Understanding the difference between dynamic and static stretching is essential for improving muscle elasticity and preventing injury. Discover targeted stretches for tight hamstrings and learn how to safely relieve a stiff neck or heel cord tension.
The muscles of the lower back include the erector spinae muscle group and the deep spinal muscles. Both of these muscle groups contribute to spinal extension, lateral flexion and rotation. You can stretch these muscles by moving your body through various ranges of motion.
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Long legs are considered sexy because they are aesthetically pleasing. For many women who were not blessed with extremely long stems, there is a lot they can do to make legs appear longer. No matter how tall you are there are ways to make your legs seem proportionally lengthy.
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There are 44 muscles in the face. As you age, they naturally lose strength and tone. One area that's particularly prone to sagging is the jaw line, although regular exercises can help build the jaw muscles and keep skin firm and lifted.
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The hip area is a ball-and-socket joint, which forms the foundation for the rest of the body. But activities such as prolonged sitting or slight jarring, tripping, or slipping can move the hips out of alignment.
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Serving tennis ball after tennis ball, sitting at a computer for long hours or carrying around a heavy backpack can cause the rhomboids β the shoulder blade muscles located on your upper back β to become tight and painful.
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External hip rotators are muscles in your pelvic region that are responsible for hip-twisting movements such as hitting a baseball or swinging a golf club. Hip muscles have a tendency to tighten from age, injury, inactivity, or any number of degenerative conditions.
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Stretching exercises benefit your flexibility β the range of motion of your muscles and joints. Stretches prepare your body for a workout, allow for movement without discomfort, and assist in recovery after a workout. There are different types of stretches for different purposes.
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Ever feel left out? The triceps do. Exercisers often neglect to stretch the triceps brachii, muscles located on the backs of the upper arms. The triceps assists with elbow extension and shoulder movement, and doing this behind-the-head triceps stretch is essential to any triceps workout.
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Hip injuries can drastically decrease quality of life, but pinpointing the cause can be difficult. They're usually due to weakness in the hip flexors or stiffness. Sometimes, they manifest outside of the hip region, causing pain in the inner thigh or lower back.
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Neck spasms are an involuntary contraction of the muscles of the neck, resulting in a feeling of tightness or pain. Neck spasms may occur from an injury, overuse, poor posture or stress. Once you've had a medical evaluation to determine the cause of neck spasms, it is often appropriate to begin a stretching program.
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Dynamic stretching for the shoulders is done with active stretches that increase blood circulation, warm up the muscles and improve range of motion.
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Regular exercise is key for reducing the health risks of obesity, and stretching is often the first step toward a healthier workout routine. If you're obese, however, the stress placed on your joints by your weight can make some stretches painful and even dangerous. You don't have to give up on physical fitness though.
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The hip capsule is a ligament that connects the top of the leg to the pelvis. The hip is a ball and socket joint like the shoulder. Since it moves freely in a variety of directions, it is easy to damage if it is stretched too far. Increasing the flexibility of the hip capsule extends the range of motion in the hip.
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Sciatica is usually caused by a herniated or protruding disk, which pinches the nerve. The pain typically starts in your lower back and radiates along the sciatic nerve through your hip and butt, and continues down the back of your leg.
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Back pain and stiffness can occur for many reasons. Maybe you lifted something too heavy or were hunched over a garden all morning. Usually the pain is not severe enough to require a doctorβs care. According to the website SpineUniverse, most back pain will eventually disappear on its own.
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