Still not getting the results you want from your exercise routine? Blame tight muscles, says Ashley Borden, a celebrity trainer based in Los Angeles. "When one muscle group, like your quads, is stiff, that prevents others, like your glutes, from firing correctly," she explains. End result: compromised performance (and calorie-burning ability), not to mention an increased risk of injury.
Old-school static stretches, where you bend and hold for what seems like an eternity, aren't necessarily the most effective approach to increase your flexibility. Borden swears instead by her "Stretch and Fire" method, which she uses to teach clients like Mandy Moore. Based on a principle called Active-Isolated Technique, it involves contracting one muscle group while stretching the other. This triggers a muscular reflex that will increase your range of motion and deepen the stretch. Best of all, her workout — which targets most women's tightest muscles — takes just minutes a day.
Try these six stretches after your regular cardio or strength workout (aim to do them five times a week). You'll see improvement to your flexibility in as little as two weeks and gains in both your strength and endurance in less than one month.
1. Active Pigeon
Target: The Piriformis (a deep gluteal muscle)
Begin in a full push-up position, palms aligned under shoulders.
Place left knee on the floor near shoulder with left heel by right hip.
Lower down to forearms and bring right leg down with the top of the foot on the floor (not shown).
Keep chest lifted to the wall in front of you, gazing down.
If you're more flexible, bring chest down to floor and extend arms in front of you.
Pull navel in toward spine and tighten your pelvic-floor muscles; contract right side of glutes.
Curl right toes under while pressing ball of foot into the floor, pushing through your heel.
Bend knee to floor and release; do 5 reps total, then switch sides and repeat.
2. C-Curve
Target: Lower Back
Sit on floor with knees bent, feet on floor about 12 inches in front of butt.
Interlace fingers behind hamstrings, pointing elbows out to sides.
Round back, tightening pelvic floor and pulling navel in toward spine; focus on your belly button with jaw pulled in. Inhale through your nose.
As you exhale, draw navel in even tighter and lift left leg, pushing left heel toward wall in front of you while pulling back with pinkie toe; at the same time, push down on right foot (not shown).
Return to start and repeat.
Do 5 reps; switch sides and repeat.
3. Modified Cobra
Target: Abdominals
Lie facedown on the floor with thumbs directly under shoulders, legs extended with the tops of your feet on the floor.
Tighten your pelvic floor, and tuck hips downward as you squeeze your glutes.
Press shoulders down and away from ears.
Push through your thumbs and index fingers as you raise your chest toward the wall in front of you.
Relax and repeat.
Do 5 reps total.
4. Hamstring Stretch Series
Target: Hamstrings
Place a small folded towel behind your head and lie faceup on the floor with legs extended and feet flexed.
Bend right knee to chest and interlace fingers behind hamstrings as close to your groin as possible; gaze at your chest and keep your chin down, neck long (not shown).
Tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor and extend leg, pushing through the heel and contracting quads.
Return to start and repeat; do 5 reps.
Repeat, turning thigh outward (heel points in), for 5 reps.
Relax and repeat, turning thigh inward (heel points out, toes point in), for 5 reps.
Switch legs; repeat series for a total of 15 reps on each leg.
5. Split Squat
Target: Quads, Calves
Stand with feet hip-width apart.
Step right foot about 12 inches in front.
Curl toes of your left leg under; keep weight equal between both feet. Interlace fingers, placing hands under ribs; press shoulders down away from ears.
Tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor; tuck your pelvis under and squeeze glutes.
Slowly bend both knees, coming down in 3 counts; feel the stretch along the left quad.
Press into floor to rise back to start in 3 counts.
Do 5 reps; switch legs and repeat.
6. Quadrupeds
Target: Shoulders
Kneel on all fours with wrists aligned under shoulders and knees under hips, toes curled into floor (not shown).
Bring your forehead toward the floor and slide the pinkie edge of your left hand along the floor in front of you (keep your right palm flat on the floor).
Press shoulders down away from your ears and squeeze your glutes.
Return to starting position by pushing down on your right palm and sliding your left hand back toward your shoulders.
Do 5 reps; switch sides and repeat.
The Best Time to Stretch
Question: "What's the best time to stretch — before or after a workout?"
Answer: "Some studies have shown that stretching right before exercise can actually hamper performance," says Mike Bracko, EdD, director of the Institute for Hockey Research in Calgary, Alberta, and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.
One Theory: When you stretch, protein filaments in the muscles expand, then stay elongated for a short time, making the muscle weaker for about 10 to 15 minutes. Better? Warm up to increase blood flow, then stretch post-workout, when your muscles are more flexible.
The Forgotten Area You Must Work
You've probably heard that Kegel exercises will strengthen your pelvic floor after pregnancy and ramp up your sex life anytime. But these moves (developed by Arnold Kegel, MD, in the late 1940s) are also crucial to building a firm foundation for any movement, says trainer Ashley Borden.
"It's vital to strengthen both the muscles of your pelvic floor and your deep abdominals," she notes. "These muscles work together to create a solid base on which everything else can build."
Build Up Your Pelvic Floor and Deep Abdominals
To engage the area, think about stopping the flow of urine midstream.
Keep the muscles contracted while pulling your navel in toward your spine.
Hold this position during each stretch.
Original article and pictures take www.fitnessmagazine.com site
6 stretches every runner should do before and after a workout Photo: Stocksy/Mauro Grigollo Photo: Stocksy/GIC
Before running
Hip circles: Before you hit the ground running, do Warner’s favorite pre-run stretch. Start with your feet wide, toes forward, and your hands on hips. Now circle your hips four or five times clockwise and counterclockwise.
Deep squat to rise: Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott, the founders of Tone It Up, recommend this stretch for warming up your lower back, hamstrings, quads, and hips. Begin in a deep squat with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your elbows pressing your inner thighs. Lower your hands to the ground and straighten your legs. One vertebrae at a time, raise to a standing position. Then open your arms out to the sides and raise them to meet above your head. Lower your arms back down and bring your palms to your heart center before lowering into a squat. Repeat five times.
Dynamic runners’ lunges: Rachel Mariotti, a precision running instructor at Equinox, recommends doing this move to warm up your hamstrings and stretch your hips. Start standing, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step backward with one leg, then drop into a lunge, bending at both knees to form 90-degree angles with your legs. Stand back up, and repeat five times on each side.
Photo: Stocksy/Bonninstudio
Calf and hamstring stretch: Mariotti recommends this two-in-one stretch. Put the ball of your foot on a curb (with your heel on the ground) or the edge of a treadmill so your heel hangs off and you feel a stretch in your calf. Reach down to your toes while you stretch to get a good hamstring stretch as well, then repeat on the other side.
Foam roller: Consider this piece of equipment your post-run BFF. Mariotti recommends a vibrating foam roller, but a static one will work as well. Start by sitting on the roller and move it slowly down each leg to loosen any tension that was built up during your run. This’ll release tightness in your hamstrings, calves, and quads.
Figure four: Warner says not to forget to stretch your piriformis, a muscle in your glute region, because if it’s tight, it can lead to pain in your lower back, hamstrings, or nerves. While sitting on a bench or chair, cross your right leg over your left so the ankle rests on the opposite knee. Press gently on the bent right knee for a deeper stretch. Repeat a few times on each side.
Be the smartest runner on the block! Here’s why a sunset run can be a real game-changer, plus the running myths you should never fall for.
Calf and hamstring stretch: Mariotti recommends this two-in-one stretch. Put the ball of your foot on a curb (with your heel on the ground) or the edge of a treadmill so your heel hangs off and you feel a stretch in your calf. Reach down to your toes while you stretch to get a good hamstring stretch as well, then repeat on the other side.
Foam roller: Consider this piece of equipment your post-run BFF. Mariotti recommends a vibrating foam roller, but a static one will work as well. Start by sitting on the roller and move it slowly down each leg to loosen any tension that was built up during your run. This’ll release tightness in your hamstrings, calves, and quads.
Figure four: Warner says not to forget to stretch your piriformis, a muscle in your glute region, because if it’s tight, it can lead to pain in your lower back, hamstrings, or nerves. While sitting on a bench or chair, cross your right leg over your left so the ankle rests on the opposite knee. Press gently on the bent right knee for a deeper stretch. Repeat a few times on each side.
Be the smartest runner on the block! Here’s why a sunset run can be a real game-changer, plus the running myths you should never fall for.
Original article and pictures take www.wellandgood.com site
6 Simple Moves to Eliminate Knee Pain for Good The 6 Yoga Poses to Relieve Back Pain ASAP
Feeling weak in the knees is only a good thing when it’s over your latest Tinder date. Experiencing joint pain is an entirely different sensation—and one that’s not quite so magical.
Joint pain affects one in five Americans and is one of the leading causes of disability in the U.S. Along with leg, neck, and back pain, knee pain tops the list of problem areas, according to James Rippe, M.D., a cardiologist and joint pain specialist. And we're not getting better: A 2013 study reported a 162 percent increase in knee replacements over the last 20 years in people 65 and older .
So how do you know if you're at risk? Factors like inactivity, carrying too much bodyweight, poor posture, improperly treated injuries, and insufficient nourishment can all contribute to knee pain, Rippe says. Luckily, by taking better care of your knees throughout your life, starting as early as your thirties, you can strengthen joints and potentially save yourself from years of daily pain and discomfort.
What You Can Do Now
One of the best things you can do for knee health is simply maintaining an active lifestyle. “Your joints thrive on movement,” Rippe says. “Always try to remember that some activity is better than no activity.” Rippe recommends low-impact activities, like swimming, brisk walking, or cycling, and considering taking health supplements that provide glucosamine and chondroitin to strengthen and lubricate knees.
On the flip side, too much movement can be hard on your joints. So if you're one of those people who just can’t quit their HIIT habit or long-distance runs, there are some simple moves and stretches you can try that will help alleviate pain.
Since multiple muscles overlap the knee joint—including your calf, thigh, hamstrings, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, and soleus—and work together to flex, extend, and stabilize the knee, the exact source of pain isn’t always obvious. “This means you want to think about stretching all the tissues around the knees,” says Lauren Williams, a certified personal trainer and head coach at New York City’s athletic-based training studio Tone House.
Here, Williams shares six of the best (and simplest) moves that target all those muscle groups. Try to do these stretches after every workout to keep your knees healthy now and in the future.
Calf muscles often get neglected during our stretching efforts. However, for those who run, do high-impact workouts, or spend a lot of time on their feet, calf stretches are very necessary, Williams says. Calves can get extremely tight from impact and need to be stretched to relieve any pain that might travel up the knee.
Find a wall you can lean against. Facing the wall, flex your right foot and position your heel right where the floor meets the vertical surface. Your toes should be elevated, while your heel remains on the floor. Keeping your heel on the ground and your leg as straight as possible, lean toward your front leg, holding the stretch at its deepest point. Lean in for five seconds at a time before releasing, working to deepen the stretch. Repeat the same stretch with your left leg. Aim for 10 to 15 reps on each leg—or more, if you’re still experiencing tightness.
This move allows you to work out tension in both your calf and your hamstring, Williams says.
Sit on the ground and pull your right foot close to your butt so your knee is bent. Wedge a lacrosse ball (or yoga/massage ball) below your right knee, sandwiching it between your calf and hamstring. Create a “compression force” by pulling your shin toward you, then rotate your foot in alternating circular movements to help create space in your knee joint. Continue until you feel tightness in these areas being relieved, then switch legs.
This stretch not only feels amazing, but it also works double-duty for your hip and quad muscles, Williams explains.
Kneel on one knee (feel free to put down a towel or mat) with your other foot planted flat on the ground in front of you. Make close to a 90-degree angle with both of your legs. Lean forward toward your front leg, stretching the front of your hip downward. Next, grab the ankle of your leg planted on the ground, and pull it toward your rear for a deep hamstring and hip stretch down the front leg, all the way to your knee. Move in and out of this stretch for 10 to 15 reps or more, depending on your level of tightness.
Stretching your quads is vital, as they get adaptively short from all the sitting most of us do every day and are often under constant tension. To get this large muscle group back to functioning at its best, Williams suggests using a foam roller.
Lie facedown and with a foam roller under your right leg, right under your quad. Put the majority of your bodyweight on your leg, and roll slowly. Instead of simply rolling up and down, roll your leg from side to side too, focusing pressure on the tighter spots of your muscles. Switch legs. Continue rolling until this feeling is no longer painful. If that’s impossible (as it might be for some runners!), do it for at least five minutes.
Our hamstring muscles affect the knee more than we think and can be the source of discomfort or pain.
Lie faceup with your left leg flat on the ground, foot flexed. Take your right leg and prop it up on a wall or table, or use a resistance band. This stretch should radiate down the back of your leg, beginning in your knee. Once you find the deepest point of the stretch, alternate in five-second sequences between contracting and relaxing the foot of your right leg. If you have greater flexibility, hold the ankle of your right leg and pull it toward you. Aim for 10 to 15 rounds of five-second holds, and continue if you still feel tight. Repeat with your left leg.
Easy strengthening exercises, like leg raises, put little to no strain on your knee but also activate and strengthen quadriceps.
Lie faceup with one knee bent and the other leg the ground in front of you. Lift your straight leg up approximately one foot, rotating your leg outward (the entire leg rotates outward, so toes point on a diagonal instead of straight up to the ceiling). Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, alternating legs. As you get stronger, add ankle weights up to 10 pounds.
Original article and pictures take greatist.com site
