Flexibility exercises can help maintain or improve the mobility in your muscles and joints. It’s important to be able to fully move your joints and stretch your muscles.
Having good posture depends on being able to be flexible enough to get into the proper position. You need to length through the trunk and spine to stand or sit in an erect posture.
Being able to do daily activities is easier when you have mobile joints and extensible muscles. The mobility of the joints can affect your function. Stiff hips or ankles can affect your walking and balance. Tight shoulder muscles can affect your posture, possibly leading to neck or back pain.
Flexibility can be affected by age changes, habitual postures and patterns of movement. It is important to regularly stretch your body. Stretching should be done for joints, major muscle groups (shoulders, hips, ankles), long muscles that go across multiple joints, as well as the spine.
The following exercises provide general stretching for these areas, with an emphasis on stretching in positions that are safe for osteoporosis. Always consider spinal safety and positioning when doing any stretches, and when getting into and out of exercise positions. Always have support nearby for balance safety. Consider using props (straps, blocks) to help with positioning or reaching.
Cervical rotation
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 2x daily |
- Lie on your back with your head on a pillow.
- Keep the pillow as flat as possible to ensure good head alignment.
- Tuck your chin and rotate the head to the side as far as possible.
- Repeat on the other side.
Pec stretch, supine
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 10 seconds | Daily |
- Lie on your back with your head on a pillow.
- Bring your arms out to your side so they are 90 degrees from the body.
- Keep your back flat against the bed
- hold the position for the prescribed time.
Lower pectoral stretch
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 10 seconds | Daily |
- Lie on your back with your head on a pillow.
- Bring your arms out and up to your side so they are in 45-degree upward angle from the body.
- Keep your back flat against the bed.
- Hold the position for the prescribed time.
Hip internal rotation
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | daily |
- Lie on your back with your fingertips on your pelvis to make sure it doesn't move during the exercise.
- Bend the knee and straighten the non-involved leg.
- The foot should be slightly outside with respect to your shoulder.
- Let the bend knee roll inward to internally rotate the hip-without moving your pelvis and make a brief pause in this position.
- Then return to the starting position and repeat the exercise.
Hip external rotation mobility
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 2x daily |
- Lie on your back with your knees flexed to 90 degrees.
- Without moving the feet, open the legs by bringing the knees towards the ground
- Then close the legs and repeat.
Hip rotation
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 5 seconds | Daily |
- Lie on your back with your arms out in a “T” position, your feet flat on the floor, your knees bent, and your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
- Anchor the right foot to the floor while letting the left knee roll inward and the weight of the left leg pull to end range.
- Pause briefly at the bottom.
- Then return to the starting position and repeat the exercise with the other leg.
Hamstring and calf stretch
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 5 seconds | Daily |
- Lie on your back and place a long strap around your forefoot, holding the ends with your hands.
- Lift your leg straight up, keeping your knee straight, and pulling gently on the strap with your hands until you feel a gentle stretch behind the thigh and calf.
- Maintain the position for the prescribed time.
Rectus femoris stretch
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 8-10 seconds | Daily |
- Lying on your side, place a towel around your ankle of the top leg.
- Bend the opposite leg slightly to properly position your pelvis.
- Pull the towel with your arm, bending your knee and pulling your leg back until a stretch is felt in front of your thigh.
- Hold the position.
Thoracic spine stretch
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 8-10 seconds | Daily |
- Start on your stomach and elbows with your hands in front of you.
- You can have your forehead on your stacked hands.
- Move your elbows in so they are under your shoulders.
- Lift your breastbone, trying to have it vertical to the bed.
- Engage your shoulder muscles, don't sag onto your elbows.
Rocking backwards – hip flexion
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5 | 1 - 2x Daily |
- Start on your hands and knees with your hips flexed to 90 degrees.
- Push your hips backward without any movement to your lower back (neutral back).
- Sit back towards your heels without letting your lower back round.
- Aim to go at least to 120 degrees of hip flexion.
Kneeling hip extension
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 8-10 seconds | Daily |
- With one knee on the ground, place the opposite foot on the ground slightly ahead with the toe pointing straight ahead.
- Move your hips forward while keeping the trunk upright. Make sure you don't arch your lower back.
- Repeat as recommended.
- Complete on both sides.
Shin stretch
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 5 seconds | Daily |
- Kneel on the ground on a comfortable surface.
- Your feet should be pointed so the tops of your feet are on the ground.
- Place a bolster on top of your calves, then sit straight down onto the bolster to stretch the shins.
Shoulder stretch
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 5 seconds | Daily |
- Stand behind a chair with both hands on the back of the chair.
- Backup a few steps and position yourself in the stretch by pushing your hips bac, and lowering your trunk forward, stretching through the trunk and shoulders.
- Make sure that you keep your back flat, do not round through lower or mid back. Only go as far as you can go with good technique.
- Maintain the position.
Standing calf stretch on wall
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Hold | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 8-10 seconds | Daily |
- Put the leg to be stretched behind with the heel on the floor and toes pointing directly forward.
- Place both hands on the wall, bend your front knee and lean into the lunge, pushing your hips forward.
- Do not let your heel come off the ground.
- Lean until you feel a stretch down your back calf.
- Hold the position.
Foot stretch – inner arch
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Daily |
- Stand next to a chair, wall, or stable object for balance.
- Step over a ball with one foot - the ball should be on the inside of your arch at the highest point of your instep.
- Put weight on the ball, so the ball tacks onto your skin, and then pivot your foot out to stretch your arch.
- Reset the ball and repeat.
Foot stretch – outer arch
How to do this exercise
| Sets | Repetitions | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Daily |
- Stand next to a chair, wall, or stable object for balance.
- Step over a ball with one foot - the ball should be on the outside of your arch at the center of your foot.
- Put weight on the ball, so the ball tacks onto your skin, and then pivot your foot in to stretch your arch.
- Reset the ball and repeat.
