Flexibility & Mobility Drills
- Flexibility is the way in which muscles and connective tissues can lengthen and stretch. When you’re more flexible, you can stretch and move through a larger range of motion in a specific joint or part of your body.
- Mobility refers to the way you move larger parts of your body, or your body overall. Flexibility is part of mobility, but it also includes joint stability, strength, coordination and control.
Seated & Laying Down Stretches
1. Lotus Pose Stretch:-
- Begin with sitting upright.
- Bend your legs from the knees inwards towards the thigh as much as is possible.
- Stretch your back to keep the spine straight.
- Place at least one feet onto the thigh of the opposite leg and sit in a meditative posture.
- Fold your hands into a Namaste and breath normally.
- Stay in the position for 30 seconds and relax.
2. Bajrasana Pose :-
- Begin with sitting upright and keep the legs stretched out.
- Bend your legs from the knees inwards towards the thigh as much as is possible.
- Now, the posture is such that your body is resting in a seated position on the sole of your feet.
- You may fold the hands in a Namaste or place it on your thigh.
- Breath Normally and stay in the position for 30 seconds and relax.
Referred in Yoga as Bajrasana
3. Seated Oblique Stretch:
The spine should be kept straight to avoid injury.
- Begin with sitting in a cross legged position.
- Pick a leg ans stretch it out to one side. Example: Right leg to the side side.
- Opposite arm is stretched out to hold the feet of the straightened leg. In this case, left arm is made to hold the right feet by bending the body towards the right.
- Stay in the bend arch position for 30 seconds and relax.
4. Glute Bridge / Bridge Pose:-
Referred in Yoga as Setu Bandhasana
- Lay down on your back and bend the knees.
- While keeping the head, neck, hand and feet grounded, lift the pelvis upwards. Use your core and legs to help in the lifting.
- Try to get your pelvis above the ground as much as possible.
- Hold the position for 10-15 seconds and then relax.
5. Locust Pose Stretch:-
Referred in Yoga as Salabhasana
- Lay down on your stomach with hands relaxed on both sides of the body.
- Keep the roof of the feet flat on to the ground.
- Keeping the core of the body attached to the ground , gradually lift the upper body upwards.
- Also raise the feet into the air as much as possible forming a boat-shaped structure.
- You may lift your palms of the hands as shown in the figure.
- For better balance , keep both the hands on either side of the body, with palms facing downwards and pressing onto the ground.
- Hold the position for 10 seconds and then lay down again and relax.
6. The Piriformis Stretch:-
Referred in Yoga as Bakrasana
Balance the seated posture by placing the palm of the right arm backwards into the ground.
- Sit with a straight back and neck, while stretching the legs out.
- Take the right leg, fold it from the knee and pull it inwards towards your body. Pull the right leg over the stretched out left leg and place the right feet on the ground close to the left knee.
- Take the left arm, bend the body slightly towards the right, and place the left elbow on the right side of your right knee.
- The body will be twisted towards the right and the left leg will still be in a stretched out position.
- Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on opposite side, keeping the right leg stretched out and bending the left leg and stretching the body towards the left.
7. Forward Lunge Kneeling Quad Stretch:-
These exercises help to stretch your quadriceps and the hip flexor muscles.
- Maintain a high lunge position with your right foot forward. Then keep your left leg bent from the knee at 90 degrees and let your left knee touch the ground.
- Once you’re stable, lift up your left foot, and reach back with your left arm to hold onto your left toes.
- Keep your chest up, and try to feel the stretch in your quads.
- Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the opposite side.
8. Plank:-
- Begin by laying flat down on your stomach.
- Rest the toes on the ground and move the arms to place your palms directly on the sides of the body.
- Lift the body by taking support from the palms of your hands.
- Keep the body lifted upwards in a steady line plank from crown to feet.
- Hold for a 10-30 seconds .
9. Side Plank:-
This exercise helps to gain strength in the muscle of the back and alleviates the pain of sitting continously on a desk. It also tones the arm and shoulder muscles.
- Begin in Plank pose. Keep the body fully horizontal and outstretched, tighten your arms, gazing down to the ground.
- Pick one arm and rotate the body horizontally to reach for the sky.
- Keep your legs and feet close together.
- Hold for a bit while the other arm supports to keep your body lifted from the ground.
- Repeat on the other side.
10. Sitting Shoulder & Tricep Stretch:-
- While in a sitting position, place the top of your feet together and gently push back as shown.
- Keep the back straight and feel the stretch.
- Clasp your hands behind the back.
- Taking one hand above the shoulder and fold from the elbow backwards.
- Take the other hand back by rotating the elbow outward and downward.
- Hold the position for 10-15 seconds.
- Repeat for 2 to 3 times.
This pose stretches the shoulders, upper back, and triceps. People with tight shoulders often find it difficult, but using a yoga strap can help modify the pose and still receive all the benefits of the stretch.
11. Frog Stretch:-
- Begin with your hands under your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.
- Slowly, spread your knees outward to the sides, keeping them in line with your hips.
- Place your palms together or on the floor. You can also extend your
hands forward, resting your chin on the floor. - Try to lower your trunk toward the ground and push the hips backward as much as possible.
- Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat for 2 to 3 times.
The frog stretch primarily focuses on the adductors of the hip and muscles of the inner thigh.
12. Kneeling Back Stretch:-
This exercise helps to stretch the hip flexors and the rectus abdominis.
- Kneel on a soft, comfortable surface placing your hands on your heels.
- Slowly lift your glutes off of your heels and extend up and forward.
- Take your head back while arching your back.
- Bend backward as far as you can, aiming to reach your ankles.
- Once you’ve gone as far as you can, hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times per session.
Referred in Yoga as Ustrasana
13. Hip Adductor / Butterfly Stretch:-
- While in a sitting position, place the bottom of your feet together and gently push your knees on either side to touch the floor.
- Keep the back straight and feel the stretch in the hip adductor muscles.
- Hold the position for 10-15 seconds.
- Repeat for 2 to 3 times.
These exercises help to stretch the inside of your thighs. They work well for hip, lower back, and knee problems.
14. Calf & Hamstring Stretch
- Stretching the hamstrings
- Lengthening the spine
- Improving circulation in the abdominal organs
- Stimulating the nervous system
- Sit on your mat with your legs extended and out in front of you. Your feet are flexed.
- Draw your core in and imagine emptying the inner space of the pelvis.
- Lengthen through the spine and take a deep breath in. Exhale and fold forward from the hip joints, keeping the spine long.
- Don’t round your back to bend forward.
In Yoga, this posture is called Paschimottanasana.
You can place your hands on your knees, ankles, or feet. If you can’t reach your feet, place a strap around the soles of your feet and hold onto the strap.
reathe deeply and hold the pose for five breaths. To release the pose, slowly roll up to seated on an inhale.
Referred in Yoga as Paschimottanasana
15. Pancake Stretch:-
- Sit on the floor with straight legs spread partially apart. The legs are not all the way apart like in a full straddle or full side split. The legs are partially apart, the hips are horizontally abducted, but not all the way.
- You may lay on your belly, the legs get abducted maximally and the arms get under the legs.
- When the legs will be less abducted, Gluteus Maximus and Piriformis which are extensor of the hip, will be stretched because the leg will flexed at
hip joint. - With wider straddle the medial hamstring will be lengthened.
16. Big Toe Stretch ( Hamstring Stretch):-
- Lay down on the ground on your back with straight legs, and long neck and back.
- Slowly raise any one leg, say left leg upwards keeping it straight, without bending it and without moving any other part of the body.
- Stop when you are able to grab the big toe of the left leg with the left hand fingers. Do this movement multiple times.
- Repeat in the right leg as well.
- You may hold the position as well for 10 seconds to feel the stretch in the hamstring muscles.
16. Baby Pose Stretch :-
Referred in Yoga as Balasana
- Lay down on the ground on your back with straight legs, and long neck and back.
- Slowly bend the knees and raise the feet from the ground. Grab each foot with the hand and roll back on the back.
- While holding the feet, slowly start to move the legs more towards the head as far as possible.
- In this process, the knees will be pushed more towards either side of the body.
- You may hold the position for 30 seconds or move the feet around like a “Happy Baby”.
17. Cat Camel Stretch :-
- Start in a position on your hand and knees, keeping the back flat.
- Place the fingers forward and the toes behind. The hands should rest just under the shoulder and the knees should be stacked just under the buttocks.
- Exhale and drop the head down very slowly, while pushing the shoulder upward and outward, elevating the upper back.
- Then inhale and bend the neck upwards while lifting the head. Push the shoulder blades downwards and away from each other as you drop your stomach.
- Repeat this to and fro movement for at least 10 times and relax.