Very Basic Stretching Program Wanted

[jamesndawson]

I have been trying to follow some kind of stretching program for years, but I've never been able to keep up with it. I respect yoga, but would prefer something simpler and more tailored to my needs. I'm pretty stiff.

These are the main things I'd like to be able to do:

1. Touch my toes. I can't quite do this. I can get down about 6 inches to them.

2. Squat with my feet flat comfortably balanced.

3. Sit down comfortably with my knees drawn up to my chest the way many people are able to do. My back leans back, my knees only bend about half-way, I'm not stably balanced and I can't maintain the position very long.

When my brother was long-distance running back in his teens, he had a stretching routine he did before and after a run. I don't see these stretches in the books I've looked at.

I'm not fat. I don't have a gut. I'm very trim. I read on the Net a comment by a mother that her very trim 10-year-old son who was very good at martial arts couldn't touch his toes.

I have the book 15-Minute Stretching, but it looks more involved than I want. Ditto Stretching for Dummies, but even more so. I have a rough idea how I should stretch, but it'd be nice to have a nice complete, basic, balanced routine, with instructions, to eliminate the guess work as much as possible.

Thanks.

[beforewisdom]

http://www.footankleinstitute.com/stretching/

[chewybaws]

The first one is actually a goal I had, sometimes after deadlifting my hamstrings can be really tight and I might not be able to touch toes straightaway, but after warmup I can.


This will also help with your squat. Of course if you can't touch your toes you won't be able to do this straight away. So what I done was I placed a barbell half way up my shins and grabbed that instead of my toes.

From there you simply lower the bar until you can do it grabbing the bottom of your toes. On the last rep I'd hold both the top and bottom position for 30s each.


I also would stretch my hamstrings everyday using this stretch http://youtu.be/RpJab7LcbxE?t=1m2s

I'm still a long shot from having flexible hamstrings but I can touch my toes now!


The most important thing is to do the stretches every day. What I like doing is when I need to pick something off the floor in the house, i'll keep my knees back so I get a hamstring stretch every time, keeps it topped up.

[baldy]

I can't give you a routine, but about 6 months ago I couldn't touch my toes and I can now. So can give you my experience.
Yoga didn't do much for me, 6 week course of it improved my flexibility a little bit but nothing dramatic.

The best improvement came from dynamic stretches check out this book for the science behind it -> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stretching-Scie ... 0940149303

My warmup/dynamic stretch routine involves leg swings, overhead squats with broomstick, mountain climbers and arm swings.
Then at the end of a session I will dynamically stretch my hamstrings out.

I just stretch my problem areas, from what I have read trying to stretch out every single muscle is just a waste of time.

[baldy]

I also would stretch my hamstrings everyday using this stretch http://youtu.be/RpJab7LcbxE?t=1m2s.

That video is semi NSFW!

What I like doing is when I need to pick something off the floor in the house, i'll keep my knees back so I get a hamstring stretch every time, keeps it topped up.

You crazy powerlifters! I do the opposite and force myself to go into a full squat, heels on the floor, get some right funny looks on the train when I do this.

[chewybaws]

I also would stretch my hamstrings everyday using this stretch http://youtu.be/RpJab7LcbxE?t=1m2s.

That video is semi NSFW!

Haha I done a quick google image search but it didn't come up. It's just the same as using a towel to pull your leg closer but I prefer using a wall/upright because I'm less likely to pussy out of the stretch when it starts to hurt haha.

[ninearms]

On point 2: