9 Functional Stretching Exercises

Based on experience, one personal trainer Plano Texas has come up with a list of their own nine favorite functional stretching techniques they’ll use with clientele.

1. Hip Rotations - lie on your own back and have your knees in a 90 degree angle with each of your feet off the floor, and carefully rotate your knees from one side to the other. Hold it for approximately 2-5 seconds each side.

2. Single Knee to Chest and Double Knee to Chest - lie on your back and bring just one knee directly into your chest. The opposite leg is in a straight line and a little off the floor. Repeat five times each leg, after which draw both knees in and extend out, and back in towards your chest muscles.

3. Hip Crossovers - on your own back, hands out to a T. Take one leg straight up and crossover to the other hand. Do it again for other side. 12-16 repetitions.

4. Prone Hip Crossovers (Scorpions) - Lay down on your own tummy, hands out to a T. Bring leg from the floor and bend knee and crossover to opposite hand. 12-16 reps.

All exercises brought to you by personal trainers Plano

5. Lunge with Rotation - go into a lunge, back leg will be bent. (If your right leg is out in front, put your left palm by your right foot on the ground and extend right arm straight up and look at your right hand. Do it again for other side. 8-10 reps.

6. Inchworms - start off with hands on the floor, legs are straight, and butt is up in the air. Walk both hands away keeping your legs straight, walk your feet in to your hands until you can’t proceed any further. Walk hands out 2 steps and do it again. Be sure legs are straight and feet are flat on the floor.

7. Lateral Hanging Lunge Stretch - stand with feet as wide apart as possible. Bit by bit bend right knee while you press your bottom back as if you were going to sit down. Push off on bent knee and come back to starting position. Now bend left knee and push buttocks back as if you were sitting yourself down. Be sure you keep each of your feet flat on the floor and the opposite leg totally straight. This is a good stretch for the groin. 10-12 repetitions.

8. Pec stretch - utilizing a broom stick hold the stick in front of you (long ways) and raise over your head and a little bit behind your head, maintaining your arms straight. Lower and repeat. 10 repetitions.

9. Cobras - Put broom stick behind you, palms upward and squeeze shoulder blades together. Lower and repeat. 20 times.

To find out more on Functional stretching exercises from a Plano personal trainer visit us online.

Always check with a medical professional prior to starting any new exercise routine.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 4th, 2010 at 4:01 pm and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.