Stretching

Whether you're cramped from sitting at work all day or warming up for your exercise routine, try this stretch to loosen up your neck.

You use your back muscles in just about every activity, from walking to playing volleyball. To reduce the risk of back injury, stretch your back before and after exercise. This particular exercise...

All you need for this basic calf stretch is a wall and some patience. By stretching both the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles — equally important calf muscles — you reduce the risk of Achilles...

Your quadriceps are the muscles that get your knees to your chest and straighten your legs. It's important to keep them strong and limber to decrease stress on your knees.

Your shoulders may tend to stiffen if you don't make a conscious effort to loosen them up. If they do, this simple stretch may help them out.

Sore muscles can be cause by numerous things ranging from sleeping or sitting awkwardly, lifting heavy objects or an accident. Massage therapists, sports creams and medications are available to...

Flexible quadriceps muscles limit stress on your knees, hips and back. Stretching this powerful group of 4 muscles will increase your walking, running and jumping efficiency and endurance.

The Achilles tendon connects the muscles in the back of your lower leg to your heel bone, and it is used in virtually every step you take. Injuries to it often result from taking part in an...

Stretching keeps you flexible and helps prevent injury. It is an important complement to any running or fitness program.

Skiing requires lateral as well as vertical movement. Stretching your thighs well helps them react to directional changes.

Though not the most integral muscles for skiing, loose and relaxed neck muscles translate to a more relaxed body from top to bottom.

There's a direct correlation between how relaxed you are and how well you ski. Use this stretch to loosen your torso before you hit the slopes.

Sportscasters are found of uttering, "Looks like a pulled hammy," when an athlete pulls up limping. It's a painful injury, so be sure to loosen your hamstrings before you ski.

When on telemark or alpine skis, you'll spend a good portion of your day mimicking this motion. Help imprint the motion by doing squats before you ski.

Stand taller and kick further with more flexible hamstring muscles–—the 3 powerful posterior thigh muscles. With the simple stretch below, your muscles will be in optimum shape for almost any...

Spend too much time hunched over the computer? If your chest and shoulders feel tight, try these simple chest stretches to ease your discomfort and improve your posture.

"A strained calf muscle makes running nearly impossible. Therefore, it's crucial to stretch your calves often and thoroughly," says Joanie Greggains, TV and KGO radio fitness expert and author of...

"Hamstring pulls are common when people do not stretch or warm up properly," says Joanie Greggains, TV and KGO Radio fitness expert and author of "Fit Happens." "They can be easily avoided with...

"The quadriceps is the largest muscle in the body and is used constantly in running. People tend to focus on stretching the calf and forget about this important muscle," says Joanie Greggains, TV...

Correct stretching can prevent numerous injuries, and yet many athletes neglect to perform this simple routine. You should stretch after completing a general warm-up and during your cooldown....

The warm-up stretch should be performed as part of a general warm-up routine. Warm-up stretching gets the muscles ready for activity, increases flexibility and greatly reduces the chance for...

The cooldown is just as important as the warm-up to prevent injury. It also reduces the cramping and soreness of muscles and fatigue associated with exercise. The cooldown is largely a reverse of...

You use your back muscles in just about everything you do. Back pain is one of the most common complaints of muscle injury and soreness. Stretching your back strengthens the muscles, increases...

Your core muscles are important not just for exercising but for keeping you upright. Stretching these muscles helps prevent back pain and injury and keeps your core muscles flexible and strong....

Walking is the easiest way to start getting in shape. It is low-impact, can be done anywhere and doesn’t require specialized equipment. Walking is typically done outside, in fresh air and with...

With at least 15 different muscles, the back stabilizes the body so that it can withstand all the twists, turns and impact that it undergoes on a daily basis. A back that is loose and limber helps...

Hockey is one of the toughest games in all of sports, and it is even tougher on the body. The ability to skate, shoot and fight while playing requires a body that is physically fit. It has been...

Of all sports you can choose to play, it can be argued that playing football is one of the most dangerous. The constant battering that the body takes in any given game is enough to sideline even...

Baseball is one of the safest sports that you can play, but you are still not perfectly safe from injuries. The very nature of the game (long periods of inactivity followed by explosive movements)...

Golf is becoming one of the most popular sports and the number of those who are participating is growing by leaps and bounds. Although it appears to be less than strenuous, playing golf puts...

In karate, you combine leg and arm movements in the form of punches and kicks for the purpose of self-defense. Karate is one of the only sports where your body is your only tool. When there are no...

Performing splits are not an everyday activity for most people. But for those who are involved in gymnastics, cheerleading and martial arts, this is an important skill. Learning to perform the...

It is extremely important to breathe correctly during stretching exercises. When you breathe properly, you provide the body with oxygen, which feeds all the vital organs and muscles of the body. A...

Basketball is one of the most physical and popular of all sports. There is an enormous amount of running, jumping and ball shooting, which can take a serious toll on an athlete's body. Taking the...

Although you don't need machines to stretch out the back, they can sometimes be useful to isolate the back muscles. A back stretching machine can prevent other surrounding muscles from doing the...

Stretching your muscles should be an important part of your fitness routine. When you keep your muscles toned and stretched, you reduce your risk of injury during vigorous exercise. If you stretch...

The muscles on the front of your legs (quadriceps and the shin muscles) are the strength for your legs. The muscles on the back of your legs (hamstrings) are the ones that allow you to slow down...

Tension collecting in the lower back area can be uncomfortable, even painful. Lower back stretches can release this tension when done properly. Do these exercises to stretch your lower back slowly...

Flexibility doesn't have to come naturally to you in order to do the splits. Some people simply don't have that flexibility gene. Or at least they don't think they do. Regardless, you can learn to...

A pelvic tilt allows you to stretch your abdominal muscles, therefore it is meant to be done before doing a basic crunch.

A quadricep stretch is good to do before running, walking, and most exercises and stretches that will end up pulling on your quadriceps. This is a good stretch to do because there is a less chance...

The "roll up" is a Pilates exercise used to strengthen your core muscle group, stretch out your lower back and flatten your stomach. It can also be used as a relaxing exercise to aid in breathing...

Although you learn movements and combinations through ballet class, stretching before you dance warms up your muscles and enables you to flow right into the class. Just as a runner stretches...

Stretching after ballet class is as important as the class itself. Your muscles need to relax after the workout so they don't tighten to the point of pain. So before you put away your ballet...

Stretching to increase flexibility is one of the most important steps in your exercise regime. Unfortunately, it's also either not done enough, or not done right. Some of the benefits of proper...

Most of us are guilty of having poor postural habits. As we spend more time in front of computers, driving in cars with cushioned seats that round the shoulders and not getting the recommended...

There are all kinds of stretches that are designed to isolate one area of the body and warm up a particular muscle group. But there is one stretch that will wake-up all of the muscles in your body...

The trapezius is the largest muscle in the upper back connecting the neck, shoulders and thoracic area of the spine. This muscle bears the brunt of back tension because it is responsible for...

Pregnancy does a lot of things to a woman's body...especially in the third trimester. The growing belly strains the lower back muscles and forces the back to sway inward, causing aches and...

Keeping your body healthy from head to toe is not just a figurative expression; your toes need looking after. Your feet bear the weight of your body every day and keep you upright and mobile....