FitSugar

Stretch It: Wall Straddle

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:00:00 PST

The wall is a great prop to use when stretching because it can either support the weight of your body, as in Shoulder Wall Roll, or add resistance like with this Chest Opener. If you liked the relaxing Legs up the Wall Stretch, here's a variation that will stretch your inner thighs.

To find out how to do this

Place a folded bolster, blanket, or pillow against a wall.
Sit down as close as you can to the wall, next to the pillow. Lie down on your back, place your feet on the wall with your knees bent, and scoot your body over so that your bottom and lower back are on the pillow.
You want to adjust your body so that your bum is touching the wall, and then place your feet straight up, resting your heels on the wall. Now separate your feet and slide your legs down the wall toward the ground, coming into a straddle position.
You can keep your arms by your sides, or by your head (this position will stretch your shoulders).
Close your eyes and allow your entire body to relax, feeling gravity pulling your feet down and opening your inner thighs. If it becomes too intense, place your hands on the outside of your thighs for a little support.
Hold like this for several minutes or longer. Once you've had enough, slide your feet up the wall toward each other. Then walk your feet down the wall, draw your knees into your chest and roll your body over to one side. Rest your head on the inside of your arm, staying like this in fetal position for a minute or so. Then you can roll up onto your knees and come to stand up.

Stretch It: Frogger

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:57:10 PST

If you've been doing a lot of squats, biking, running, or sitting for long periods, you could use a good hip and inner thigh opener. This stretch I call Frogger might look a little x-rated, but once you get past that, it'll become your new favorite post-workout move. (Though I'd refrain from dropping on the floor in the middle of your office to do this one.) Like Pigeon and Butterfly, this hip opener is intense and most beneficial if you hang out in it for a while - at least a minute.

Music: "Desafinado" by Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz

To find out how to get in and out of this pose,

Begin on your hands and knees on a carpeted surface. If you don't have carpet, fold up a blanket so it's at least four feet long. You'll need some cushion for your knees.
Now slowly slide your knees out to the side, away from each other, and move your feet as well so that your ankles remain in line with your knees. Flex your feet so your toes are pointing out. This stretch becomes intense quickly, so only widen your knees and lower your hips until you feel a nice stretch. You shouldn't feel any discomfort or pain.
Once your legs are in a good position, if you're low enough you can walk your hands out and release your elbows to the ground. Use your hands to help press your hips back toward your feet to intensify the feeling in your legs. Keep your head lifted and your shoulders relaxed so your pelvis continues to press toward the ground.
Breathe deeply in this position, staying for as long as you'd like. When you're ready to come out, move slowly. Come up onto your hands if you're not there already, and lean forward as your bring your heels together behind you. Then slide your knees together and come into Child's pose to give your hips a rest.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Wide-Legged Forward Bend E

FitSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PDT

In Ashtanga yoga, although there are technically four Wide-Legged Forward Bend poses, sometimes I've been to classes where the instructor throws in a fifth - Wide-Legged Forward Bend E. This pose is great for stretching your hips, hamstrings, and inner thighs.

Sanskrit Name: Prasarita Padottanasana E
English Translation: Feet Spread Intense Stretch Pose E
Also Called: Wide-Legged Forward Bend E or Wide-Legged Split

You definitely don't have to go down this far. Want to see the variations for this pose? Then

Start off in Wide-Legged Forward Bend D pose.
Widen your stance a little in order to place your palms flat on the ground right below your shoulders.
Start to inch your feet further apart, making sure to keep your heels wider than your toes. Keep the soles of your feet flat on the ground at all times to protect your knees.

As your hips get lower, you can prop yourself up with your forearms, and then move down to your shoulders.
If your shoulders are on the ground, turn your head to the side, and rest your cheek on the ground so you don't bruise your chin.
To get out of this pose, slowly come back on to your hands and walk your feet closer together until your big toes are touching.
Stay here in a forward bend until you're ready to slowly come to stand.

Stretch It: Inner Thighs

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:45:00 PST

It is best to stretch warm muscles, which means you should stretch after a run or a workout. Sometimes though, you are not really in a place where you want to throw yourself onto the ground and commence stretching. That is one reason I love this inner thigh stretch. You can do it anywhere without touching the ground.

Side Lunge for the Inner Thigh

Stand with your feet about 4 feet apart and toes facing forward.
Bend your left knee, making sure your left knee doesn't move beyond your ankle. Rotate your pelvis slightly to the left to increase the stretch of your right inner thigh.
To keep pressure out of the inside of your right knee, really weight the outside of the right foot.

Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then switch sides. Repeat stretch twice on each side.

Source

Stretch It: Inner Thigh

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 03:00:00 PDT

I have received many requests from inflexible readers for stretches. So here is one of my favorites, especially for after a run since you can do it anywhere and you don't have to lie down to do it. It stretches the inner thighs (aka adductors) safely and effectively, and those inner thighs are often forgotten in a workout as well as stretching.

Inner Thigh Stretch hold stretch for 20 seconds or 5 long, slow breaths

Start in squat with your knees open, heels up and hands on the ground in front of you.
Put more weight on your right foot and straighten your left out to the side.
Don't jam your left knee, keep it slightly soft so you don't hyper-extend the joint.

Then switch sides. Stretch each side twice.

Don't forget to breathe while you are stretching and remember you should warm up for at least five minutes before doing any deep stretching.

Beyond the Basics: Inner Thigh Stretches

Michele Foley — Thu, 19 May 2011 01:15:43 PDT

After a weekend spent doing Pilates and ballet-inspired workouts, I experienced a type of muscle soreness that was entirely new to me - my inner thighs (aka adductors) were on fire. While I have a series of stretches that I do after every workout, I now realize that none of them really target this often overlooked area. If you've also been neglecting your inner thighs the way I have, here are a few stretches to get you started!

Basic Inner Thigh Stretch - Here's a favorite stretch of ours, especially for after a run since you can do it anywhere. This basic stretch will lengthen tight inner thighs safely and effectively.
Butterfly Pose - Also referred to as Baddha Konasana or Bound Angle pose, Butterly pose is one of my favorite ways to end a challenging yoga class. Not only does it get into the upper thigh area, but it's also a great hip-opener that stretches out the lower back, too.
Wide-Legged Forward Bend E - In ashtanga yoga, although there are technically four Wide-Legged Forward Bend poses, sometimes an instructor throws in a fifth, Wide-Legged Forward Bend E. This deep pose is great for stretching your hips, hamstrings, and inner thighs.
Frogger - Imagine how you'd look sprawled out like a frog, and you basically have the gist of this stretch. What's great about Frogger is that you can hang out in the pose for as long as you want to really give your inner thighs a good, deep stretch.
Wall Straddle - The wall is a great prop to use when stretching because it can either support the weight of your body or add resistance. Wall straddle is a great stretch that you can do at home, and it's easy to make the stretch as easy or intense as your body can handle. Just make sure to take your shoes off!
Side Lunge For Inner Thigh - It's always best to stretch warm muscles, but you can't always be in a place where it's easy to stretch on the ground. That's why this inner thigh stretch is awesome - you can stand up and do it anywhere.

Suffer from tight adductors? What's your favorite stretch?

Torch Calories and Tone With This Circuit Workout

Susi May — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:40:46 PDT

What's not to love about circuit training? Combining heart-pumping elements of cardio with strength-training moves means you torch calories while toning muscles. It's just so efficient.

Here's a fun yet challenging circuit workout I did recently with my Equinox trainer Lauren. The workout has you performing each exercise for a minute, which means you need to keep a stopwatch handy, but you have the luxury of not needing to count.

Get the details of this circuit after the break.

No Equipment Required! Tone the Body With These Yoga and Pilates Workouts

Leta Shy — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:41:00 PDT

Strengthening your muscles shouldn't be limited to the weight room or machines at the gym. Tone while you stretch and flex with these five yoga and Pilates workouts.

Thigh sculpting: No need to spend hours on those adductor machines; yoga can help stretch out tight muscles while also toning for bikini season. This sequence of nine yoga poses works all the muscles in your legs while focusing on toning your inner thighs.

Leg strengthening: If you're a runner, chances are you know a thing or two about tight lower-body muscles. Yoga can help strengthen those overworked areas while increasing your hip and hamstring flexibility, helping you stay injury-free and making you a better runner. Get the 10-pose yoga for runners sequence here.

Arm contouring: Ready to rock that sundress in style? Put down the dumbbells; toned shoulders, backs, and arms can be had by taking a few minutes to add this yoga sequence for your upper body to your workout routine.

Ab defining: Holding a yoga pose often leads to engaged abs, so what better way to a six-pack than a regular yoga practice? This video of three simple yoga poses will whittle your waist for a toned midsection.

All-over toning: Pilates is a great exercise for toning all the major parts of your body. Use our guide for five specific Pilates moves to get you bikini-ready here.

Class Review: Sport Club LA's Aspen Ascent Gets You Mountain-Ready

Leta Shy — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:20:20 PST

If you live for the mountains during the Winter, your gym time probably includes exercises to strengthen your lower-body muscles and challenge your balance. Aspen Ascent, a new class at Sports Club LA locations, offers such a workout for skiers and snowboarders alike.

Like many strength-training cardio classes, Aspen Ascent focuses on circuit training with supersets grouped by muscle area, to pump up your heart rate while challenging your muscles. But Aspen Ascent is specifically designed for those who want to enhance their snow sport skills.

The class is divided into three sections: speed and agility, strength and balance, and core and flexibility. A short warmup period at the beginning includes light cardio, such as jumping jacks (my instructor had us do a set of always-exhausting mountain climbers afterward as well). Each of the three sections last between 10 to about 20 minutes, depending on the length of the class, which varies by location. After the core and flexibility section, which focuses on abs and yoga- and Pilates-inspired moves, there are a few minutes of cooldown to stretch your muscles.

Lunges and squats play an important role in Aspen Ascent, as do unstable surfaces to improve balance and upper body work, so many exercises mix a pair of weights with gliding discs. In my class we did two "runs" of every exercise - a short set for 30 seconds with a short break, followed by a minute of the same exercise and a longer break.

See what I thought about Aspen Ascent after the break.

How to Stretch It Out After Indoor Cycling Class

Susi May — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:30:40 PST

Indoor cycling offers an hour of sweaty cardio goodness. Your legs power this workout, so it’s best to stretch those tired muscles as soon as you hop off your stationary bike. In fact, that stable bike makes for a great stretching partner.

If you only have two minutes to spare on flexibility training, you should focus on your hamstrings and quads. Start with your hamstrings by resting one heel on the crook of the bike and leaning forward with a flat back, doing this basic hamstring stretch. And if you’re super flexible, you can put your foot on the bike seat. Next, you want to stretch your quads by bringing one heel to your bum, like this to stretch the front of your thigh. Squeeze your glutes and bend your standing knee to increase the stretch, and do hold onto that heavy, stable bike for balance. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.

If you have a bit more time, you should stretch your glutes. Using the bike, you can do this variation of the ultimate booty stretch from yoga - pigeon pose. Moving down the legs, next on the list is your calves. You can stretch them on the bike by bringing the pedals parallel to the ground (one forward and one back), and dropping your heels to lengthen the muscles on the back of the lower leg (be sure to do this stretch once with the right leg forward and once with the left). Or off the bike, flex your foot placing the toes on the base of the bike keeping your heel on the ground similar to the "kiss the wall" stretch. Lean forward to stretch your calf.

I still have a few more stretches to recommend, so keep on reading.