Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Archive for the ‘stretching’ Category

Straight Leg Inner Thigh Stretch

Posted by terrepruitt on August 28, 2023

Here is another inner thigh stretch. This one is on one knee somewhat like the “Half Kneeling Inner Thigh Stretch” but one leg is straight.

Instructions:

-Kneel on the floor on all fours. Straighten one leg out to the side.  So hips are squared to front.

-Move hips back (towards foot) and forth.

You will feel the stretch in the inner thigh of the straight leg.

Options and additional information:

-The “back” foot, the one with the bent knee, can be top-of-foot to floor or you can have your toes curled.

-The foot of the straight leg, can be flat on the floor or you can be on the inner edge of your foot.

-The foot of the straight leg, can have toes pointed to the front, out at an angle, or out to the side.

-You can just sit your hips back and not move them.

See what works best for you and what gives you the stretch you need.

As I said in the other inner thigh stretch post, there are many different ways to stretch a muscle.

If you keep your toes curled (on the kneeling leg) you will be getting a foot stretch like in our Toe Squat.

How is it going – your stretching? Are you able to get a couple in a day?

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Half Kneeling Inner Thigh Stretch

Posted by terrepruitt on July 19, 2023

If you have seen any stretching posts of mine, you know I love me some stretching. You know I think stretching is very important and very beneficial. Here is another stretch for you.

Here are quick instructions:

-Kneel on the floor and take one leg out. Knee pointing away from the body to the side. If you were to hold your arm out to the side the thigh would be in alignment with the knee and toes point out in the same direction.

-You can use your arm to push the knee/thigh back a bit.

-I may be stating the obvious, but normally you would do one side after the other. 🙂

That’s it.

This is an inner thigh stretch. It stretches your adductor muscles.

As with many stretches and exercises there are many ways to stretch/exercise a muscle/set of muscles. This is just one.

I teach a stretch class so, of course, I would love you to join, but I also really believe that stretching is so very important so I just want to post some stretches so you can do them on your own and experience the benefit of stretching.

Do you stretch?

Posted in stretching | Tagged: , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Half Kneeling Psoas Stretch

Posted by terrepruitt on July 3, 2023

I would wager that most of you reading this know that stretching is very beneficial. Daily stretching can do wonders for comfortable movement. Stretching does not have to be a time consuming thing. I may agree that longer sessions of stretching might be more beneficial than shorter ones, but a quick stretch is better than nothing. Also, if done daily a 5 minute stretch session could really help.

And when I say “help” I mean help with moving throughout life more comfortably. Of course, there are many people that have many issues that could be exacerbated by some moves so please keep in mind that I am not giving medical advice and that you need to keep your own body’s situation in mind.

With all of that said here is a great stretch that can reach multiple areas.

Here are quick instructions with * adding more.

-Kneel down and bring one leg out in front, whole foot on the ground.* (Half kneeling.)

-Keep the hip of the “down leg” in alignment above the knee. Activate the glutes by tightening or pushing forward a bit.** Add an “additional” stretch by lifting the arm and bending to the side of the front leg.***

-Remember to lengthen the spine and keep the “up” arm shoulder relaxed.

*Stability can be obtained by moving the front leg away from the midline of the body, by turning the foot of the front leg in, or by pulling the front leg’s knee in toward the body. Also one could use a block, furniture, or a wall to stabilize.

The foot of the “down” knee can be flat (top of foot on the floor) or with toes “curled”.

**The stretch is happening in the front of the body of the kneeling leg. I say “front” of the body because it is not just in the leg, but also it is not really the “front” of the body it more of an internal stretch through the psoas.
***When you lift the arm the stretch also goes through the side of the body.

It targets multiple areas that can really benefit from being flexible.  The main area being stretched is the psoas, hip flexors, the side body, and the ankle.  If you curl the toes (of the down leg) then you would be stretching through the bottom of the foot (like in a toe squat).

We do this often in my classes.  Do you stretch? 

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My Latest Favorite

Posted by terrepruitt on October 4, 2021

Lately I am loving this stretch. Looks yummy, huh? I have been stretching everyday for about nine months now and this is one I love. It gets a lot of the body. As you are more-than-likely aware the more often you stretch the more chance there is that your body becomes more flexible. There are always going to be days where the body is more tight than others, but if you have a daily or even a three-times-a-week stretching practice you will notice a difference.

There are all kinds of stretches, but I think a lot of people will agree that lying down stretches are nice. It gives you the air of resting while also doing something to help with flexibility. This stretch might be touted as a side stretch or a lower back stretch . . . but it really depends on where you need it because it has the potential of being a lot of muscles/area stretch. And with a modification the areas that can be stretch can increase.

So, let me explain what is going on. Keep in mind that I may not be perfectly posed as it is a hilarious feat to press the button then get down on the ground . . . once I get down I always manage to forget something (foot angle, arm straight, smile, etc.) in the short time of the timer then as soon as it clicks I think, “Oh . . . ”

First of all make sure there is enough empty space around you so you don’t hit or kick anything when you are fully lengthened.
—Then lie on your back. I will explain one side then just do the opposite to stretch the other side.
—Turn to lie on your right side, putting your knees together. Knees are slightly bent and thighs are at about a 45° angle.
—Straighten out the left (top) leg.
—Keeping your knees together, roll onto your shoulders creating a twist in your torso.
—Straighten your left (top) arm. The idea is to create a line from your left fingers to your left toes, like a slash or half of an X. Your right arm can be however it is most comfortable for you.

I gently lift my shoulders off the ground so I can reach my right shoulder more to the left and try to get both my shoulders and left arm on the ground.

For me, I feel the stretch in my left arm, my left side, my lower back, and my left hamstring.

In order to increase the intensity to sense “more of a stretch” I like to bring my left (top) foot/leg up closer to my right hand and hold it and really reach further away with my left hand. This moves the stretch a bit and I feel as if it gets more of the side I am stretching.

I often suggest to my students, to move their top arm around to see which stretch is best for them. As I said some days we are more tight than others and sometimes the areas of tightness change so it is sometimes necessary to tweak the stretches so we get the best out of our time.

So? What do you think? Is this yummy? I think it is.

Posted in Misc, stretching | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Resistance Bands for Stretching

Posted by terrepruitt on September 3, 2011

I’ve talked about resistance bands being great for strength training. The other day after having taught a Nia class with a lot of sumo stances in it AND after having done some weighted squats, I really needed to stretch.  I needed a really deep stretch and as I was trying to think of how to get it I remembered I could use my resistance bands for stretching.  The resistance bands I have are long flat sheets of rubber.  I don’t have the ones that are like rubber bands or tubes.  Mine don’t have handles.  Any type of band made for exercising will do.  There are so many ways to stretch using a band.  I will just name a few in this post and maybe do another post at another time.

The first one you probably have done when you pick up a band is just to hold it in each hand and let your arms “fall” to the side.  Obviously your arms don’t actually fall because you are holding the band, but you can feel the stretch in your arms and shoulders.  The great thing about bands is you can make the tension however you need it to be by the way you hold the band.  If you need a really deep stretch make the band really short and either pull or let your arms “fall”.  If you want a gentle stretch then hold the band closer to the ends.

Holding opposite ends of the band and allowing your arms to fall behind your body really allows for a stretch in the upper arms, shoulders, upper back and neck.

You can do side bends with an end of the band in each hand holding your arms above your head.  Again sensing the stretch in your shoulders and upper back, but with this stretch you also get your sides. Using the band for this stretch allows for a much greater stretch than without the band.

For the legs there are a few I want to share.  Sit down on the ground, fold the band in half then put your foot in the band at the fold, hold one side of the band in each hand.  Then lay down, keeping your foot flexed, bring your straight leg with the foot in the band up as far as you can.  Keep your other leg straight out on the floor.  Adjusting the tension of the band gives you the stretch you need.  You can bring your leg straight up and closer to your face for an even greater stretch.  The closer you pull your leg to your face the greater the stretch in the hamstrings and even calf.

Still lying on your back with your leg up and still holding the band let your leg fall ACROSS your body.  This is a further stretch for the hamstrings and gets the outer thigh.  With this stretch – again – using the band to pull your leg closer to your head gives you a bigger stretch. Hold the end of the band in the hand opposite the direction your leg is going, while the hand on the side of where your foot is gently pulls the leg towards your head.  Remember to be mindful of what you are sensing, often a stretch will cause discomfort but the muscles need to be stretched especially after a workout.  But pain is different than discomfort, so be aware of what sensation is present.

Another stretch you can do is from the same position of laying on your back, with your foot through the band, leg in the air, foot flexed, but this time let the straight leg fall away from your body.  With this stretch the hand opposite the side your stretching leg holds the end of the band and the hand on the side of the stretching leg can gently pull the leg towards your head. This stretch allows you to really sense the stretch in the inner thigh.  The closer your leg gets to the floor the more your inner thigh gets stretch.  And at the same time you can gently pull your leg towards your head enable the back of the leg to be stretched too.

Bands are such a great way to get some assisted stretching in without having to have another person there to help you.  It is like proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) by yourself.  As I mentioned before, please be mindful and aware of what your body is saying.  Discomfort at a tolerable level is acceptable but pain is not.

Posted in Helpful Hints, stretching | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Stretching BEFORE Workout

Posted by terrepruitt on June 10, 2010

When I was young the thing to do, what we were taught to do, before exercise was to stretch.  Static stretching, moving into a position that stretches the muscle, then hold it for about 30 seconds.  The idea was to stretch every muscle in the body, from the top to the bottom or the bottom to the top.  This was considered a proper warm-up.  This was the correct way to get our bodies ready for exercise.  This we were told would prevent injury. Research and knowledge has changed that.

With advances in exercise technology and body knowledge, it is now a popular belief that this type of stretching, static stretching could actual harm the muscles or in the very least keep them from operating at their peak.  Some researchers believe that stretching before exercise actually causes the muscle to contract and tire, therefore not perform as efficiently.

A study done by the University of Nevada found that athlete’s muscle strength was decreased by as much as 30%.  If a muscles strength is decreased you are either going to be able to do less or injure yourself trying to do more than you muscle is able to do at the time.

So many of us have been taught to warm up this way for so long it is difficult for us to let go and to move on to the correct way to warm up.  This type of stretching — static stretch — is best left for the purpose of improving flexibility (and strength in the case of asanas) and is best done after a workout (unless it IS your workout as in the case of a yoga).  What type of warm up do you do?  Do you stretch before or after a workout?

Posted in Exercise and Working Out, Misc, stretching | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »