Stretches

Trapezius Muscle Stretch

• Tilt your head to one side.
• Tuck your chin into your chest.
• Apply gentle pressure to the side with the hand on your head until you feel a stretch down the side of the neck.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat stretch on opposite side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.

 

Rhomboid Muscle/Upper Back Stretch

• Cross one hand over the other and reach out in front of your body until you feel a gentle stretch between your shoulder blades.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.
• Ensure you are not slumping or drawing your neck forward during the stretch. Try to maintain upright posture throughout.

 

Pectoral Muscle Stretch

• Standing in the corner of the room, bring both arms up to 90o and lean gently towards the wall until you feel a stretch across the upper chest.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.
• Ensure you are not slumping or drawing your neck forward during the stretch. Try to maintain upright posture throughout.

 

Towel Stretch

• Fold a small bath towel in half, and then in half again. Roll this portion up like a sausage.
• Place the rolled up towel on the floor and lie on your back with the towel running vertically down the middle of your back (along your spine), the top of the towel being about collar level.
• Ensure you have a pillow supporting your head and both knees bent.
• Hold for 3-5 mins.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.

 

Neck Stretch

• This can be done either standing or seated.
• Imagine a large “X” running across your face. Using this as a reference, look up and to one side and hold for ___ seconds, feeling a gentle stretch along the side of the neck. Move slowly along that axis until you are looking down and to the other side and hold for ___ seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times per day.
• Concentrate on slow, smooth movements on each stretch. The stretch should be firm but not painful.

 

Triceps Muscle Stretch

• Standing, bring one arm up and then take your hand down the centre of your back as if you are scratching between your shoulders.
• Using your other arm, push down on the elbow of the bent arm until you feel a gentle stretch through the Triceps (back of the arm).
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat stretch on the other side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.

 

Shoulder Muscle Stretch

• Standing, pull one elbow across the chest toward the other side of your body until you feel a stretch around the back of the shoulder.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat stretch on the other side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.

 

Lower Back Stretch

• Lying on your back, bring both knees up and draw them in towards your chest until you feel a stretch across the lower back just above the belt-line.
• Keep your upper body relaxed and your head down on the pillow.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.

 

Piriformis Muscle Stretch

• Lying on your back, put the ankle of one leg on the opposite knee
• Reach between your legs and pull the straight leg up towards your chest until you feel a stretch in the buttock.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.
• This stretch can also be done seated?

 

Gluteal Muscle Stretch

• Lying on your back, bring one hip and knee up so that they are each bent at 90o, keeping the other leg straight on the table.
• Draw this leg across the body with your opposite hand.
• Be careful not to over rotate your lower back when pulling the leg across your body. Try to keep your pelvis on the table at all times.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.

 

 

Sidebending Stretch

• Standing upright, gently slide one arm down the side of your thigh until you feel a gentle stretch down the opposite side of your lower back.
• Ensure all movement is to the side rather than forward or back.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.

 

 

Hamstring Muscle Stretch

• Sit with one leg stretched out and the other tucked in beside it.
• Concentrating on keeping your back and knee straight, reach both hands out along the outstretched leg towards your toes until you feel a gentle stretch in the hamstrings.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.

 

 

Quadricep Muscle Stretch

• Lying on your side, pull the upper leg back so that the heel is behind your buttocks, feeling a stretch through the front part of your thigh. Ensure both knees are kept together.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.
• This stretch can also be performed standing.

 

 

Calf Muscle Stretch

• Stand facing the wall and then lunge forward with one foot approximately 30cm in front of the other, keeping your spine and back leg straight at all times.
• Feel for a gentle stretch through the lower part of the back leg.
• Hold for 20 seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat ___ times, ___ times a day.