Fitness Stretching
61. Seated Toe Extensor and Foot Inverter Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
While sitting on a chair with left foot on the floor, raise the right ankle and place it on top of the left knee. While bracing the right ankle with the right hand, place the thumb of the left hand along the ball of the right foot and the fingers of the left hand across the top of the foot with the fingers perpendicular to the toes. Use the left hand to push (or twist) the sole of the foot down toward the floor. At the same time, bend the toes toward the sole of the foot.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right abductor hallucis, right extensor hallucis longus, right extensor hallucis brevis, right anterior tibialis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right extensor digitorum longus, right extensor digitorum brevis, right peroneus tertius, right lumbricales, right dorsal interosseous.
Make sure to stabilize the foot and ankle with a firm hold. Grasping the ends of the toes and pressing them firmly downward can produce a greater stretch. You will feel the stretch on the medial side of the foot (big toe side).
Method:
While sitting on a chair with left foot on the floor, raise the right ankle and place it on top of the left knee. While bracing the right ankle with the right hand, place the thumb of the left hand along the ball of the right foot and the fingers of the left hand across the top of the foot with the fingers perpendicular to the toes. Use the left hand to push (or twist) the sole of the foot down toward the floor. At the same time, bend the toes toward the sole of the foot.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right abductor hallucis, right extensor hallucis longus, right extensor hallucis brevis, right anterior tibialis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right extensor digitorum longus, right extensor digitorum brevis, right peroneus tertius, right lumbricales, right dorsal interosseous.
Make sure to stabilize the foot and ankle with a firm hold. Grasping the ends of the toes and pressing them firmly downward can produce a greater stretch. You will feel the stretch on the medial side of the foot (big toe side).
62. Seated Toe Flexor Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
While sitting on a chair with the left foot on the floor, raise the right ankle and place it on top of the left knee. Brace the right ankle with the right hand, and place the fingers of the left hand along the bottoms of the toes of the right foot with the fingers pointing in the same direction as the toes. Use the fingers of the left hand to push the toes of the right foot toward the right knee.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right lumbricales, right plantar interosseous, right abductor hallucis, right abductor digiti minimi.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis, right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right plantaris, right soleus, right gastrocnemius.
Make sure to stabilize the foot and ankle with a firm hold. Pushing hard on the very ends of the toes with the left palm will provide a much greater stretch. You will feel the stretch on the sole (plantar side) of the foot.
Method:
While sitting on a chair with the left foot on the floor, raise the right ankle and place it on top of the left knee. Brace the right ankle with the right hand, and place the fingers of the left hand along the bottoms of the toes of the right foot with the fingers pointing in the same direction as the toes. Use the fingers of the left hand to push the toes of the right foot toward the right knee.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right lumbricales, right plantar interosseous, right abductor hallucis, right abductor digiti minimi.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis, right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right plantaris, right soleus, right gastrocnemius.
Make sure to stabilize the foot and ankle with a firm hold. Pushing hard on the very ends of the toes with the left palm will provide a much greater stretch. You will feel the stretch on the sole (plantar side) of the foot.
63. Seated Toe Flexor and Foot Everter Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
While sitting on a chair with the left foot on the floor, raise the right ankle and place it on top of the left knee. Brace the right ankle with the left hand and place the fingers of the right hand perpendicular across the bottoms of the toes. Also place the pad of the right thumb on the ball of the right big toe. Use the right hand to pull (or twist) the sole of the foot upward. At the same time, use the fingers of the right hand to pull the toes of the right foot up toward the top of the foot.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right quadratus plantae, right abductor digiti minimi, right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right plantar interosseous.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right anterior tibialis, right flexor hallucis longus, right flexor digitorum longus, right posterior tibialis, right abductor hallucis.
Make sure to stabilize the foot and ankle with a firm hold. If you grasp the very ends of the toes and pull harder, then you will be able to stretch these muscles even farther. You will feel the stretch on the sole (plantar side) of the foot.
Method:
While sitting on a chair with the left foot on the floor, raise the right ankle and place it on top of the left knee. Brace the right ankle with the left hand and place the fingers of the right hand perpendicular across the bottoms of the toes. Also place the pad of the right thumb on the ball of the right big toe. Use the right hand to pull (or twist) the sole of the foot upward. At the same time, use the fingers of the right hand to pull the toes of the right foot up toward the top of the foot.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right quadratus plantae, right abductor digiti minimi, right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right plantar interosseous.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right anterior tibialis, right flexor hallucis longus, right flexor digitorum longus, right posterior tibialis, right abductor hallucis.
Make sure to stabilize the foot and ankle with a firm hold. If you grasp the very ends of the toes and pull harder, then you will be able to stretch these muscles even farther. You will feel the stretch on the sole (plantar side) of the foot.
64. Seated Toe Flexor and Foot Inverter Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
While sitting on a chair with the left foot on the floor, raise the right ankle and place it on top of the left knee. Brace the right ankle with the left hand and place the fingers of the right hand perpendicular across the bottoms of the toes. Also place the pad of the right thumb on the ball of the right big toe. Use the fingers of the right hand to pull the toes of the right foot up toward the top of the foot. At the same time, use the right thumb to push the sole of the right foot down toward the floor. ? feet
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right lumbricales, right plantar interosseous, right abductor hallucis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right abductor digiti minimi, right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Make sure to stabilize the foot and ankle with a firm hold. If you grasp the very ends of the toes and pull harder, then you will be able to stretch these muscles even farther. You will feel the stretch on the sole (plantar side) of the foot—the flexor digitorum brevis, flexor hallucis brevis, flexor digiti minimi brevis, and quadratus plantae muscles.
Method:
While sitting on a chair with the left foot on the floor, raise the right ankle and place it on top of the left knee. Brace the right ankle with the left hand and place the fingers of the right hand perpendicular across the bottoms of the toes. Also place the pad of the right thumb on the ball of the right big toe. Use the fingers of the right hand to pull the toes of the right foot up toward the top of the foot. At the same time, use the right thumb to push the sole of the right foot down toward the floor. ? feet
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right lumbricales, right plantar interosseous, right abductor hallucis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right abductor digiti minimi, right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Make sure to stabilize the foot and ankle with a firm hold. If you grasp the very ends of the toes and pull harder, then you will be able to stretch these muscles even farther. You will feel the stretch on the sole (plantar side) of the foot—the flexor digitorum brevis, flexor hallucis brevis, flexor digiti minimi brevis, and quadratus plantae muscles.
65. Standing Toe Extensor Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
Stand upright and brace against a wall or an object for balance. Point the right foot backward away from the body, dorsal (top) side of the toes down against the floor. While keeping the dorsal side of the toes pressed against the floor, lean your weight onto the right leg and press the bottom of the heel down toward the floor.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right extensor digitorum brevis, right extensor hallucis brevis, right anterior tibialis, right peroneus tertius.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right extensor hallucis longus, right extensor digitorum longus, right dorsal interosseous.
It is more comfortable to perform this stretch on a carpet or other soft surface. Be sure not to drag the foot that is pressed to the floor. Moving the heel medially or laterally will place greater stretch on either the dorsal medial or dorsal lateral parts of the foot.
Method:
Stand upright and brace against a wall or an object for balance. Point the right foot backward away from the body, dorsal (top) side of the toes down against the floor. While keeping the dorsal side of the toes pressed against the floor, lean your weight onto the right leg and press the bottom of the heel down toward the floor.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right extensor digitorum brevis, right extensor hallucis brevis, right anterior tibialis, right peroneus tertius.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right extensor hallucis longus, right extensor digitorum longus, right dorsal interosseous.
It is more comfortable to perform this stretch on a carpet or other soft surface. Be sure not to drag the foot that is pressed to the floor. Moving the heel medially or laterally will place greater stretch on either the dorsal medial or dorsal lateral parts of the foot.
66. Standing Toe Flexor Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
Stand upright while facing the wall, 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 cm) away. Keeping the heel of the foot on the floor, press the bottoms of the toes of the right foot up against the wall. The ball of the foot should be more than half an inch (more than 2 cm) above the floor. Lean forward and slide the ball of the foot slowly down, keeping the toes pressed against the wall.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right lumbricales, right plantar interosseous, right abductor hallucis, right abductor digiti minimi.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Make sure that the ball of the foot is parallel to the floor. This ensures that all of the toes are stretched equally. Also, slide the ball of the foot down slowly; otherwise, overstretching could happen. Bending the right knee slightly and moving the knee forward toward the wall will incorporate the calf muscles in the stretch.
Method:
Stand upright while facing the wall, 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 cm) away. Keeping the heel of the foot on the floor, press the bottoms of the toes of the right foot up against the wall. The ball of the foot should be more than half an inch (more than 2 cm) above the floor. Lean forward and slide the ball of the foot slowly down, keeping the toes pressed against the wall.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right lumbricales, right plantar interosseous, right abductor hallucis, right abductor digiti minimi.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Make sure that the ball of the foot is parallel to the floor. This ensures that all of the toes are stretched equally. Also, slide the ball of the foot down slowly; otherwise, overstretching could happen. Bending the right knee slightly and moving the knee forward toward the wall will incorporate the calf muscles in the stretch.
67. Single Plantar Flexor Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
Stand facing a wall 2 feet (61 cm) away. Brace your hands against the wall. Keeping the left foot in place, place the right foot 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 cm) behind the left foot. The left foot is 1 to 2 feet away and the right foot is 2 to 4 feet (61 to 122 cm) away from the wall. Keeping the right heel on the floor, lean your chest toward the wall. You can bend the left knee slightly to facilitate moving the chest up against the wall.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right gastrocnemius, right soleus, right plantaris, right popliteus, right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right abductor digiti minimi, right abductor hallucis, right popliteus, right semitendinosus, right semimembranosus, right biceps femoris.
As the chest gets closer to the wall, bending the knee slightly will realign the tibia and increase the distance between the muscle attachment points. This will increase the stretch on the posterior tibialis, flexor hallucis longus, and flexor digitorum longus muscles while at the same time reducing the stretch on the hamstring muscles.
Method:
Stand facing a wall 2 feet (61 cm) away. Brace your hands against the wall. Keeping the left foot in place, place the right foot 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 cm) behind the left foot. The left foot is 1 to 2 feet away and the right foot is 2 to 4 feet (61 to 122 cm) away from the wall. Keeping the right heel on the floor, lean your chest toward the wall. You can bend the left knee slightly to facilitate moving the chest up against the wall.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right gastrocnemius, right soleus, right plantaris, right popliteus, right flexor digitorum longus, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis, right abductor digiti minimi, right abductor hallucis, right popliteus, right semitendinosus, right semimembranosus, right biceps femoris.
As the chest gets closer to the wall, bending the knee slightly will realign the tibia and increase the distance between the muscle attachment points. This will increase the stretch on the posterior tibialis, flexor hallucis longus, and flexor digitorum longus muscles while at the same time reducing the stretch on the hamstring muscles.
68. Double Plantar Flexor Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
Stand upright on the edge of a stair or beam, with both heels unsupported out past the edge. Keep the right and left knees straight, and hold on to a support with at least one hand. Lower both heels down as far as possible.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Gastrocnemius, soleus, plantaris, popliteus, flexor digitorum longus, flexor digitorum brevis, flexor hallucis longus, flexor hallucis brevis, posterior tibialis, quadratus plantae, flexor digiti minimi brevis, abductor digiti minimi, abductor hallucis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris.
It is more comfortable to do this stretch while wearing shoes. Always support the body—an unsupported body could cause the muscles to contract and not stretch. You will increase the extent of the stretch if you work one leg at a time. After the heels reach their lowest point, you can apply more stretch by bending the knees slightly. This will stretch the posterior tibialis, flexor hallucis longus, and flexor digitorum longus muscles; at the same time it will reduce the stretch on the hamstring muscles. Placing the ball of the foot on the edge of the stairs or beam will increase the stretch on the origin (top part) of these muscle groups. Placing the midsection of the foot on the edge of the stairs or beam increases the stretch on the lower portion of these muscles.
Method:
Stand upright on the edge of a stair or beam, with both heels unsupported out past the edge. Keep the right and left knees straight, and hold on to a support with at least one hand. Lower both heels down as far as possible.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Gastrocnemius, soleus, plantaris, popliteus, flexor digitorum longus, flexor digitorum brevis, flexor hallucis longus, flexor hallucis brevis, posterior tibialis, quadratus plantae, flexor digiti minimi brevis, abductor digiti minimi, abductor hallucis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris.
It is more comfortable to do this stretch while wearing shoes. Always support the body—an unsupported body could cause the muscles to contract and not stretch. You will increase the extent of the stretch if you work one leg at a time. After the heels reach their lowest point, you can apply more stretch by bending the knees slightly. This will stretch the posterior tibialis, flexor hallucis longus, and flexor digitorum longus muscles; at the same time it will reduce the stretch on the hamstring muscles. Placing the ball of the foot on the edge of the stairs or beam will increase the stretch on the origin (top part) of these muscle groups. Placing the midsection of the foot on the edge of the stairs or beam increases the stretch on the lower portion of these muscles.
69. Plantar Flexor and Foot Everter Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
Stand upright on the edge of a stair or beam, with the midsection of the right foot on the edge. Place the foot in an inverted position (stand on the lateral [outer] side of the foot). Keep the right knee straight and the left knee slightly bent. Hold on to a support with at least one hand. Keeping the foot inverted, lower the right heel as far as possible.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right peroneus tertius, right abductor digiti minimi, lateral side of right soleus and right gastrocnemius, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right popliteus, right plantaris, medial head of right gastrocnemius, right biceps femoris, right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis.
It is more comfortable to do this stretch while wearing shoes. This is an excellent stretch for the peroneus longus and brevis and the abductor digiti minimi muscles, which are located at the lateral (outer) side of the lower leg and the foot. Be extra careful when placing the foot in an inverted position, and make sure to progress slowly through this stretching exercise. After the right heel reaches the floor or the lowest point, you can increase the stretch by bending the right knee slightly. This removes any stretch on hamstring muscles, but it stretches the calf muscles further.
Method:
Stand upright on the edge of a stair or beam, with the midsection of the right foot on the edge. Place the foot in an inverted position (stand on the lateral [outer] side of the foot). Keep the right knee straight and the left knee slightly bent. Hold on to a support with at least one hand. Keeping the foot inverted, lower the right heel as far as possible.
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right peroneus longus, right peroneus brevis, right peroneus tertius, right abductor digiti minimi, lateral side of right soleus and right gastrocnemius, right flexor hallucis longus, right posterior tibialis.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right popliteus, right plantaris, medial head of right gastrocnemius, right biceps femoris, right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right flexor hallucis brevis.
It is more comfortable to do this stretch while wearing shoes. This is an excellent stretch for the peroneus longus and brevis and the abductor digiti minimi muscles, which are located at the lateral (outer) side of the lower leg and the foot. Be extra careful when placing the foot in an inverted position, and make sure to progress slowly through this stretching exercise. After the right heel reaches the floor or the lowest point, you can increase the stretch by bending the right knee slightly. This removes any stretch on hamstring muscles, but it stretches the calf muscles further.
70. Plantar Flexor and Foot Inverter Stretch
Foot and Calf Stretches:
Method:
Stand upright on the edge of a stair or beam, with the midsection of the right foot on the edge. Place the foot in an everted position (stand on the medial [inner] side of the foot). Bend the right knee slightly toward the midsection of the body (inside direction), with the left knee slightly bent. Hold on to a support with at least one hand. While keeping the foot everted, lower the right heel as far as possible."
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum longus, right abductor hallucis, medial side of right soleus, right posterior tibialis, right plantaris.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor hallucis brevis, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right medial gastrocnemius, right semitendinosus, right semimembranosus.
It is more comfortable to do this stretch while wearing shoes. This is an excellent stretch for the flexor digitorum longus, medial soleus, and abductor hallucis muscles, which are located at the medial side of the lower leg and foot. Take extra care when placing the foot in an everted position, and make sure to progress slowly through this stretching position. After the right heel reaches the floor or the lowest point, bending the right knee slightly can increase the stretch. This reduces the stretch on hamstring muscles, but it increases the stretch on the calf muscles.
Method:
Stand upright on the edge of a stair or beam, with the midsection of the right foot on the edge. Place the foot in an everted position (stand on the medial [inner] side of the foot). Bend the right knee slightly toward the midsection of the body (inside direction), with the left knee slightly bent. Hold on to a support with at least one hand. While keeping the foot everted, lower the right heel as far as possible."
Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum longus, right abductor hallucis, medial side of right soleus, right posterior tibialis, right plantaris.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Right flexor digitorum brevis, right quadratus plantae, right flexor hallucis brevis, right flexor digiti minimi brevis, right medial gastrocnemius, right semitendinosus, right semimembranosus.
It is more comfortable to do this stretch while wearing shoes. This is an excellent stretch for the flexor digitorum longus, medial soleus, and abductor hallucis muscles, which are located at the medial side of the lower leg and foot. Take extra care when placing the foot in an everted position, and make sure to progress slowly through this stretching position. After the right heel reaches the floor or the lowest point, bending the right knee slightly can increase the stretch. This reduces the stretch on hamstring muscles, but it increases the stretch on the calf muscles.
