Free hand stretching exercises

Free hand stretching exercises for warming up and cooling down
The following examples of general stretching and flexibility exercises
Shoulder circles

• · Stand tall with good posture
• · Raise your right shoulder towards your right ear, take in backwards, down and then up again with a smooth rhythm.
• · Perform this shoulder circling movement eight times then repeat with other shoulder.
• · Breath easily throughout

Arm circle

• · Stand tall with good posture.
• · Lift one arm forward then take it backwards in a continuous circling motion, keeping your spine long throughout.
• · Avoid the tendency to arch your spin whilst carrying out the circling movement.
• · Perform this arm circling movement eight times, before repeating with the other arm.
• · Breathe easily throughout.

Side bends

• · Stand tall with good posture, feet slightly wide then shoulder width apart, knee slightly bent, hands resting on hips.
• · Lift your trunk up and away from your hips and bend smoothly first to one side, then the other, avoiding the tendency to lean either forwards or backwards.
• · Repeat the whole sequence sixteen times with a slow rhythm, breathing out as you bend to the side, and in as you return to the cent re.

Trunk twists

• · Stand tall with good posture.
• · Have your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands resting on hips.
• · Keeping your spine long and your hips facing forward, turn smoothly and slowly round to one side, then the other.
• · Repeat the sequence sixteen times, breathing easily throughout the movement.

Upper back stretch

• · Stand or sit tall with good posture.
• · If standing, bend your knees slightly and tilt your pelvis under.
• · Interlock your fingers and push your hands as far away from your chest as possible, allowing your upper back to relax, whilst at the same time looking down.
• · You will feel the stretch between your shoulder blades.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout. Chest stretch

• · Standing, bend your knees slightly and tilt your pelvis under.
• · Pace your hands, loosely clasped, on the small of your back and keep your spine long and shoulders back and away from your ears.
• · Without arching your spine, ease your elbows towards each other as far as possible, feeling the stretch in the frond of the chest.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.

Standing side bend

• · Make sure that you have a good stable base by placing your feet approximately a mere apart, toes facing forward.
• · Bend your knees slightly and keep your hips facing forward, too.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other side.

Sideways neck stretch

• · Stand or sit tall with good posture, keeping your spine and neck long and your shoulders down away from your ears.
• · Keeping your neck long, tilt your head to the side.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other side.

Frond of shoulder stretch

• · Sit on a stool or stand tall with good posture, bend your knees slightly and tilt your pelvis under.
• · Place your hands behind you, interlock your fingers and then straighten your arms and try and lift them upwards and backwards as far as possible.
• · Keep your spine long throughout and make sure that your shoulders are back and down away from your ears.
• · You will feel the stretch in the frond of the chest.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.

Shoulder and side stretch.

• · Sit on a stool or stand tall with good posture, bend your knees slightly and tilt your pelvis under.
• · Place your both hands above your head and then place your right hand behind your head, easing the left arm closer towards your head taking the elbow behind the head if possible.
• · Keep your spine long and your shoulders down away from your ears throughout the exercise
• · You will feel the stretch along the side of the trunk and shoulder.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other side.

Half squat

• · Stand tall with good posture holding your hands out in front of you for balance.
• · Now bend at the knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
• · Keep your back long throughout the movement, and look straight ahead.
• · Make sure that your knees always point in the same direction as your toes.
• · Once your lowest point, fully straighten your legs to return to your starting position.
• · Repeat the exercise 16 times with a smooth, controlled rhythm.
• · Breaths in as you descend, and out as you rise.

Standing

• · Stand tall with one leg in front of the other, hands flat and at shoulder height against a wall.
• · Ease your back leg further away from the wall, keeping it straight and press the heel firmly in to the floor.
• · Keep your hips facing the wall,
• · You will feel the stretch in the calf of the rear leg.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other side.

Calf stretch

• · Position your self as for the standing calf stretch exercise.
• · This time, however, flex the knee of the rear leg, whilst still keeping the heel pressed firmly on to the floor.
• · The sensation of stretch should now be experienced lower down in the calf.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other side.

Standing hip and thigh stretch

• · Stand tall with good posture in frond of a firm chair or stool.
• · Raise one foot up on to the chair back easing your body towards this foot so that chest and thigh come closer together.
• · Rest your hands loosely on the raised knee and keep your spine and back leg straight and your shoulders down away from your ears.
• · Ease as far forward as possible and hold your position
• · You will feel the stretch along the frond of the thigh of the extended leg, and along the back of the thigh of the raised leg.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other side.

Seated groin stretch

• · Sit tall with good posture.
• · Ease your legs up towards your body and soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to ease out down towards the floor.
• · Make sure that your back stays long and that your shoulders are down away from your ears.
• · Rest your hands on your lower legs or angles, or keep them by your sides for support.
• · You will feel the stretch along the inside of thighs and groin.
• · If you wish to stretch the hamstring and hip extensors at the same time, from the position above ease forward by hinging at the hip, still keeping the spine long
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.

Kneeling hip flex or stretch

• · Kneel on a mat or towel with one leg flexed in frond of you as illustrated- your weight should be evenly distributed so that your position is stable, although you can use your hands at either side your body for extra support.
• · Note that the knee at the front leg is positioned directly over the front foot.
• · From this position and keeping your spine long and shoulders down, push your hips forward.
• · You may find that you have to take your rear knee further back before you can feel the stretch along the front of this thigh.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other leg.

Lying hip abductor stretch

• · Lie flat on the floor with both legs flexed at the knee.
• · Now crossed your legs and use the weight of the top leg to bring the lower leg down towards the floor.
• · Keep your back, shoulders and the foot of the lower leg in contact with the floor throughout the movement.
• · You will feel the stretch along the out side of the hip and thigh.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other leg.

Front of trunk stretch

• · Lie down on the floor, fully out stretched.
• · Side your arms to the sides of your body for support, and ease your chest off the floor, keeping your spine long and your hips firmly pressed in to the ground.
• · You will feel the stretch in the front of the trunk.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout

Seated trunk twist

• · Sit tall with good posture, legs stretched out in front of you, spine long, shoulders down away from your ears.
• · Place your right leg over your left leg as illustrated and rotate your trunk, using your left arm against your right knee to help ease you further round.
• · Use your right arm on the floor for support.
• · You will feel the stretch along the length of the spine as well as in the muscles around the right hip.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other side.

Seated groin and hamstring stretch

• · Sit tall with both legs fully outstretched.
• · Flex your right knee so that the right foot rests comfortably along your left inner thigh, with the right knee as close as possible to the floor.
• · Keeping your spine long and your shoulders down away from your ears, hinge forward from the hips to reach towards your flexed left foot.
• · Go as far forward as possible, and then relax your spine to reach even further forward, holding this stretch position.
• · You will feel the stretch along the back of the outstretched leg, and along the inside and area of the flexed leg.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other leg.

Lying quadriceps stretch

• · Lie face down on the floor, resting your forehead on your right hand.
• · Press your hips firmly into the floor and bring your left foot up towards your buttocks, easing it closer to them with your right hand.
• · You will feel the stretch along the front of thigh.
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat on the other side.

Lying hamstring stretch

• · Lie flat on the floor with your knees flexed to approximately ninety degrees.
• · Raise your left leg, grasping it loosely behind the thigh with both hands.
• · Now ease this leg as close to your chest as possible
• · You will feel the stretch along the back of the flexed thigh
• · Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, breathing easily throughout.
• · Repeat with the other leg.