Stretching Anatomy, Third Edition, is your go-to guide for seeing inside the stretches that will help you increase range of motion, enhance recovery, and facilitate ease of movement during physical and everyday activities.
The visually stunning illustrations of 79 stretches cover all major joint areas of the body from the feet to the neck.
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