To best prepare your body for the rigours of exercise and to avoid the chance of causing injury to unprepared muscles, it is best to do a series of stretching exercises before beginning your workout or training session.
These stretches should always be performed in a slow manner and be held for between 10 and 30 seconds each with between 3 and 5 repeats depending on your level of fitness.
Facing forwards, step forward with your right leg while keeping your left leg straight behind you. Bend your right knee slightly until you feel a stretch in front of your left hip. Hold for ten seconds and repeat.
Sit on an even surface and place your feet together, soles facing. Hold your feet in your hands and bend forward until you feel a stretch in your groin. Hold and repeat.
To increase the stretch, keep your knees closer to the ground and your heels further in towards your body.
Stand up straight and support one leg out in front of you on a bench or being held by a training partner. Keeping your other leg straight now bend slowly forwards and try and touch the toes of the elevated leg.
Stand up straight and hold onto something for balance with one of your hands at your side. Lift the other leg up behind you and hold your foot up towards your buttocks by the ankle, all the time keeping your knees close together. You should feel a stretch in your thigh and hip.
Stand with your feet square, facing forwards and reach one arm around behind your head and place the open palm on your opposite cheek.
Use this hand to gently pull your head down towards your shoulder. When you feel your neck muscles stretch, hold then switch arms and repeat for the opposite side of your neck.
Stand out from a wall and lean into it with both hands at shoulder height. Stretch one leg out behind you straight and bend the other knee. Lean forward by bending your knee further and keep both feet flat on the ground as you feel a stretch in your calf muscle.
Hold both arms up straight above you then use one hand to grab the elbow of the other and pull it slowly down behind your head. This will stretch your tricep. Repeat using the other arm.
Stand facing a wall and lean against it with one arm. Now turn your body and head in the opposite direction to the supporting arm and away from the wall. Repeat with the other arm and turn in the opposite direction.
Holding one of your arms out straight at the elbow, use your other hand to bend the wrist backwards until you feel a stretch on the wrist. Reverse the hold on your other arm and repeat. Now bend the wrist inwards until it stretches and hold. Repeat with the other wrist.
