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Lower Body Stretch

Stretching is an important part of any workout routine. It helps increase your flexibility and reduce your
chances of injury. It's best to stretch the muscles you've used after your cool down although, if you have any
chronically tight muscles, you may want to stretch those after your warm up as well. Below are some common
stretches for your lower body including your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves and hips. Do each stretch at
least once and hold for at least 15 seconds (more if you have time). Each stretch should feel good. If you feel
any pain, ease up and go slower.

Instructions

Example

Hip/Glute Stretch
Cross left foot over right knee. Clasp hands behind
right thigh and gently pull the leg in towards you,
keeping upper body relaxed. Switch Legs
Hamstring Stretch
Lie on floor with knees bent. Straighten one leg and
slowly pull it towards you, clasping the thigh, calf or
ankle. Keep knee slightly bent. Switch legs.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on floor with feet pressed together. Keeping abs
in, lean forward until you feel a gentle stretch in your
inner thighs.
Lunge Stretch
In lunge position, rest back knee on the floor, with
front knee at 90 degree angle, abs in. Gently press
forward until you feel a stretch in the front of the
leg/hip. Switch legs.
Kneeling Hamstring Stretch
From above lunge position, slowly move backward
until leg is slightly bent. Bend forward at the hip,
keeping back flat until you feel gentle pull in the back
of the leg. Switch legs.
Piriformis Stretch
Begin on the hands and knees and bring the left knee
in, resting it on the floor between your hands (you
should be on the outside of the knee). Straighten the
right leg out behind you and, if you can, bend forward
and rest the forearms on the floor.
Knees to Chest
Lying on the floor, pull your knees into your chest and
clasp your hands under your knees. Gently press
your hips to the floor.
Knee to Chest
From above position, straighten one leg and pull the
other knee into your chest until you feel a stretch in
your hip. Switch legs.

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Calf Stretch
On hands and knees, straighten your legs, but keep
them slightly bent. Gently press one or both feet
towards the floor, keeping back flat and abs in.
Kneeling Calf Stretch
On hands and knees, bring the left foot in between
the hands and gently press the knee forward while
pressing the heel towards the floor.
Spine Twist
Lying on the floor, place right foot on the left knee.
Using your left hand, gently pull your right knee
towards the floor, twisting your spine and keeping left
arm straight out, hips and shoulders on the floor.
Switch sides.
Quad Stretch
Lie down on your side using elbow for balance. Using
other arm, slowly pull your foot towards your glutes,
keeping both knees together and bent knee pointing
down. Switch legs.

Total Body Stretch

Stretching is an important part of any workout routine. It helps increase your flexibility and reduce your chances
of injury. You should stretch after you've cooled down from your workout. You can also stretch your muscles
between sets during strength training workouts. Below are some common stretches for your the upper and
lower body. Perform each stretch at least once and hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds (more if you have
time!). Each stretch should feel good. If you feel any pain, ease up and go slower.

Exercise

Instructions

Standing Quadriceps
Stretch

Stand and hold onto a wall for balance if needed.

Grab the top of the right foot and bend your knee,
bringing the foot towards the buttocks, knee pointing
straight at the floor. You should feel a stretch right
down the front of your leg. You can squeeze your
hips forward a little to feel it more in the hip flexors.
Switch sides

Sit or stand and clasp your hands together behind

your back, arms straight. Lift your hands towards the
Chest and Shoulders
ceiling, going only as high as is comfortable. You
should feel a stretch in your shoulders and chest.

Chest

Stand in a doorway and place your right forearm on

the side of the doorway wall at chest level, elbow
bent to 90 degrees. Slowly turn your body to the left.
You should feel a nice stretch all through your chest.
Switch sides

Example

Upper Back

Clasp your hands together in front of you and round

your back towards the floor, pressing your arms away
from your body to feel a stretch in your upper back.

Biceps

Take your arms out to the sides, slightly behind you,

with the thumbs up (as in The Fonz). Rotate your
thumbs down and back until they are pointing to the
back wall. You should feel a stretch in your biceps.

Shoulders

Take right arm straight across your chest and curl the
left hand around your elbow, gently pulling on the
right arm to deepen the stretch in the shoulders.
Switch sides.

Side Stretch

Sitting or standing, clasp your hands straight up

overhead, palms facing the ceiling. Gently lower to
the right side until you feel a stretch down your left
side. Switch sides and repeat.

Triceps

Bend the left elbow behind your head and use the
right hand to gently pull the left elbow in further until
you feel a stretch in your tricep. Switch sides and
repeat.

Cardio, Strength Training and Flexibility Guidelines

How much and what type of exercise you do will depend on your fitness level, goals and time constraints, but a
complete exercise program should include cardio, strength training and flexibility exercises.
Cardio Guidelines
Cardio exercise is any rhythmic activity performed continuously and can include activities like walking, running,
aerobics, cycling, swimming and dancing. Cardio strengthens the heart and lungs, increases endurance and
burns calories which helps you lose weight. While you should always stick with a cardio program that fits with
your fitness level, the general guidelines for cardio exercise include:

20-60 minutes of continuous or short-bout exercise

3-5 days a week

Working between 77% and 90% of your maximum heart rate

Varying the intensity, time and type of your workouts

You don't have to do all your cardio at once.
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You can get the weight loss benefits from cardio even if you do a few short workouts throughout the day.
Cardio Resources

Cardio 101

Cardio Workouts

Cardio for Beginners

Strength Training Guidelines
Strength training is another form of exercise that works the body in a different way than cardio. With strength
training, you lift weights (dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands, machines, etc.) to strengthen the muscles,
bones and connective tissue. Strength training is just as important for weight loss as cardio. By lifting weights,
you build lean muscle tissue which raises metabolism and reduces body fat as long as you're also watching
your calorie intake.
The general guidelines for strength training are:

Choose 8-10 exercises, targeting the major muscle groups (lower body, chest, back, shoulders,
biceps, triceps and abs)

For beginners, do one set of 8-16 reps of each exercise to fatigue. More advanced exercisers can do
2-3 sets.

Train each muscle group 2-3 non-consecutive days a week

Work each exercise through its full range of motion and use good form
Strength Training Resources

Weight Training 101

Strength Training Workouts

Strength Training for Beginners

About.com Weight Training

Flexibility Guidelines
While stretching is often the most overlooked exercise, it's one of the most important for keeping us agile as we
get older. And, unlike the rigors of cardio and strength training, it's relaxing and it feels good. Stretching can be
done anytime throughout the day, but it's also important to stretch after your workouts, especially if you have
any chronically tight areas. The guidelines for stretching are:

Stretch your muscles when they're warm (after your warm up or, even better, after your workout)

Do static stretches with a focus on tight areas such as the hamstrings and lower back

Stretch a minimum of 2-3 days a week...even better would be every day

Stretch within your range of motion. Stretching shouldn't hurt.

Hold each stretch for about 15-30 seconds and do 2-4 reps of each stretch

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Don't forget that yoga workouts are a great way to both stretch your body at the same time you build endurance
and promote relaxation and stress-reduction. Pilates also promotes flexibility along with core strength and
stability. Both of these activities are a great addition to a traditional cardio and strength training routine.
Flexibility, Yoga and Pilates Resources

Flexibility Workouts

Yoga and Pilates-Based Workouts

About.com Yoga

About.com Pilates

The Components of Fitness

Exercise scientists have identified nine components that comprise the definition of fitness. The
following lists each of the nine components and an example of how they are used:

Strength - the extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting

against resistance (e.g. holding or restraining an object or person)

Power - the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an

explosive burst of movements (e.g. jumping or a sprint start)

Agility - the ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in

rapid succession in opposing directions (e.g. ZigZag running or cutting
movements)

Balance - the ability to control the body's position, either stationary (e.g. a
handstand) or while moving (e.g. a gymnastics stunt)

Flexibility - the ability to achieve an extended range of motion without being

impeded by excess tissue, i.e. fat or muscle (e.g. executing a leg split)

Local Muscle Endurance - a single muscle's ability to perform sustained

work (e.g. rowing or cycling)

Cardiovascular Endurance - the heart's ability to deliver blood to working

muscles and their ability to use it (e.g. running long distances)

Strength Endurance - a muscle's ability to perform a maximum contraction

time after time (e.g. continuous explosive rebounding through an entire
basketball game)

Co-ordination- the ability to integrate the above listed components so that

effective movements are achieved.

Strength
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The common definition is the ability to exert a force against a resistance. The strength needed
for a sprinter to explode from the blocks is different to the strength needed by a weight lifter to
lift a 200kg barbell. This therefore implies that there are different types of strength.
What are the classifications of strength?

The classifications of strength are:

Maximum strength -the greatest force that is possible in a single maximum

contraction

Elastic strength - the ability to overcome a resistance with a fast contraction

Strength endurance - the ability to express force many times over

Power
Power is rate of performing work. It is a measure of how much energy is created in each second
that passes, the size of the force applied and the velocity at which it is applied.
Power {(Force Distance) Time} represents the product of strength and speed of movement
expressed in Watts. Where Force is measured in Newtons (1kg=10N), the Distance in metres and
Time in seconds.
One Watt=0.73756 ft/lb/sec, 6.12 kg/m/min, 0.01433 kcal/min
Example

An 80 kg athlete can run up a set of stairs, vertical height 3 metres, in 1.5 seconds

Force = 800 N (80 x 10), Distance = 3 metres, Time = 1.5 seconds

Energy = 800 x 3 = 2400 joules

Power = Energy (joules) Time (seconds)

Power = 2400 1.5 = 1600 watts

Agility
Agility is the ability to change the direction of the body in an efficient and effective manner and
to achieve this you require a combination of:

Balance

The ability to maintain equilibrium when stationary or moving (i.e. not

to fall over) through the co-ordinated actions of our sensory functions
(eyes, ears and the proprioceptive organs in our joints)

Static Balance - ability to retain the centre of mass above the base of
support in a stationary position

Dynamic Balance - ability to maintain balance under changing

conditions of body movement

Speed
o

Strength
o

the ability to move all or part of the body quickly

the ability of a muscle or muscle group to overcome a resistance

Co-ordination
o

the ability to control the movement of the body in co-operation with

the body's sensory functions e.g. catching a ball (ball, hand and eye
co-ordination)

How do we improve agility?

We can improve our agility by improving the component parts of agility (listed above) and
practicing the movements in training.

Flexibility - Mobility
Flexibility, mobility and suppleness all mean the range of limb movement around joints.
What is flexibility?

Flexibility is the ability to perform a joint action through a range of movement. In any movement
there are two groups of muscles at work:

protagonistic muscles which cause the movement to take place and

opposing the movement and determining the amount of flexibility are the
antagonistic muscles

See the page on muscle movement to find out what happens when you stretch or contract a
muscle.

Endurance Training
What is the objective of endurance training?

The objective of endurance training is to develop the energy production system(s) to meet the
demands of the event.
What are the energy production systems?

In the human body, food energy is used to manufacture adenosine triphosphate (ATP) the
chemical compound that supplies energy for muscular contraction. Since ATP is in very low
concentrations in the muscle, and since it decreases only to a minor extent, even in the most
intense voluntary contraction, tightly controlled energy pathways exist for the continual
regeneration of ATP as muscular contraction continues. For continuous exercise, ATP must be resynthesised at the same rate as it is utilised.