Stretch Out: 3 exercises to relieve tight, tense muscles

Do you need to loosen up?  Increased flexibility is vital in avoiding injuries, expanding your joint's range of motion and improving athletic performance.  Whether you are feeling stiff from long hours hunched over your desk, or from neglecting a solid stretch routine after a workout, muscles crave constant manipulation and extension to maintain a healthy body.  If your taut muscles need tending to, follow this easy stretching session that will relax and reinvigorate your body.

Figure 4
When the glutes are inactive due to long hours of sitting, a series of kinks form in the body's kinetic chain.  The hips grow tight and stiff, while our range of motion becomes restricted and limited.  Sciatica nerve and lower back pain can develop, as well.  Stretch these muscles by starting on your back and crossing the right leg over the left thigh, so the ankle rests slightly above the knee.  Lace the hands around the left thigh and apply pressure by pulling the leg in towards the body.  Hold for 15-20 seconds.  Repeat the same movement on the opposite side.

Child's Pose
Child's Pose is a popular Yoga position for relieving discomfort from the hips, back, shoulders and neck.  Begin this stretch by positioning the body on all fours.  Slowly hinge back at the hips until your glutes are resting on the heels of your feet.  This exercise requires a deep hip bend, so try your best to make contact at this point.  If you suffer from tight hips or quads, this exercise may be a challenge.  Keep practicing the Figure 4 exercise (above) to loosen tight hips and glutes, in addition to daily quad stretches.  Once you are able to sit the buttocks back onto the heels, extend the arms over the head, allowing your forehead to rest softly on the mat.  Hold for 30-45 seconds.

Neck Release/Side Bend
If your posture is starting to resemble that of a Crane, incorporate stretches that will alleviate neck strain and muscle compensations.  Most of us are oblivious to the unnatural position of our necks during the day.  Whether you are hunched forward, focused on your computer screen, or slouched at the steering wheel for a long commute, our poor posture is becoming a real pain in the neck.  Take a deep breath and extend the arms overhead, clasping the fingers together.  Keeping the knees slightly bent and your core activated, slowly bend at the waist as your lower the arms into a 10 or 2 o'clock position.  Hold for 15-30 seconds.  Gently bring the body back to the starting stance, and complete the same stretch on the opposite side.

Depriving muscles of flexibility exercises will scare your body stiff.

Earn it.

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