Hi and Welcome to this week’s stretch of the week. Due to the latest cold snap, I’ve decided to really get into cold winter sport so this week we will be discussing skiing. Although it is not a contact sport that amount of spinal and back related injuries associated with the sport is becoming more common. Hip injuries also occur as a result of the impact that the hip sustain whilst flexed. It is easier to prevent an injury than to fix it and stretching can significantly decrease the likelihood of getting an injury. This week we will focus on injury prevention through the back and hips, which can cause significant pain and impact upon other aspects of your life.  This stretch requires a nice flat surface and start up on your hands and knees, drop your head down and lean back as far as your body will go, keeping your hands in their original position. If this stretch isn't enough for you, you can extend your arms out in front by creeping your hands forward. You should feel the main surface of your back and down your sides stretching. This is your latissimus dorsi which stretches all down you back, with the help of the smaller serratus anterior and the teres major muscles.
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 This stretch focuses mainly on the muscles of the lower back and on the muscles of the buttocks (the hip rotators). It is important to move your legs/lower body evenly and balanced, just as if it were a solid block of wood twisting at your lumbar spine. Move your knees and ankles as if they were glued together, tie them together if you need to. And make your movement slower and more purposeful than just slapping your knees from 1 side to the other.
The muscles being stretched here run along your spine, and attach from the ribs to the pelvis. Leaving your ribs flat against the floor while rotating your pelvis will create sufficient tension to stretch them effectively. Be aware that it may or may not feel like a stretch, but it will almost certainly feel good. This is another one of those stretches that you can hold as long as you like and just relax into the position and breather naturally. Just make sure you do not move too quickly or sharply and all is good.
 It is important to note that the chain of the stretch pulls between the top of your lateral pelvis(or iliac crest) and the lateral knee (lateral epicondyle of femur). It can be quite difficult to stretch your ITB effectively, or feel like you are stretching it effectively, because of the location of the tissue. Sometimes you will feel it, other times you wont. The key to the stretch is adduction of the hip or sidebending at the hip this sounds a little awkward to describe, but the picture above will help you visualise what I mean. Sometimes you will just need to perform the stretch and believe you are acting on the correct tissue. It might help to stand beside a post or door way holding on with your 'inside' arm, cross your 'outside' leg behind the other, then gently push your hip away from what ever you chose to hold onto.
The piriformis restricts internal rotation of the hip, stabilizing the hip and can be used to increase medial rotation of the femur. Whilst doing this stretch you will also be stretching the other lateral rotators. This is PNF stretch for this week and builds upon the previous static stretches.
To do this stretch the stretcher should lie on their back with their hip and knee flexed to 90 degrees, with the foot drawn toward the opposite shoulder as much as is comfortable. Once again remember everyone is different therefore the muscle stretch will feel different to everyone. The partner should place one hand on the stretchers knee and the other on the ankle for support. Make sure the other legs is flat on the ground and the sacrum is also on the ground. The partner should offer resistance for the isometric contraction as the stretch slowly starts to push their knee and ankle towards their partner. The stretchers then need to relax and breathe deeply and on the exhale contract the hip flexors in order to deepen the stretch.
Tightness through the piriformis and other lateral rotators is a common source of sciatic pain because the sciatic nerve is located at the sciatic notch of the illium and then travel through these muscles towards the posterior thigh. Piriformis syndrome, which is experienced through tingling or pain through the buttocks, response well to massage and stretching for relief.
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aim to cover the main stretches used and maybe a
few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in the previous blog as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
Hi and Welcome to this week’s stretch of the week. Now I have recently noticed we have talked about running and fast paced sports but we have overlooked slower paced popular sports, like walking. Some people may believe walking to be more of a hobby or an activity more than a sport but I assure you it is, even if you going 5km/hr or 50km/hr. One commonly forgot stretch is the hip adductors. Hip adductors can be divided into two categories, short adductors and long adductors. Today we will be focusing on the short adductors. Short adductors are the pectineus and the adductor brevis and longas which help in hip flexion and also assist in abduction and lateral rotation of the hip. The adductor muscles are used to stabilize the legs whilst running or walking and are commonly more tighter in men than women.
 Stand with your feet wide apart. Keep one leg straight and your toes pointing forward while bending the other leg and turning your toes out to the side. Lower yourself towards the ground slowly, until you feel the
stretch.
 Now I know this stretch has been done to death but that is because it is easy to understand and most people can do it well. This means it is much more effective than a more complex stretch simply because people can understand it. Kneel on one foot and the other knee. If needed, hold on to something to keep your balance and then push your hips forward.
 This is a new stretch that we have not discussed before ever. It is fairly simple to do if you find a step or a gutter to do it against, just make sure the object you do it against is stable for your own safety. Stand upright and place the ball of your foot onto a step or raised object. Bend your knee and lean forward.
The PNF stretch today is the adductor stretch which is most commonly forgotten during stretching regimes. To do this stretch the stretcher lies on their back and bend their right knee so that the sole of their foot is against the inside of their left knee. Lower the right leg towards the table as far as it will go whilst keeping the hip flat on the table. The partner should put their hand on the inside of the stretchers right knee as the stretcher slowly rasies their knee towards the ceiling. The stretch should inhale deeply and on the exhale contract the abductors to pull the knee back towards the floor. After the stretch the partner should help bring the leg together to avoid possible groin strain and the stretcher may sometimes get abductor cramps during this stretch, if this happens stop and stretch the abductor before returning to the stretch. PNF stretches are pain free so if you feel any pain at anytime please stop.
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aimed to cover the main stretches used and maybe a few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in previous blogs as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
Hi and welcome to this week’s stretch-of-the-week. It’s been a few weeks since we had a mainly female sport so this week we will be looking at ballet, which is just as much of a sport as an artistic expression. Whilst male ballet dancer require more upper body strength to lift, the sport is dominated by women who require mainly lower body strength. The most common of these are the hamstrings, soleus and Achilles, thus the most common injuries occur in the legs. In order to prevent injuries regular stretching increases flexibility as well as strength and should be taken very seriously.
This stretch was discussed in blog #80 swimming but is also a good stretch for ballet and any sport or activity that involves pointing the toes of jumping. It is important to bend both of your legs whilst doing this stretch to ensure you do it correctly. This stretch has also been previously discussed in blog #79 running but is a very good stretch to do in conjunction with the single heel drop Achilles stretch. It is a little more specific to the tibialis posterior but it’s important to stretch on a soft surface to protect your knee. This stretch was also discussed in blog #79 running. To do this stretch find a park bench or a structure about 30-40cm off the ground and put one leg on this object. Point your toes straight up and maintain a straight leg. Then slowly lean forward, bending at the hips, to attempt to touch your toes.
This stretch isolates the soleus and improves dorsiflexion in the foot as opposed to the PNF stretch last week which also included the gastrocnemius. This muscle inserts into the anchilles tendon, the strongest tendon in the body, and provides stronger plantarflexion of the ankle than the gastrocnemius.
To do this stretch the stretcher should lie on their stomach with one knee flexed to 90 degrees and their foot as far back as possible (toes towards their shin). The partner supports the leg with their hand around the stretchers ankle and the other on the heel of the stretcher with their forearm along the length of the stretchers foot. The partner offers resistance as the stretcher attempts to point their toes. After this stretch the stretcher relaxes and inhales deeply with their foot in the starting position. On the exhale the stretcher should contract the tibialis anterior (trying the push their toes towards their shin).
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aimed to cover the main stretches used and maybe a few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in the previous blog as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
Hi and welcome to this week’s Stretch-of-the-Week, this week we will be discussing AFL. We have been focusing on upper body stretches lately and I think it’s about time we move back down the body to the legs. Many sports require running and basic agility to keep up with the sport and stretching as a warm up and warm down routine should not be overlooked. Stretching prevents injuries and improves performance incredibly even if it makes you look a little funny whilst doing some of them. AFL is played on a large field and therefore a lot of running is involved, so today we will only be focusing on stretches you can do for your legs. This is a basic stretch almost everyone knows how to do but don’t underestimate the importance, sometimes it’s the simply things that are most effective. Just remember to keep your toes both point in the same direction and your back straight.
The standing leg tuck hip stretch is done with the help of a chair or step to achieve the maximum amount of stretch through your hips. Take note of the height of the chair or aid your using, if it is too high or too low it will affect the outcome of the stretch, it should be about mid shin height. It is easiest to do this stretch with shoes on as it provides more stability for the foot resting on the chair and will be harder to slip off. Remember to relax the leg your stretching and use your body weight to stretch the muscles.
The iliopsoas stretch aimed at improving the hip extension through the gluteals and hamstrings and low back discomfort. The stretchers lies face down and lifts the leg off the table as high as possible with a bent knee, and keeping their hips on the table. The leg needs to be supported just above the knee to provide resistance for the isometric contraction. The stretcher should slowly to try pull their thigh toward the table without straightening the lower leg. Then the stretcher can relax and inhale keeping the leg in the starting position. On the exhale the stretcher should contract the hip extensors (lift their thigh higher). Repeat this stretch 2 or 3 times on each leg.
Once again if the stretch is experiencing any kind of back pain, place a pillow under their hips to take some stress of the lower back. Contracting the abdominal muscles to stabilize and flatten their lower back may help as well. There is a strong tendency to lift the hips whilst doing this stretch, so body awareness education is required to keep the stretchers hips flat on the table in order to maximise the benefits of the stretch.
The gastrocnemius-soleus stretch, or to put it more simply a calf stretch, is very important to remember and incorporate into your AFL stretching routine for maximum performance. It’s fairly simple to do with just a few step involved and the need for a partner is necessary as per usual in PNF stretches. The stretcher lies on their back, with their legs straight and flexes their foot towards their knee as far as possible. A partner then holds that foot in the flexed position whilst the stretcher attempts to point their toes. After this stretch the stretcher inhales deeply whilst the foot is in the starting position and on the exhale the stretcher contract their tibialis anterior and deepens the stretch.
Once again if you feel pain at any time stop. This stretch is best done whilst the stretcher is lying on a table so they can grip the sides of the table and stabilise themselves. Both of these muscles insert into the Achilles tendon, which is the strongest in the body. The soleus muscle lies underneath the gastrocnemius and is more often the reason for tension felt in the calf.
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aim to cover the main stretches used and maybe a few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in the previous blog as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
Hi and welcome to this week’s Stretch-of-the-Week. In light of the weekends competition this blog will be discussing ultimate Frisbee. I’m sure many of you haven’t heard of ultimate Frisbee or ultimate, but it basically combines netball, touch football and gridiron with a Frisbee instead of a ball. It is fast paced and involves a lot of running, so I would recommend as well as these few stretches you also incorporate stretches from the running blog (#79) and netball blog (#86). An interesting point to this game is that it is self-refereed and mainly focus’ on ‘the spirit of the game’, which I find is refreshing. Today we will be focusing on the forearm and hand stretches as they are not very well known and extremely important if you want to get that wrist flick action when playing.
This stretch focus’ on the forearm and wrists, and is a fairly common stretch. As you can see it’s fairly simple to do but it’s important to interlock your fingers fully to get the full effect of the stretch. Now you don’t have to be participating in sport to do this stretch, it would be handy for office workers as well. The finger stretch builds on the flexibility from the previous stretch and should be done in conjunction. They do focus on the same basic muscle but in a slightly different way of stretching them. The important thing to remember in this stretch is that you are stretching the fingers, it is better to try and push your palms away from your body rather than together. In ultimate Frisbee core strength is important, as in most sports, so utilizing the rotating stomach stretch correctly is essential. If you find this stretch difficult or you can feel the stretch through your back you might want to try the rising stomach stretch (blog #25). Remember to only bend one arm, do not try and rotate your body yourself.
The levator scapula muscle starts at the transverse processes of C1-C4 and extends to the scapula, it is responsible in extension of the neck and shoulder shrugs. This muscle is often the source of neck stiffness especially when rotating the head to its limit and postural stress can cause this particular muscle to become hypertonic. It is important to remember that stretching any neck muscle can provide relief from tightness and pain but can also cause pain if done too aggressively. This stretch however is designed to improve head and neck flexion and is done in a safe and pain free manner.
To do this stretch the stretcher lies face up. The partner stands at the head of the stretcher and places their left hand on the stretchers shoulder and their right hand under their head, helping them to flex their head and neck so their chin is touching their chest. From this position rotate the head 45 degrees to the right to fully lengthen the muscle, this is your staring point. From this position direct the stretcher to slowly push their head and neck back towards the corner of the table, remembering to breathe normally, as the partner provides matching resistance. After this the stretcher relaxes and inhales deeply. On the exhale the stretcher should try to flex their head and neck to bring their chin closer to their chest.
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aim to cover the main stretches used and maybe a few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in the previous blog as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
Hi and welcome to this week’s stretch-of-the-week. This week, boxing is up for discussion and as well as gathering a few safety tips it is important to stretch before entering the ring. Stretching is regarded as the most under-utilized technique for improving an athlete’s performance and preventing sports injuries. In this sport both upper and lower body strength are required as well as good coordination, balance and body and spatial awareness. A good boxer also requires a great deal of core body strength aided by a strong set of leg muscles to act as a base whilst the upper body muscles are punching and moving at speed. In order for a boxer to prevent injuries it is important to include flexibility training to keep muscles health and ready to move either to deliver or avoid a blow quickly. There are a few stretches to get you started but of course it would help to include a wide range of stretches into a boxers training regime.
Starting at the base this first stretch engages the quadriceps which as you may know it is actually four muscles through the upper leg. This stretch can be also done whilst standing with or without support. If you do not feel the stretch through the front of your leg try an alternative stretch that targets the quadriceps such as the third static stretch in blog #84. Obviously this is a blog about boxing so we must want to focus on the arms and chest muscles which is where all the power and boxing technique stems from. This stretch targets the major muscle in the anterior chest and all the way down the arm. You can use a pole, wall or basically anything to stretch against, as long as it is stable. Remember to slowly rotate your body away from the stretching arm to do stretch both arms equally.
The final static stretch that I would recommend for someone training for boxing would be the cross over shoulder stretch. This stretch solely targets the trapezius muscles. Strengthening and stretching this muscle increase the strength of the neck which is important when stabilizing the head, especially when taking blows to the head during a match.
The truck rotators involves the thoracic and lumbar spine, which would include the eretor spinae muscles mentioned last week, the semispinalis thoracis, multifidus and the rotatores. The external obliques angle downwards and medial from the ribs and the internal obliques angles upwards and medial from the lateral and posterior iliac crest of the pelvis. Both set of obliques are the major muscles responsible for trunk rotation and therefore are mainly being stretched with this exercise.
To do this stretch the stretcher should be sitting, with their knees bent and legs hanging off the edge. Keeping their back straight they should twist as far right as they can, a trick is to keep the stretchers nose in line with their sternum. The partner should reach under the stretchers right arm and put their hand the stretchers right anterior shoulder. The partner’s left hand should be on the stretchers left scapula providing support. The stretcher should then attempt to rotate to their left with the partner providing matching resistance. The stretcher should then relax and inhale deeply. On the exhale the stretcher should rotate further to the right.
It is important to remember to keep the stretchers back straight to avoid incorrect stretching which can lead to injury. When the stretcher is rotating back against it their partner they need to remember to twist from the trunk and not to push back with their shoulder.
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aimed to cover the main stretches used and maybe a few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in the previous blog as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
Hi and welcome to this week’s stretch of the week. Lately we have been focusing on some more commonly known sports but there are some lesser known sports available in the Brisbane area as well. Even though you may not be interested in those particular sports the stretching and the muscles they are strengthening can help you in other sports. Take archery for example, it mainly focuses all the strength and ability in the arms, shoulders and chest but strengthening these muscles can help in rugby (blog #85), swimming (blog#80) and netball (blog#86). This stretch focuses on the muscle through the chest and shoulders. Make sure your feet are shoulder width apart and you have nice, even ground to do this stretch on. Bend from the hips and don’t let your hand slide down or crawl them up the wall. You should not feel this stretch through your back, if you do stop and raise your hand up a little higher or do some stretches for your back.
I know you might look a little silly doing this stretch but it is very effective for your forearms. Most people forget to stretch their forearms and this can cause a lot of pain. It is important to start with your hands in line with your shoulders and to slowly lean forward with your whole body. If you have difficulty rotating your hands around to the correct position it might be best to try another forearm stretch instead. This stretch was discussed in blog 83 but I would like to re explain this one because it can be a little confusing. Hold onto a pole/stick/bow with the thumb and index finger of one hand and run it down the inside of your arm, with the other hand slowly pull the stick forward forcing your other hand backwards and stretching the teres major and minor.
The scalene muscle is divided into three sections: anterior, middle and posterior. The brachial plexus and the subclavian artery pass between the anterior and middle scalene which can cause thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome and other painful conditions through the neck, shoulders and arms. The scalenes are responsible for lateral flexion of the cervical spin and elevation of the ribs during inspiration which assists greatly in breathing with easy.
To do this stretch the stretcher is supine with their head and neck rotated to one side as far as it will go. Make sure the stretcher keeps their nose pointed to the ceiling and pull the opposite shoulder away from their head, lengthening the scalene to their pain free end range. The partner places their hand just above the stretchers ear and their other hand on the stretchers shoulder to anchor it. The stretcher should then attempt to push against the partners hand, making sure they do not rotate their head whilst doing this. Also make sure the stretcher does not lift their shoulder. After this stretch the stretcher should relax and inhale deeply. On the exhale the stretcher should try to extend their neck further, once again making sure their nose is pointed to the ceiling.
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aimed to cover the main stretches used and maybe a few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in the previous blog as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
Hi and welcome to this week’s Stretch-of-the-Week, this week we will be discussing Netball. Now I know this sport is commonly known as a ‘women’s’ sport but I assure you males play as well, and it by know mean a ‘nice’ sport. The player run at fast pace and stop abruptly causing knee and ankle injuries constantly as well as putting their bodies on the line, to complete an intercept or rebound, on concrete not grass. Last week we discussed the abdomen and back muscles which are also important in netball, but in netball everyone should be defending the ball down the court and today’s stretches will reflect that. To defend the player must be three feet before they are allowed to put their hands up to block hence a natural lean towards the ball occurs, it is important to stretch the muscle of the chest and hip before participating in a game to avoid injury.
This stretch engages the muscles through the anterior chest and is relatively simple. You don’t even have to be competing in sport to do this stretch, it is useful for office workers to do this stretch at their desk as well. Just remember to keep your back straight and not lean either forwards or backwards, this will get the best out of the stretch. In netball it is important to keep the hips flexible, especially with the amount of agility required for this sport. Tuck your heels under your calve before you heal forward and this should stabilize your legs before stretching. Add this stretch with some of the running stretches from week #79 and the next stretch to keep your lower half nimble. The final static stretch I would recommend every netballer to do would be the leaning heel back calf stretch. If you do this in conjunction with the leaning back heel and achillies stretch from blog #84 that will create a comprehensive lower leg stretch for any netballer.
Our last stretch is focusing on the latissimus dorsi muscles which help with extension and flexion of the arm and shoulder. It forms part of the posterior axillary border and is used in many activities in which the arm moves from overhead downwards such as swimming and rock climbing. This particular stretch mimics the 'lat pull down' action used to strengthen the lats and increase the range of motion in flexion and external rotation of the humerus.
To do this stretch the stretcher is prone with their arms outstretched and externally rotated, like in a diving position. This is the lats end of range position. The partner grasps the stretchers wrists and directs the stretcher to pull against the partner internally rotating their arms and engaging the lats bilaterally. After this isometric pull the stretcher should relax and breathe in deeply. On the exhale the stretcher should attempt to reach further forward and rotate their arms more laterally in order to deepen the stretch.
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aimed to cover the main stretches used and maybe a few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in the previous blog as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
Hi and welcome to this week’s stretch-of-the-week. The heat of summer is over and so begins the winter sports such as netball, AFL and rugby, which will be discussed in the coming weeks. However this week we will kick of the winter sports with rugby. Now I know there are two codes of rugby and whilst the rules are the same the strain they put on the body are very similar and hence it only makes sense to include them both in one blog. They both involve speed, agility and the ability to take a hard hit with very little protection on. So this blog will be mainly about stretches you can do to increase the strength of your muscle to protect your bones and joints during a game. The muscle mainly used during both code of rugby are neck through the neck, the abdominals and the shoulder girdle, as well as running which has been covered extensively in previous blogs (#79). One group of muscles that are often forgotten but are very important is the back extensor muscle group, consisting of the erector spinae group and the transversospinalis group. These muscles help to extend the spine and rotate the abdominal section of your body. They can be a great source of chronic back pain and if not stretched and strengthen cause limit the movement through the spine. However it is important to also stretch the shoulder and chest before involving yourself in heavy tackling. The main point of impact to a rugby player occurs at the shoulder and therefore if not taken care of can cause the most amount of injuries. To protect your joint from dislocation strengthen you shoulder with this stretch but remember to not rotate your trunk and stop if you feel pain, like always.
Incorporate this stretch into your mid-section stretching as a good base to cover your trunk rotators and both sets of oblique’s involved in lumbar and thoracic spinal movement. Remember to keep your shoulder back and to not rotate as you lean to the side. It might help if you put your back to a wall to maintain a straight plane of movement.
This stretch is targeting those spinal extensors I was talking about earlier. I’m sure you can understand the importance of protecting your spine in such a highly contact sport and this is a very easy stretch to do before and after a game. It may even help people with chronic back pain and people who have a limited range of motion through their spine to do this stretch in the morning when they first get out of bed to strengthen their spinal muscles. You should feel this stretch all the way down your back and it is important to keep your legs straight out in front of you to do this stretch affectively. If you cannot seem to get the hang of this stretch grab a partner and do the PNF stretch which is very similar targeting the same muscles.
Trauma, job-related injuries and postural stress are the most common causes of lower back pain. If the stretcher has had a lower back injury however, caution must be taken as this is a pain-free stretch. the back extensors consist of the erector spinae group and the transversospinalis group of muscles working together either bilaterally to extend the spine or unilaterally to rotate the trunk.
To do this stretch the stretcher is seated with their legs extended away from their body, with their knees slightly bent. The stretcher leans forward as far as the can go pain-free, bending at the hips. The partner places their hands on the stretchers lower back and provides resistance. The stretcher then attempts to extend their spine, that is lean backwards. The stretcher then inhales deeply maintaining their spine at the original position. Apon exhaling the stretcher then contracts their rectus abdominus and psoas to bend further forward.
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aimed to cover the main stretches used and maybe a few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in the previous blog as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
Hi and welcome to this week’s Stretch-of-the-Week. This week’s sport is Basketball which involves a lot of running, pivoting and jumping so naturally today we’ll be discussing stretches related to the legs. Although abdominals and upper body muscle are also used the majority of injuries that occur are to the leg and in order to keep the general population of this community healthy stretching can help prevent injuries and pain. Calf muscle are mainly engaged when jumping for free throws or rebounds, quadriceps are vital for running and stride length and hamstrings are used to extend the knee and activated when pivoting.
We have previously discussed the important of stretching the calf muscles in stretch-of-the-week #81 with cycling. The leaning heel back calf stretch focuses on the Tibialis posterior and a gastrocnemius. Make sure your arms are about shoulder width apart and that you heel remains on the ground. It is also important to make sure that your toes are both facing forwards to gain the most out of the stretch. This stretch targets the hip abductors connecting the truck of the body to your legs. The glutes are responsible to a large portion of upwards thrust and are often forgotten to be stretched. To increase the vertical jump which is essential in the game including this stretch into a regime will strengthen and increase the flexibility allowing for a higher jump. Just remember to keep your back and straight as possible and keep your head in line with your back.
This stretch targets the quadriceps and is also a good follow on from the previous stretch. The quads are connected to the patella and assist he hamstring with knee flexion. If done correctly this stretch can further increase the ability and easy of vertical jumping in basketball. It is important to push forward from the hips and to find soft ground to lean on as the knee can get painful.
The posterior Tibialis is used to increase the eversion of the ankle and can assist in the doriflexion and plantarflexion of the foot. The two muscles which are the primary invertors for the foot are the tibialis anterior and the tibialis anterior. The tibialis anterior was discussed in previous stretch of the week post #53 but the tibialis posterior is slightly deeper in the calf and assists specifically in plantarflexion of the foot.
To do this stretch, the stretcher lies supine and everts their right ankle (the sole of their foot away from the midline) elongating the posterior tibialis to its end of range. The partner hold the lower leg with their right hand against the big toe to stabilize it. The stretcher beings to slowly attempt to turn their sole of their foot inwards against the partner’s hand, contracting the tibialis posterior. The stretcher then relaxes and inhales deeply. On the exhale the stretcher contracts the peroneals (discussed in stretch-of-the-week #55 ) to deepen the tibialis posterior stretch.
Obviously we could not include every stretch required for this sport instead this blog will aimed to cover the main stretches used and maybe a few you may not have thought of previously. Please remember to follow the safe stretching tips we have given you in the previous blog as well as the individual safety tips for static and PNF stretching.
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