Stretching Exercises

Your massage therapist may have shown you some exercises during your visit. We have provided a list of commonly prescribed exercises as a refresher. If you’re still unsure how to perform a stretching or strengthening exercise safely, please email or call.
Please note, all stretching should be pain free.

Upper traps
Bring your ear towards your shoulder, rotate and flex head slightly so that you are looking towards you armpit. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

Pecs

1. Seated or standing gently press shoulder blades together without raising shoulders towards ears. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

2. Using a door way, flex elbow to 90 degrees. Place elbow and forearm along door frame, and while maintaining proper upright posture, take a small step through the doorway. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

Triceps
Place your arm up overhead, flex elbow so that you can touch the back of your neck with your fingers. Use other hand on elbow to draw the arm back. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

Hip flexors
Starting from a deep lunge, draw the knee on your back leg towards the ground. Make sure pelvis is square and upper body is straight. To increase stretch, tilt the pelvis posteriorly (imagine you have a tail and you are trying to tuck it between your legs). Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

Calf
1. Standing: stand facing a wall (approx 1 foot back) place toes of one foot on wall. With a straight body lean in towards wall to increase stretch. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

2. Lunge position: standing straight, place one leg back about 3 feet and keep heel as close to the floor as possible. Hold stretch with a straight knee, then with the knee slightly bent to target all calf muscles. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

Hamstrings
1. With a stable structure in front of you (end table, stable chair), place your heel on the surface and with a straight back, bend from the hips. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

Glutes
1. Seated: adjust height of chair so your hips and knees are both bent at 90 degrees. Place the outer side of your ankle on your thigh, just above your knee. If you don’t feel a stretch, with a straight back, bend forward from the hips. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

2. Laying down: on your back with knees bent, cross one ankle over the opposite knee (place outer side of ankle on thigh just above the knee). Wrap your hands around the back of your thigh to draw the legs towards your chest. Take care to not raise your head off the floor or arch your lower back. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

Hip rotators
1. Seated: adjust height of chair so your hips and knees are both bent at 90 degrees. Place the outer side of your ankle on your thigh, just above your knee. If you don’t feel a stretch, with a straight back, bend forward from the hips. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

ITB
Standing, cross the right leg behind the left (right leg behind is the one being stretched in this example). Jut your right hip out and sidebend with the torso to the left. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

SCM (front of the neck)
Place hands centrally on chest just below the collar bones. Draw the skin down slightly to make the skin taught. With your mouth closed, extend and rotate the neck until you feel a stretch over the front of the neck. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds (or longer if indicated).

TMJ (Jaw)
Slide the pads of your hands just under your cheek bones. Press in gently, then draw the hand down towards the corners of the mouth without sliding over the skin. Hold for 10-15 seconds (or longer if indicated)

Dynamic Stretch: Lower Leg