Your go-to stretching routine

As you may know, stretching is very important for your muscles. Both before and after your workout. Before your workout stretching will help loosen up your muscles and prepare them for heavy use. After your workout it's also important to stretch as it will allow your muscles to decontract. Now, personally I often forget to stretch.? I'll either be in a hurry to get home or simply forget to stretch after a heavy workout. However, the times that I do remember to stretch I truly feel a difference. I immediately feel ten times lighter as my muscles will have gotten rid of some of that tension that workouts bring upon them. The main difference is felt the day after though. Often, the day after working out your muscles are stiff and aching, when you stretch you have it less (if at all). So, Fit Girls, prepare those extra 5 minutes in order to correctly finish your workouts. In order to help you we have prepped the perfect stretching routine.

1. Open Lizard

This stretch is perfect for your hips and hamstrings (aka legs). If there is one thing that needs to be said about stretching it's that you should never force a stretch! It's not a flexibility test, it's the opposite it's a moment to let the tension in your muscles decrease.

2. Butterfly

This is the butterfly stretch and honestly this one is amazing to do! It let's your whole body breathe, and the stretch in your legs feels so good.

3. Tricep stretch

Make sure to follow the examples well as a wrong movement can set off a sprain or worse injuries.

4. Shoulder stretch

This shoulder stretch feels great after a long #armday! Don't let your arms get stiff (which may lead to reversed progress), so stretch!

5. Reclined hamstring

Did you just go for a run? Now that you're home you can grab your yoga mat and get stretchin. Nothing more needed!

6. Lying glute stretch

After a good ol' #legday you will feel the need to stretch. You will have felt that burn in your booty throughout the squats. Now the only thing left to do is that the muscles repair themselves the right way (and that the booty grows yaass), so get stretchin.

7. Standing wall calf stretch

This calf stretch only looks minimal, yet it is a crucial stretch in order to avoid later strains. I often having a shooting pain in my calf when I tense it the day after working out my legs. This shooting pain hurts so much and it is the reason why I started to focus more on stretching.

8. Bicep stretch

Last but not least, the biceps! Don't forget to stretch them.

And then you're done with your workout! Good job! ? 

Photo Credits (Header): Matthew LeJune, via Unsplash

Do you like following routines and exercise schedules? Then I think the Fitgirlcode Guide is truly made for you! Check it out here >

Now, once you're done with your pre-workout stretches you could get this booty workout going that uses weights.