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This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/tgoZ0RTuEOs
Mike: Today we're going to go over a beginner stretching routine that you can do on your own.
Brad: That's right. We're going to be covering six stretches that loosen you up head to toe.
Mike: This program is designed for someone who has never done stretching before, so they're pretty easy and you can do them just in your house.
Brad: Now each stretch, you're going to hold for 30 seconds, but again, that's a long time to hold if you've never done it before. So start at your own pace, and do it one to three times.
Mike: The first stretch we're going to do, you're going to need a doorway or a frame at least. You can open up the door. We're going to be stretching our pec muscles. I'm going to make kind of a field goal post-looking shape like Brad is doing here on the door frame. And then you're going to slowly lean into it. This is going to stretch those pecs out. We're going to hold it for 15 to 30 seconds. The further in I go, the more stretch I feel. If you're tight and still on the backside of the doorway, that's fine. If your shoulders have trouble going up, you could certainly keep them down.
Mike: Do whatever is comfortable for you. You could even go down lower, I guess, if you'd like.
Brad: That's right. Yeah, so this is a nice stretch. Once you can do it, every time you walk through a doorway throughout the day, simply do a stretch. It's nice for posture, just don't let your head get way forward. We don't want that. Keep the head over the shoulders.
Mike: Okay, the second stretch we're going to do is for the calf muscle. Now you have two calf muscles per leg. So we're going to show two different stretches. Brad will demonstrate it. All you need is a wall.
Brad: That's right. You don't have to go to a farm to find a calf animal. You know what I'm saying? You know. Anyways, the wall, we're going to stretch our calf muscles. Take one foot, and put it back away from the wall. Both hands are firmly on the wall. Make sure your hands are clean so you don't leave marks. I'm guilty of that.
Mike: Cheeto fingers.
Brad: Now the foot, seriously the foot is important. If your foot is angled out, you will not get a good stretch. Point it towards the wall. My heel comes up a little bit. Flattening it gives me a stretch. And there are two ways to do this with your knee straight and you lean into it. You'll feel a stretch that gets the gastroc muscle. You don't need to know that. But it is important to do it with the leg straight.
Brad: To be complete, you're going to bend the knee and stretch again. This stretches a different muscle and it's really helpful.
Brad: Make sure you do both legs straight. And with that knee bent. You can hold it for up to 30 seconds or you can repeat it on/off, and relax. You know if it's the first time you don't want to get too aggressive, you may have sore muscles the next day just from stretching. So be gentle with it and then carry that on.
Mike: The third stretch we're going to do is for the hip flexor. The hip flexor makes you flex your hip or like marching. In order to stretch it out, you have to go backward to stretch it. There are many ways to stretch this. This is the most optimal way if you're having back pain of sorts, it's a pretty safe stretch. You're going to need a firm surface to sit on, whether that's a dining room table or a bed. Just beware on the bed, sometimes the edges are soft and you can kind of slide off. So what you're going to do is begin in a double knee-chest position. The closer my buttocks are to the edge of the mat, the more stretch I will feel. I'm going to stretch my left one here. I'm going to bring it off the mat. Then I'm going to bend the knee. It's important to take your other leg and bring it up to your chest. You can see when I do that, I have some tightness there because you could see my leg pulling up. I'm going to hold this for 15 to 30 seconds. Breathe through it. Make sure your leg is in a nice straight line. Don't let it venture out to the side like that. After you're done with 30 seconds, relax, reset, and do the opposite side. You may notice a difference, maybe perform an extra set on the tight side.
Brad: That's right. So again, this little point that Mike brought up about bringing the foot and that actually stretches a different muscle. It's the rectus femoris that goes from the knee up that is actually forgotten in a lot of hip flexor stretches. That's the beauty of this one. We're stretching the deep muscles up in the hip and then when we add this, we get that rectus femoris.
Brad: You will feel it stretch all the way the length of the thigh when you do that. So play around with it, get a feel for your body, and learn it. If you do not have an option to get off your bed or a table that's safe where you don't feel comfortable doing that, you can do this one in a lunging position and you know, with a pillow or a cushion, go like this. Keep your body straight. And this is another option for a hip flexor stretch. Doing the same, similar thing just at a some more optimal or convenient for some people.
Mike: Yes, if you're comfortable getting down on your knees and doing it, that's typically the way I do it. It feels good.
Brad: That's right. Alright, let's go to, what are we on number what?
Mike: Four.
Brad: Four, the big four.
Mike: Stretch number four is going to be commonly known as child's pose. Sometimes we call it prayer stretch or down on all fours. It's actually going to stretch your hips, your knees, your lats, your shoulders, a little bit of everything. So you start in kind of a quadruped position like this. I tend to bring my feet together just because it's more comfortable for me. And then the wider I go, the easier it is to sit my heel towards my butt. And once you're down here, if you're not feeling much of a stretch, you can certainly extend your hands out in front of you. Again, breathe, relax, hold it for 30 seconds.
Mike: If you're stuck off the mat more and can't go down as far, that's fine. Just start there. If you can't get down in this position like this, Brad will show you an option you can do seated in a second. Again, if say one side feels tighter, say my left side is a little tighter, I can bring that hand over to the right. Get a little more stretch and hold it that way. Or you can do vice versa and stretch the other side.
Brad: I want to emphasize this is really not a full body stretch, but really covers the hips, the shoulder, and the shoulder blade, and it really works everything well, even in the ankles for plantar flexion. Now Mike is wearing jeans, I don't recommend wearing jeans unless you have stretchy jeans like Mike. Yeah, he's got those fancy ones that are elastic, otherwise, you know, shorts or something stretchy is always recommended with this particular one. If you do not feel comfortable going on your knees on the floor or your bed, a chair, or office chair that has wheels works really well. You can put your hands on the table. A firm surface is a nice, nice surface to do it on. And then simply roll the chair away and I can start to feel the stretch in my lower back and my hips, my shoulders. And we're just going to breathe gently.
Brad: Now, if you do not have a chair with wheels, you simply take a towel and put it down on a table that's smooth and shiny. It'll work nicely. A chair there and you simply slide forward, and get a similar stretch again. You can cross over like Mike did. You'll feel that more on one shoulder as well as the opposite lower back and hip. It's a nice little addition to it and feels good.
Brad: It's really nice when you get a stretch that feels good. You get done, it feels good, you're right on the money. Continue to do it. Alright, let's go to number five.
Mike: Next, we're going to work on the hamstrings, which are on the back of the leg. You have three per side. We're going to give them a stretch. For this one, there are lots of ways to stretch the hamstring. The variation we're showing you will have to be kind of on the edge of a bed like this in order to do it. I'm going to stretch my right one here. So I'm simply going to put my leg out in front of me, keep it nice and straight. If I am back too far, I don't feel much of a stretch. Once I get more neutral, I feel a little bit, some people can really bend forward. I'm not that flexible in my hamstrings. But if you do bend forward, make sure to keep your back straight. Do not round like this. And I'm just going to sit with a nice flat back and I feel a hamstring stretch right here. I'm going to hold it for 30 seconds to perform on the opposite side. Either switch sides of the bed or just turn around. Again, you can isolate that one leg. Hold for 30 seconds.
Brad: That's right. This is a nice stretch. Remember on all these stretches, breathe and relax. If you do that, your muscles will relax and stretch much better as opposed to if you grunt and really force it. So allow the muscle to stretch. Don't force it. Number six, this is one of my favorite ones. Prone external rotation. Simply in a seated position you can do it or lie down on your back in a chair. I do this every time I put my socks or shoes on. I have my foot up on my opposite knee. If I relax and let it down I'll give it a little extra push.
Brad: That feels good. It's one of those things as you get older, sixties and seventies, this becomes more difficult, making it more difficult simply to dress. So if you simply do a little stretch every day before you put your socks and shoes on, it's going to help you out a lot. Sit up. And Mike, do you want to show her how to do it in bed or lying on the floor?
Mike: So a similar position to Brad is doing your opposite leg will need to be bent. You can do this on the floor or bed like Brad said. Now if you can easily push this leg down here, don't feel much of a stretch. Simply bringing this foot closer will do more. Or I can take my hands on this leg and pull up and I really feel a stretch. I actually prefer to do this at home with this foot next to a wall up on a wall. That way I can just push. But this is certainly an easy way to do it as well.
Brad: But wait, there's more.
Mike: There is?
Brad: So if you happen to be a beginner or you're real tight lying down, you may not be able to get your foot up to the opposite knee and it's like, oh, I'm stuck. What am I gonna do? Simply straighten the leg out start in this position and just relax. Let gravity pull that down. And after you can do that like Mike is doing, you simply elevate that knee, give you a little more stretch, and then get into the more advanced stretch like Mike was doing. So yeah, it's a nice stretch. Really good for the hips.
Brad: Alright, we've got another video with some similar stretches. This one is actually focused on seniors. What is it, Mike?
Mike: "Seniors: Five Must-Do Stretches to Stay Independent." It kind of shows some functionality along with the stretches. And I think we're in it.
Brad: Five must do! Yeah, so you must do them. They're good stretches, you'll like them.
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