STRETCHING GUIDE

*always stretch both sides

Seated:

Lateral Neck (side of neck)

Stabilize shoulder down on right side by holding onto a chair or sitting on hand.
Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder.

Lying Face Up:

Stabilize right shoulder by placing right hand under right buttocks.
Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder.

Standing:

(good to do in a shower, under warm stream):

Stabilize right shoulder down by gently pushing right hand behind back towards the ground.
Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder.

*Rotating head in both directions slowly while moving the head towards the shoulder will stretch all tight muscles on the side of the neck.

*always stretch both sides

Upper Trapezius

Seated:

Stabilize shoulder down on right side by holding onto a chair or sitting on hand.
Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder.
Gently tuck chin to chest and rotate head to the right.

Standing: (good to do in a shower, under warm stream)

Stabilize right shoulder down by gently pushing right hand behind back towards the ground.
Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder.
Gently tuck chin to chest and rotate head to the right.

Lower & Middle Trapezius

Place hands together directly in front of you with arms extended at chest level – hands together.
Push elbows towards each other and bend elbows 90 degrees pointing fingers straight up.
Keeping a 90 degree angle at the elbows raise hands, keeping your lower arm (elbow to wrist) parallel to your body.

Advanced:

Intertwine lower arms and place hands together as shown in pictures to the right

More Advanced:

shown in pictures to the right

*always stretch both sides

There are 3 separate scalenes muscles, all needing individualized stretches. The 3 starting positions are all slightly different. See below- anterior, middle, and posterior.

Seated:

Stabilize shoulder down on right side by holding onto a chair or sitting on hand.
Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder.

Middle:

Neutral head position

Seated Anterior:

Start stretch with head rotated slightly towards the right side.

Seated Posterior:

Start stretch with head rotated slightly towards the left side.

Lying Face Up:

Stabilize right shoulder by placing right hand under right buttocks.
Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder

Lying Face Up Anterior:

Stabilize right shoulder by placing right hand under right buttocks.

Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder.

Lying Face Up Posterior:

Stabilize right shoulder by placing right hand under right buttocks.
Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder.

Standing:

(good to do in a shower, under warm stream):

Stabilize right shoulder down by gently pushing right hand behind back towards the ground.
Place left hand over head above right ear and gently flex neck to the left by bringing left ear to left shoulder.

Standing:

Middle – Neutral head position
Anterior – Start stretch with head rotated slightly towards the right side.
Posterior – Start stretch with head rotated slightly towards the left side.

Seated:

Stabilize shoulder down on right side by holding onto a chair or sitting on hand.
Gently tuck chin towards chest.
With left hand over head above right ear move head to the left shoulder.
Gently rotate head to the right.

Standing:

(good to do in a shower, under warm stream):

Stabilize right shoulder down by gently pushing right hand behind back towards the ground.
Gently tuck chin towards chest.
With left hand over head above right ear move head to the left shoulder.
Gently rotate head to the right.

(these are large strong muscles so go slowly just till you feel a stretch then move deeper as the original stretch fades)

At doorway, exposed beam or wall, place right arm straight out to side and bend elbow to a 90 degree angle
Place that hand and elbow just inside wall, body even with wall.
Move right foot forward and turn torso to the left
Repeat the stretch continuing to find the slight stretch, letting it fade and then finding the stretch again. Use your breath.

The Pectoralis major is a large fan shaped muscle. In order to stretch its entirety, one must use three separate positions. The 90 degree angle is one but also move the elbow slightly upwards and downwards to stretch the entire muscle.

stand facing table or fence – waist high or higher
Bend, with hands extended straight above head, fingers extended and thumbs facing backwards/upwards, so that upper body extends towards the table.
As arms touch table and body bends below the table the lats will stretch

The same stretch would work if you stand in a doorway hands extended straight above head, fingers extended and thumbs facing backwards. Step slowly through the doorway with hands on the top door jam.

At doorway, exposed beam or wall, place right arm straight out to side
Place that hand just inside wall, body even with wall.
Move right foot forward and turn torso to the left
Be careful not to stress the shoulder joint too much. Use your breath.
Place right arm behind back.
Grab wrist with left hand and gently pull right arm towards the left.
Be careful not to stress the shoulder joint too much. Use your breath.

Standing:

Clasp hands and face palms away from the body
Push hands as far away from the body as possible while you slouch, rounding mid and upper back
Tuck head

Seated:

Place hands together, elbows straightened
With legs slightly apart, place arms between legs with elbows near thighs and push arms together gently with legs
Drop your head, continue to extend arms downward while rounding mid and upper back, moving shoulder blades away from each other

(all forward bends will stretch the erectors)

Scott’s favorite for deep erector pain – must be done very slowly, using deep breathing. Remember that the bend at the hip will cause the erectors to be stretched but the head tucked to the chest is the key to this stretch

Start seated with knees slightly bent, legs about 12 inches apart. Use a bolster, pillow, rolled blanket or towel, foam roller or anything else that will provide support to allow relaxed, bent knees for a prolonged period.
With straight back (not rounded), bend forward until minor stretch is felt and STOP moving and breath.
Gently and slowly tuck chin towards chest until erectors begin to feel a slight stretch and STOP moving and breath. Go slowly – people with tight erector muscles will feel a very sudden onset of pain from the stretch – moving too fast will cause a tightening in the erectors – this is a protective response.
Remain still and breathe – allow the pain from the stretch to melt away. This could take 30 seconds to a minute.
When the stretch melted away, tuck the chin gently and slowly further towards the chest until minor stretch is felt and STOP moving and breath.
Breath and allow the stretch to melt away and repeat.

Repeat this a maximum of times or when the stretch pain does not disappear.

Stand with feet hips wide, knees slightly bent
Drop head slightly
Hang arms straight down from shoulders
Move with the breath
Do not allow the low back sink – use abdominal muscles
Let left arm hang to the side and with breath, allow arm to draw the body to the left, towards the ground – use mostly gravity
Stop, inhale and hold for six seconds
Exhale and allow the left arm to draw the body further to the left
Stop, inhale and hold for six seconds
Repeat 4 to 8 times
Take your time – use your breath

(difficult – many can’t feel this stretch – but great if you can)

Best done barefoot
Standing, cross the lower right leg in front of the left leg – crossing below the knees
Place top of right foot and toes on the floor
Bend knees slightly and slide top of right foot to the left keeping pressure towards the floor
Left knee should be close to or pressing on the right calf
Bend left knee more, pressing into right calf and stretching tibialis anterior

Place right knee on the ground, right foot, top of foot and toes down and left foot lunged forward
Make sure left ankle is in front of left knee – allow for more room to move knee forward later to increase the stretch, without the knee moving over the ankle (this is protective of the knee)
Draw right foot and leg back, stretching the front right side of the body
Move left knee forward, leaving right foot and knee in place, increasing the stretch
Suck in belly, extend torso upwards using extended right arm, pointing upwards to help torso extension
Breathe

All stretches for the right

Lie on your back. Bend both knees and place both feet on the ground hip width apart
Place Right ankle in front of the Left knee.
Wrap your hands around the back of your left thigh – right and through the opening in your legs, left hand to the left of your left leg (if flexible enough reach further and grab the left knee)
Gently pull your legs, as a single unit towards your body – this should provide a stretch to your right gluts
Keep your head and neck relaxed on the floor.
If comfortable with the stretch, release your Right hand and push Right knee forward while keeping the Left knee in the same place.

This stretch will be similar to the gluteals except that you want more rotation of the hip. You will need a bed/couch/table.
Face the couch and place the outside of your lower Right leg on the prop in front of you.
Drop your body down so that your hips are even with the couch
This may be a stretch for many of you
Lean forward and drop your weight into the stretch
Increasing and decreasing stretch – you can increase this stretch by moving the right heel further away from the left hip and decrease it by moving the right heel closer to the left hip
Lean forward and drop your weight into the stretch

Stand with a wall or chair or some other stable object available to help balance.
Bend your right leg at the knee and reach behind you and grab your right foot.
Your right knee should be very close to your left knee.
Your right heel should be moving directly towards the middle of your right buttocks
While keeping your upper body perpendicular to the floor, draw your right foot closer to your buttocks.

We like to use a prop like a bed/couch/massage table/chair to help with this quad stretch. It should be approximately hip height.
Stand with your back against the prop.
Bend your right leg at the knee and place the top of your foot on the prop behind you.
While keeping your upper body perpendicular to the floor, lower into the stretch by bending your left leg. You can use both hand on the prop for support.
While lowering into the stretch, point your knee towards the floor. Try to prevent your knee from moving forward – this will lessen the stretch.

A strap or towel may be necessary
Lie on your back – buttocks, low and mid back, head and neck relaxed towards the floor
Raise your right straight leg towards your body. If you can reach your leg with both hands, pull your straight leg towards you.
If not, use a towel or rope to wrap around your leg and pull towards you. Relax your head and neck on the floor. This stretch, you will probably feel closer to the knee.

A wall or doorway is necessary
Place straight right leg up the wall and straight left leg on the floor, through a doorway with the left inner legs touching the door frame.
Low and mid back, buttocks, head and neck relaxed towards the floor
Move right buttocks towards the wall as more stretch is needed
This stretch is great for those that have difficulty in stretching their hamstrings because it is relaxed and can be held for long periods (5 minutes is not unusual, start with 2 minutes and works towards more). Also, you do not need to use your muscles to hold this stretch.

Calf Muscles (Soleus, Gastrocnemius)

* A note on stretching your calf. There are two major muscles in your calf – one crosses the knee joint, the other does not. Therefore, in order to stretch both muscles, you must stretch your calf two ways – with the knee bent and with it straight.

Right knee needs to remain straightened during this stretch
Stand facing a wall.
Place hands on the wall
Dropping your torso down helps here
With a straight right leg, place right heel on the floor close to wall with balls of foot up against the wall
Keep your right leg straight as you move your torso towards the wall feeling a stretch in your calf near the knee.

Calf Muscles (Soleus, Gastrocnemius)

* A note on stretching your calf. There are two major muscles in your calf â€“ one crosses the knee joint, the other does not. Therefore, in order to stretch both muscles, you must stretch your calf two ways – with the knee bent and with it straight.

Right knee needs to be bent slightly during this stretch
Stand facing a wall.
Place hands on the wall
Dropping your torso down helps here
With a lightly bent right knee, place right heel on the floor close to wall with balls of foot up against the wall
Keep your right knee slightly bent as you move your torso towards the wall feeling a stretch in your calf a couple inches above your right heel.

Calf Muscles (Soleus, Gastrocnemius)

* A note on stretching your calf. There are two major muscles in your calf – one crosses the knee joint, the other does not. Therefore, in order to stretch both muscles, you must stretch your calf two ways – with the knee bent and with it straight.

Right knee needs to be bent slightly during this stretch
Face a wall with both hands on the wall – feet about 2 feet away from the wall – toes facing the wall
Place some of your weight on the wall leaning into it
Move your right foot behind – entire foot firmly on the floor, left foot stays where it is
You should be in a lunge position
Keep your right foot flat as you bring your right knee closer to the floor, bending your right knee slightly, feeling a stretch in your calf a couple inches above your right heel.

Right knee needs to remain straightened during this stretch
Face a wall with both hands on the wall – feet about 2 feet away from the wall – toes facing the wall
Place some of your weight on the wall leaning into it
Move your right foot behind – entire foot firmly on the floor , left foot stays where it is
You should be in a lunge position
Keep your right foot flat, right knee straightened, as you bring your right knee closer to the floor feeling a stretch in your calf a couple inches above your right heel.

This stretch must be performed without shoes on
Kneel – knees on floor and balls of toes on floor – not resting on the tops of your feet, curl toes under
The bottom of your toes and the balls of your feet should be pressing into the floor
The bottom of your feet from the balls of your toes to your heel should be facing the wall behind you.
Many people will feel the bottom of their feet stretch at this point – go slow and breath
Sit on your heels lightly increasing the stretch
This may be intensely painful for those with short structures in the bottom of the feet and 10 seconds may be all that is possible.

Another way to loosen up your plantar fascia is to use a tennis ball or golf ball (golf ball is deeper). You can also use a frozen water ball to apply ice at the same time, or even a rolling pin or can from your kitchen.
Seated, place the item under your foot and slowly roll the bottom of your foot over the item.
Try to think of lengthening the area between the balls of your toes and your heels – like you would lengthen dough with a rolling pin

This is a hard muscle to stretch on its own so we often use “the stick” to help.
Sit down on a chair and grab the handles on the stick.
Place the middle of the stick on the meaty part of your muscle directly on the outside of the shin bone. Roll back and forth while loosening the muscle.
To add effectiveness, start with toes raised towards the knee (dorsal flexed) and slowly roll the stick on the muscle while pointing toes in the opposite direction.

This is a hard muscle to stretch on its own so we often use “the stick” to help.
Sit down on the floor and grab the handles on the stick.
Place the middle of the stick on the outside of your right ankle – you can roll this muscle from the boney prominence on the outside of your leg, just below the knee to a couple of inches above the boney prominence on the outside of your ankle
Roll back and forth while loosening the muscle.

Sit on the floor with your right leg extended in front of you
Left leg should be bent, outside of leg on floor, bottom of left foot pressed up against right inner thigh
You will want to pull your right foot towards your knee and the inside of your foot inward towards your torso
If flexible you can reach and use your hands to do this
If you can not reach your foot (most people can not) use a towel or strap
You should feel this on the outside of your right lower leg

The ITB is another soft tissue structure that is difficult to stretch. We use the foam roller to help loosen up the ITB.

Lay the foam roller on the floor perpendicular to your body.
Now, position your self on your right side to work the right ITB by placing your right hand on one side of the foam roller with your right straight leg lying on the foam roller. You will have your left leg bent and your left foot placed on the ground in front of your right leg.
Use your left hand to stabilize your body as well, but try not to rotate your shoulders into that left hand.
Now, roll slowly along the side of your right leg from your knee up to your hip. When you feel tender spots, stop and work in that area for several repetitions.
You can roll in those tender spots or just hang out with pressure until it releases.

*You should definitely have instructions on how to use the foam roller before performing this exercise. Body Mechanics are very important.

Often times, headaches can cause jaw pain or vice versa. Tight neck muscles can lead to tight jaw muscles, the main one being the masseter muscle.
This is a stretch that you will need to use your hands to help the process. Place your three middle fingers of each hand on both sides of your jaw. You can feel the muscle close to and in front of the lower part of your ears
With your mouth closed, push your fingers into the muscle and pull your pressure downwards toward the chin but do not actually slide over the skin. Keep your fingers in the same place with no movement while you slowly open your mouth.
Now, do the same protocol while pushing the pressure upwards towards the top of your head.
Same thing as before, start with your mouth closed, and with no movement of your fingers, slowly open your mouth while keeping the pressure of your fingers engaged in the muscle with the tension upwards.

More Jaw: Platysma

This is a stretch/exercise to get movement and blood flow through your upper back muscles – rhomboids/ latissimus dorsi / and trapezius.

Lean against the wall with your legs slightly bent. You want to keep your hip, back, shoulders, and arms pressed against the wall through the entire movement.
Place the back of your arms against the wall in 90 degree angles.
Bring your elbows down towards your body in a smooth, slow motion as far as you can while maintaining contact with the wall.
Now, slowly bring arms over your head, still in 90 degree angles.
Repeat several times.

This is both a stretch and strengthening exercise. Repeat the entire movement 3 times

Step 1.

Place arms straight at your side or slightly in front of you with palms down and fingers open as wide as possible.
Rotate palms up as far as possible
Open palms (extending wrist) as far as possible.
Hold for 6 seconds.

Step 2.

Slowly curl fingers into fist starting with the thumb side first; thumb will be on the outside of the fist.
Bring knuckles towards your forearm.
Rotate fist and forearm down and away. Knuckles should be facing away from the center.
Hold 6 seconds and repeat entire movement 3 times.

Lateral Neck (side of neck)

Upper Trapezius

Lower & Middle Trapezius

Scalenes

Sternocleidomastoid

Levator Scapula

Suboccipitals

Pectoralis Major

Pectoralis Minor

Latissimus Dorsi

Deltoids (Anterior)

Rhomboids (bi-lateral)

Rhomboids (uni-lateral)

Subscapularis

Biceps

Wrist Flexors

Wrist Extensors

Erectors

Quadratus Lumborum (right QL stretch)

Tibialis Anterior

Abdominals and Psoas

Abdominals

Oblique and Transverse Abdominals (stretching right side)

Psoas (right side)

Quadratus Lumborum

Gluteals/Hips (light)

Gluteals/Hips (deeper)

Lateral Rotators, Piriformis (advanced)

Lateral Rotators, Piriformis (for the very flexible)

Quadriceps (beginner)

Quadriceps (advanced)

Adductors (supine laying down)

Adductors (supine seated)

Hamstrings (strap)

Hamstrings (wall)

Gastrocnemius (work best with shoes on)

Soleus (work best with shoes on)

Soleus

Gastrocnemius

Bottom of Feet (Plantar Fascia)

Bottom of Feet (Plantar Fascia): Ball

Tibialis Anterior

Peroneals: Stick

Peroneals

Iliotibial Band (side of leg)

Toes

Jaw

Angel Stretch: rhomboids/ latissimus dorsi / trapezius

Triceps

“Artisan Stretch/Exercise” (Travell and Simon)