How to Use a Foam Roller to Decrease Post Workout Soreness

How to Use a Foam Roller to Decrease Post Workout Soreness

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*Injury disclaimer:

Not all exercises are suitable for everyone and this or any other exercise program may result in injury, To reduce this risk of injury, please consult your doctor before beginning this, or any other, physical fitness program. Any user of this program assumes the full risk of injury resulting from performing the routines presented within this video.

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How to Stretch

How to Stretch

Reader Approved

Stretching correctly will increase your flexibility and reduce the risk of injuries caused by lesions of the connective tissues (such as the periosteum) and other nasty things. This guide shows a variety of techniques with the goal of revamping or establishing your stretching routine. Use the tips that suit your needs for the activities you do. If you are injured, do not stretch without the help of a physical therapist. Doing so may result in further injury.

1. 

   1 Stretch your shoulders.
   • Place the back of one hand in the small of your back.
   • With your opposite hand, grab your elbow, gently pull forward, and hold.
   • Repeat with opposite side.
2. 2 Stretch your triceps.
   • Reach up with one arm.
   • Bend your elbow and put your forearm down behind your head and between your shoulder blades.
   • With your opposite arm, reach up and grab your raised elbow.
   • Pull your elbow toward your head.
   • Repeat with other arm.
3. 4 Stretch your wrists.
   • Hold one arm out in front of you with your elbow bent (and close to your body) and palm facing up.
   • With your opposite hand, grab your fingertips and slowly pull them all the way down until that hand is now facing the floor.
   • Continue to pull on your fingertips, now in an upward direction since your palm is facing down.
   • Repeat with other hand.
4. 6 Stretch your calves.
   • Place one leg in front of the other (split stance) with your hands on your hips.
   • Lean slightly forward as you begin to straighten your back leg, ideally bringing your back foot all the way flat against the floor.
   • Repeat with other leg.
5. 8 Stretch your hips.
   • Lie flat on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
   • Get into a figure four position by placing one ankle on your opposite knee.
   • Reach through and around your knee, clasp, pull it toward you, and hold.
   • Repeat with opposite side.
6. 9 Stretch your groin.
   • Sit on the floor.
   • Press the soles of your feet together (butterfly position).
   • Pull your feet as close to your body as possible.
   • Put your hands on your ankles to where your elbows are lined up with your knees.
   • Push against your elbows trying to close your legs. (This contracts your groin muscles to help you get a deeper stretch.)
   • Push your knees down.
7. 10 Stretch your upper back.
   • Reach both hands behind you and then up over your head (as if to perform a butterfly stroke in swimming).
   • Continue to swing your arms over your head and out in front of you.
   • Try to keep both arms parallel to the floor as you are holding the stretch.
   • To maintain balance, sit back slightly with your knees partially bent.
8. 11 Stretch your neck.
   • Incline your head forward, but do not roll your head from side to side-this is dangerous. Instead, stretch your neck to the left, right, forward and back, but always return to center first!
   • Tilt your head with ear toward shoulder, incline your head backward and roll your head from left to right, then right to left in a 30 degree motion.
   • Be sure that while your head is tilted back, you keep your jaw relaxed and even let your mouth fall open just a bit.
9. 12 Stretch your jaw.
   • Incline your head back, rest your chin on your palm, and pull your jaw open.
   • Say "Ah!" (you can mime it).
   • Grab your chin with your thumb, index and middle fingers.
   • Stretch it left to right. This exercise will help if you have been hit to the jaw (e.g., knocked-out in boxing).

1. 1 Never stretch before you warm up. The only reason it feels good to stretch even when you're cold is because your body sends out natural painkillers. To protect your tissues, you need to raise your cardiac pulse in order to fill them with blood. The only way to do this is by working out.
   • Swimming is the safest way to raise your cardiac pulse. Water reduces shocks to the body because it reduces the felt effect of gravity on your body.
   • Jumping rope can also be effective, but it may damage your tibia's periosteums, which is the membrane enveloping your bones (except at junctions) that allows the blood to flow from your heart to your muscles connected by the tendon.
   • Swimming pools are sometimes inaccessible, so an efficient and safe way to raise cardiac pulse would be by cycling (except if you have knee problems).
2. 2 Stretching before your workout will put your Central Nervous System (CNS) to sleep to increase your range of motion. It will result with less gain than improvement on the muscle part. The CNS naturally provides resistance by stimulating antagonists muscles when you flex a muscle to prevent it from being too stretched and tear your conjunctive tissues. Never stretch prior to workout, and always do it after.

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How to Stretch Your Chest

How to Stretch Your Chest

This chest expansion stretch targets your shoulders, chest, and arms and helps promote good posture. This procedure demonstrates the classic stretch that most fitness experts recommend.

Don’t stretch your muscles until you’ve at least warmed up thoroughly. Stretching at the end of your workout is even better. A post-workout stretch is a great way to relax and ease back into the rest of your day and has been shown to reduce injuries.

Follow these steps to perform the chest expansion:

1. Lift your chest and raise your arms slightly.

   You should feel a mild stretch spread across your chest.

   

   Credit: Photograph by Sunstreak Productions, Inc.

Keep in mind the following tips as you perform the chest expansion:

• Resist arching your lower back as you pull your arms upward.

• Try to keep your shoulders relaxed and down.

• Don’t force your arms up higher than is comfortable.

Original article and pictures take www.dummies.com site