Lunges To Arm Circles: A Comprehensive Stretching Routine That Will Increase Your Range Of Motion

Fitness enthusiasts greatly emphasize having a holistic workout routine that exercises every part of the body. However, hardly anyone discusses the parameter which determines the degree to which you can do this. Yes, you guessed right! We’re talking about range of motion here. This is the extent to which the muscles and joints in your body move during a workout or otherwise.

The higher your range of motion is, the more freely and smoothly you will move, and the better results you will reap from your workout routine. It forms the basis of your flexibility. Stretching is an effective way to build your body’s range of motion. Having said that, there are some stretches that work better than others. They specifically target the main joints in your body. AskMen India lists them down for you:

For your hips

Deep lunges

Lunges are an excellent exercise for your lower body. They strengthen your knees and make your thighs look toned. However, when it comes to deep lunges, where your legs are bent more than 90 degrees, the benefits are much more. This movement requires you balance on one leg while the other remains straight. It stretches your hamstrings and quadriceps thoroughly and increases the range of motion of your hip joints. This improves the overall flexibility of your legs.

Follow these steps:

• Stand with your feet hip width apart.
• Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
• Place your right foot in front of the left.
• Bend your right knee as much as possible while keeping your left leg straight.
• Place your hands on your right thigh for support.
• Straighten your legs and return to the starting position.
• Repeat with the same steps with your left leg.

For your arms and shoulders

Resistance band arm circles

Resistance band arm circles are an amazing stretching exercise for your upper body. They involve rotating your arms backwards and forwards in an alternate motion, while holding a resistance band in your hands.This releases any stiffness accumulated in your arms, shoulders and upper back. It also strengthens these muscles and increases their range of motion. Be careful to not go beyond your flexibility threshold or you will injure yourself.

Follow these steps:

• Stand with your feet hip width apart.
• Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
• Hold a resistance band in front of your chest.
• Maintain more than shoulder width distance between your palms.
• Rotate your arms backwards and bring the resistance band to your lower back.
• Rotate your arms forward to return to the starting position.
• Repeat in a seamless and controlled motion.

For your back

Supine spinal twists

Supine spinal twist is a yoga exercise which, as its name suggests, stretches your spinal cord and releases any stiffness accumulated in your torso, especially your lower back muscles. It is performed in the horizontal plane and involves twisting your knees to the sides without moving your upper body. It’s a great movement for anyone who finds themselves tied to a desk all day. It increases your spine mobility and flexibility.

Follow these steps:

• Lie down on your back.
• Extend your arms on the sides in line with your shoulders.
• Bend your knees and place your feet firmly on the floor.
• Twist your legs to the right.
• Try and touch your knees to the floor without lifting your upper body.
• Bring your legs back to the center.
• Now twist your legs to the left.
• Repeat in a seamless and controlled manner.

For your knees

Knee rotations

The knees are the most important joints, as they bear the weight of the entire body and enable day-to-day movements like sitting, standing, walking, bending and jumping. Their mobility and flexibility, therefore, is highly imperative to maintain. One way to do this is by performing knee rotations, which simply involve rotating the knees in the clockwise and anticlockwise direction in an alternate motion, while keeping your feet together. This gives the joints a good stretch and prevents jerky movements.

Follow these steps:

• Stand with your feet together.
• Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
• Bend your legs slightly and place your palms on your knees.
• Rotate your knees in the clockwise direction.
• Rotate your knees in the anticlockwise direction.

For your ankles

Standing heel lifts

Another part of the body that plays a significant role in day-to-day movements like standing, walking, bending and jumping are the ankle joints. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to balance on our feet and carry the weight of our body around. Exercising them, therefore, is super important. Standing heel lifts are a great way to stretch the ankle joints and release any stiffness accumulated in them. Their range of motion increases every time you stand on your toes.

Follow these steps:

• Stand with your feet hip width apart.
• Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
• Lift your heels off the floor and stand on your toes.
• Extend your arms above your head as you do so.
• Bring your heels back to the floor.
• Drop your arms back to your sides as you do so.
• Repeat in a seamless and controlled motion.

For your elbows

Reverse prayer pose

Reverse prayer pose is a yoga asana that puts your upper body flexibility to test. It may look like a simple exercise that involves joining your palms behind your back, but when you actually go to do it, you will realize that it requires an immense amount of shoulder and elbow mobility. If you’re weak in these areas, you may not be able to pull off the pose right away. However, we recommend you to keep trying until you get there.

Follow these steps:

• Stand with your feet hip width apart.
• Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed
• Fold your arms at 90 degrees behind your back.
• Join your palms in a prayer pose.
• Hold this position for some time.
• Release and repeat.

Add these exercises to your warm-up for better results from your workout!

Cover artwork by Dhaval Punatar/AskMen India

You May Also Dig: