Stretching for Peak Performance

Adductors [top]

1. Sit upright on the floor with your legs straddled and straight.
2. Your partner assumes the same position. Brace your feet together, and interlock hands.
3. Exhale. Keeping your legs straight, bend at the waist, and lower your upper torso toward the floor as your partner leans backward and pulls on your hands. Communication with your partner and use great care.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Stand upright facing your partner.
2. Place your leg on your partner's shoulder.
3. Turn your hip so your feet face away from your partner.
4. Exhale as your partner slowly steps away from you. Communicate with your partner and use great care.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Stand upright while hold a pair of dumbbells.
2. Inhale, and lower your body until one knee rests on the floor.
3. Hold the stretch and relax.
4. Exhale, and return to the starting position. Use a light weight to start, and do not lift the heel of your leading foot or allow your knee to go past your toes.

1. Lie flat on your back with your body straight.
2. Flex your knees and bring the heels and soles of your feet together as you pull them toward your buttocks.
3. Your partner kneals on the floor facing you with his or her hands on your knees.
4. Exhale as you allow your partner to gently push your legs to the floor. Communicate with your partner and use great care.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

Achilles/Lower Leg [top]

Achilles/Lower Leg

1. Stand upright 4 or 5 steps from a wall.
2. Bend one leg forward and keep your opposite leg straight.
3. Lean against the wall without losing the straight line of your head, neck, spin, pelvis, outstretched leg, and ankle.
4. Keep your rear foot down, flat, and parallel to your hips.
5. Exhale, bend your arms, move your chest toward the wall, and shift your weight forward.
6. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Stand upright 4 or 5 steps from a wall.
2. Lean against the wall without losing the straight line of the head, neck, spine, pelvis, legs, and ankles.
3. Keep both of the feet down, flat, and toed-in shoulder-width apart.
4. Exhale, bend your arms, move your chest toward the wall, and shift your weight forward.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

Abdomen/Hip Flexors [top]

Abdomen/Hip Flexors

1. Kneel upright on the floor with legs slightly apart and parallel and with toes pointing backward.
2. Place your palms on your upper hips and buttocks.
3. Exhale, slowly arch your back, contact your buttocks, and push your hips forward.
4. Exhale, continue to arch your back, drop your head backward, open your mouth, and gradually slide your hands onto your heels.
5. Hold the stretch and relax

1. Lie on your back with your heels close to your hips, your hands placed on the floor by your neck (under the shoulders), and your fingers pointing toward your feet.
2. Exhale, extend your arms and legs, and raise your body into a full bridge with your wrists parallel to your shoulders.
3. Hold the stretch and relax.
4. Exhale, and return to the starting position.

Back of Knee [top]

Back of Knee

1. Sit upright on the floor with both legs straight.
2. Cross one leg and rest it on the opposite knee.
3. Exhale, lean forward, and grasp your foot. If you can't reach your foot, fold a blanket or towel and wrap it around your foot, holding on to both ends.
4. Exhale, keep your leg straight, and pull on your foot.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Stand upright with the legs straight.
2. Exhale, keeping both legs straight, extend your upper back, bend forward at the waist, and lower your hands to grasp underneath your toes.
3. Exhale and pull up on the toes.
4. Hold the stretch and relax, but remember to either bend the knees when returning to an upright position or round the upper torso up rather than lifting with an arched back.

Buttocks & Hips [top]

Buttocks & Hips

1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended.
2. Flex one knee and raise it to your chest.
3. Grasp your knee or thigh with one hand.
4. Exhale, and pull your knee across your body to the floor while keeping your elbows, head, and shoulders flat on the floor.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Sit upright on the floor.
2. Cross one knee over the other.
3. Using your elbow, draw your knee toward your side.
4. Exhale and lean forward.
5. Hold the stretch and relax

1. Sit upright on the floor with your back flat against a wall.
2. Flex one leg and slide the heel toward your buttocks.
3. Grasp the ankle with one hand and hook the knee with the elbow of your opposite shoulder.
4. Exhale, and slowly pull your foot to the opposite shoulder.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Stand upright with your feet together and your side to a wall about an arm's length away.
2. Place one hand on the wall and the heel of your other hand on the back of your hip joint.
3. Exhale. Keeping your legs straight, contract your buttocks and rotate your hips slightly forward and in toward the wall.
4. Exhale, and push your hip toward the wall.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

Hamstrings [top]

Hamstrings

1. Lie flat on your back with the legs flexed and heels close to the buttocks.
2. Inhale, and extend one leg upward.
3. Grasp underneath the leg and contract your hamstring for 20 seconds.
4. Exhale, and slowly pull the leg toward your face while keeping the leg straight.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

Note: If you have a bad back, flex the extended leg and slowly lower it to the floor.

1. Assume a squat position with your weight on the flexed right knee, the foot flat on the ground, and the left leg extended sideways.
2. Grasp the right ankle with your right hand and the left ankle with your left hand.
3. Exhale, and slowly lower your chest to your left thigh.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

This exercise is considered fundamental to the martial arts.

1. Lie flat on your back in a doorway.
2. Position your hips slightly in front of the door frame.
3. Raise one leg and rest it against the door frame while keeping your knee extended and your bottom leg flat on the floor. To increase the stretch, slide the buttocks closer to the doorpost or lift the leg away from the door frame.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Sit upright on the floor; flex your right leg with the outer side resting on the floor and the right heel resting against the inner side of the left thigh.
2. Your partner stands behind you with one hand on the central portion of your upper back and the other hand on the central portion of your lower back.
3. Exhale, keeping your forward leg straight, extend your upper back, bend forward at the waist, and allow your partner to assist in gently pushing your upper torso onto your thigh.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Stand upright facing your partner and holding onto a surface for balance and support.
2. Inhale, raise one leg, and keep your hips squared.
3. Your partner grasps your raised leg with both hands above your ankle.
4. Exhale as your partner slowly raises your leg. (both legs must remian straight and your hips must be kept squared.) Communicate with your partner and use great care.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

Hip Flexors [top]

Hip Flexors

1. Lie on a bench, flat on your back.
2. Allow one of your legs to hang over the end.
3. Inhale, flex the opposite knee, grasp it with your hands, and bring it to your chest.
4. Inhale, and compress your thigh to your chest.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Stand upright with the legs straddled 2 feet apart.
2. Turn your right foot 90 degrees sideways to the right, keeping your toes and heel in line with your body.
3. Flex your right knee, and roll your left foot under so the top of the instep rests on the floor.
4. Place your hands on your hips. (some may prefer placing one hand on the forward knee and one hand on the buttocks.)
5. Exhale, and slowly lean or push your left hip toward the floor.
6. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Stand upright with your back approximately 1 foot from a wall.
2. Place your hands on the floor for balance and support as you raise one leg against the wall.
3. Exhale, and slowly slide your leg upward against the wall until you attain the slip position with your legs straight and hips squared.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Lie face down with your body extended.
2. Your partner is positioned at your side, standing or resting on one knee, with one hand under your knee and the other slightly above the buttocks.
3. Inhale, and contract your gluteals (buttock muscles) as you allow your partner to anchor down your belly to the table or floor with one hand and gently lift your leg higher with the opposite hand. Communicate with your partner and use great care.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

Lower Back [top]

Lower Back

1. Stand upright with your legs straight and hands by your sides.
2. Exhale, flex forward at the waist, slide your hands down to your knees, and keep your back flat.
3. Hold the stretch and relax.
4. Exhale, and bend the knees or round the upper torso up rather than lifting with an arched back when returning to the upright position.

1. Sit upright on the floor with your legs straight and straddled.
2. Lean backward, and place your hands behind your hips and on the floor for support.
3. Exhale, support yourself on your heel(s), swing your left arm overhead and to the right, and lift your hips off the floor.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Hang from a chin-up bar with your arms straight.
2. Release one hand at a time, and regrasp the bar in an L-grip (the back of the hands faces up and the thumb grasps under the bar).
3. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Lie on a bench your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, and place a barbell over your shoulders, grasping it at both ends.
2. Exhale, maintaining your body in a lateral plane, and bend sideways as far as possible.
3. Hold the stretch and relax.
4. Inhale, and return to the starting position.

Lower Back & Obliques

1. Sit on the end of a bench, with both feet flat on floor.
2. Turn your body and look over your shoulder, keeping your hips straight.
3. Grasp the side of the bench with both hands.
4. Exhale, and hold the stretch and relax.

Lower Back & Obliques

1. Stand upright with your right arm raised to shoulder height and flexed to a right angle.
2. Your partner stands in front of you and to your side, grasping your right wrist with his left hand and supporting your right elbow with his right hand.
3. Exhale as you allow your partner to gently push your wrist backward and downward. Communicate with your partner and use great care.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

Upper Back & Trunk

1. Stand upright facing a wall about an arm's length away.
2. Raise your arms with your elbows straight, lean forward, and place your arms and hands against the wall shoulder-width apart with your fingers pointing upward.
3. Exhale, extend your shoulders, press down against the wall, open your chest, and produce an arch in your back.
4. Your partner is positioned directly behind you with hands placed on the upper portion of your shoulder blades.
5. Exhale as you allow your partner to gently push down and away from your head. Communicate with your partner.
6. Hold the stretch and relax.

Pectorals[top]

Pectorals

1. Stand upright facing a corner or open doorway.
2. Raise your arms to form the letter "V" (elbows raised near your shoulders) to stretch the rib section of the pectoral muscles bilaterally.
3. Exhale, and lean your entire body forward.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Stand with your side next to a wall. Place forearm against the wall.
2. Assume a front-lunge position, until hand on wall is slightly above shoulder-height.
3. Turn your upper body away from wall. Exhale as you feel the stretch in your pectorals and shoulder.
4. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Sit upright with both arms flexed and your hands interlocked behind your head.
2. Your partner stands behind your and grasps both elbows.
3. Exhale as you allow your partner to gently pull your elbows backward toward each other. Communicate with your partner and use great care.
4. Hold the stretch and relax

1. Sit or stand upright.
2. Cross one wrist over the other, and interlock your hands.
3. Inhale, straighten your arms, and extend your arms behind your head. Your elbows should be behind your ears.
4. Hold the stretch and relax. ,P.

Quadriceps [top]

Quadriceps

1. Stand upright with the top of one foot resting on a chair or low stand behind you.
2. Exhale, and flex the front knee.
3. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Assume a squat position with both hands on the floor for support and one leg resting on the floor.
2. Inhale, lift up your buttocks and extend your rear leg backward.
3. Inhale, and flex your rear leg up to your buttocks.
4. Reach back and grasp your rear foot.
5. Exhale, and slowly pull your heel toward your buttocks.
6. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Kneel upright with knees together, buttocks on the floor, heels by the side of your thighs, and toes pointing backward.
2. Exhale, and slowly lean backward without letting your feet flare out to the sides.
3. Hold the stretch and relax.

1. Kneel on all fours with your toes facing backward. If this is uncomfortable, place a blanket underneath your shins.)
2. Exhale, and slowly sit on your heels (if you can.)
3. Hold the stretch and relax.

Triceps [top]

Triceps

1. Sit or stand upright with one arm flexed and raised overhead next to your ear, and your hand resting on your shoulder blade.
2. Grasp your elbow with the opposite hand.
3. Exhale, and pull your elbow behind your head.
5. Hold the stretch and relax.

Wrist & Forearm [top]

Wrist & Forearm

1. Stand, facing your partner with one hand extended, palm up.
2. Your elbow is slightly flexed.
3. Your partner places his hand on yours, palm down.
4. Inhale, and as up lift arm up (from elbow), your partner exerts downward pressure.
5. Exhale and relax. Switch to other arm. Communicate with your partner.

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