The Couch Stretch
The Couch Stretch extends and opens up your hips flexors, which are frequently tight and reduced due to great deals of sitting, biking, or running. The stretch can assist to prevent injury and enable you to feel better overall, both psychologically and physically.
Benefits of Couch stretch include:
- alleviates tightness and improves hip mobility
- improves overall flexibility
- reduces discomfort in your back, thighs, and knees
- triggers and reinforces your glutes and core
- assists your agility throughout all types of exercise
When going about your day-to-day activities, - permits you to have much better posture
- assists with total ease of movement
Muscles worked
The Couch Stretch opens your hips, targeting your hip flexors, which are the muscles in the front of your hip.
You use these muscles when you raise your thigh toward your chest or bend down into a squat. The hips flexors connect to your quadriceps, which will be lengthened and loosened up throughout the couch stretch.
The couch stretch likewise targets your glutes, hamstrings, and knee flexors. When doing the sofa stretch, make certain to engage your glutes, particularly the glutes of your back legs. This assists to keep your lower back and hips stable and lined up.
Take Precautions!
Considering that it's a deep stretch, you will probably want to build up to the Couch Stretch slowly if you're new to doing a lot or exercise of you are suffering with a lot of tightness.
Work on this stretch slowly, step by step
In my opinion and having done this stretch for a few years its actually crucial to do the Couch Stretch step by step. It can be unpleasant or painful if you move into it too rapidly.
If you have restricted movement, deal with simpler low back, hip, and quad stretches to create openness in your body. This offers you the movement needed to do the Couch Stretch safely.
You may feel some sensation or moderate pain, but you shouldn't feel discomfort or experience shaking in your body. You ought to be able to breathe deeply, comfortably, and progressively throughout the stretch.
Produce a straight line from hip to knee
I must stress that the Couch Stretch is not a lunge. I encourage that you create a straight line from your hip to your knee so that you're not shifting forward as you would in a lunge.
Have somebody watch you to make certain you're doing it properly, is probably the best option to start off with. By doing this you'll get the complete advantages with the right alignment.
I would say that it's important to prevent turning the thoracic spinal column, moving only in the sagittal plane so that you're swaying to either side. Properly align your hips to face forward, and prevent letting your knee collapse into the centre or opening out to the side.
Skip this stretch if you have any knee issues
Avoid this stretch if you have any knee concerns. Utilize your back knee as an anchor to ground and stabilize your body.
Be careful not to overarch your back
Avoid your back from overarching, which can cause compression of your spinal column. Rather, keep a neutral spine and refrain from slouching or collapsing downward. Preserve with appropriate hip alignment by turning your hips internally. Try not to let your hips to open to the side!!
Key Points
A standard stretch among professional athletes, the Couch Stretch is advantageous for the majority of people and can be an useful addition to your versatility and movement regimen. It's also a terrific choice when you've been sat down for long periods of time or activities & sports utilizing your legs.
The strength of the Couch Stretch suggests you may need to develop to it slowly. If the stretch is too deep or triggers discomfort, it's OKAY to take it back a few steps.
Each body is different, so change and customize if this stretch isn't comfy or effective for you. There are plenty of other options readily available.
If you have the opportunity, get some feedback or assistance from a certified fitness professional or proficient friend who can ensure you're getting the most out of this valuable stretch.
This is a good example if you’ve never tried this stretch before!
Check out this great video of how to progress the stretch once you have mastered the basics!
This stretch is probably the one that has helped my back the most over the last few years. I learnt it from a Physio and initially I thought he was mad as it does look a little strange!! Please stick with it and add this to your daily routine as I promise, its made a big difference to me.
Happy stretching!!!
