34 Pictures To See Which Muscle You’re Stretching 1

5. Butterfly Stretch

Targeted muscles: Adductors.

 

Sit on the floor and bring the soles of your feet together. Sit on your sitting bones with firm back. You can try to extend this stretch by applying pressure on your knees with your hands. At the same time, try pulling the feet closer to your body. The closer they are, the more you stretch your groin muscles.  After this, move the feet slightly forward and away from your hips, and gently round your upper body, relaxing your back muscles.

6. Forearm Extensor Stretch

Targeted muscles: Forearm Extensor.

Performed in a standing position. First, pack your shoulders down and back. Then, extend your left arm and rotate the shoulder in the optimal position to stretch the forearm muscle.  After relaxing your body in this position, begin the stretch by applying downward pressure on the palm with your opposing hand.   The end position of your palm can progress until the tips of your fingers touch together in a shape of a tea cup.

7. Lateral Side Flexion of the Neck

Targeted muscles: Sternocleidomastoid “SCM”.

Ideally performed seated on a chair. Slowly drop your neck towards the shoulders, while at the same time keeping it as long as possible. Make sure not to collapse your cervical spine in the process. For added stretch try grabbing the bottom of the seat. By creating this consistent tension down the arm and neck you target the upper traps.

8. Neck Rotation Stretch

Targeted muscles: Sternocleidomastoid “SCM”.

It involves slow rotation of your neck. In doing so, keep your chin slightly elevated to isolate the SCM.  For a deeper stretch, put the opposite hand from the direction that you are rotating on your chin and apply slight pressure.

9. Neck Extension Stretch

Targeted muscles: Sternocleidomastoid “SCM”.

Performed in a standing position. Place hands on your hips and tilt your head back. Keeping your spine long, make sure you’re cervical spine isn’t collapsing.

10. Lateral Side Flexion of the Neck with Hand Assistance

Targeted muscles: Sternocleidomastoid “SCM” and Upper Trapezius.

Performed in a similar way as the Lateral Side flexion of the neck, just that in this case you help yourself by putting the hand on the top of your head and gently pulling.

11. Half Kneeling Quad / Hip Flexor Stretch

Targeted muscles: Psoas and Quadracep.

Performed in a half-kneeling position. Slowly bring your right hip forward until you feel a good stretch in the front of your hip. Grabbing your back foot with the same arm squeeze the glute increasing the stretch on your Hip Flexors.

12. Forearm Extensor Stretch

Targeted muscles: Forearm Extensor.

Performed in a standing position. First, pack your shoulders down and back. Then, extend your left arm and lift it slightly up rotating the shoulder in the optimal position to stretch the forearm muscle.  After relaxing your body in this position, begin the stretch by apply downward pressure on the palm with your opposing hand.   The end position of your palm can progress until the tips of your fingers touch together in a shape of a tea cup.

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article originally  : fitnessandpower.com