The term ‘stretching’ describes exercises that elongate our muscles and ligaments beyond their resting length. As regular stretching increases the range of motion in those exercises helps athletes to perform at their best. Especially for sports that demand a lot of flexibility, such as dancing, gymnastics, and martial arts, stretching is crucial. Furthermore, in case of a muscle cramp stretching serves to relax the muscle.

We distinguish between static and dynamic stretching exercises. Dynamic stretching involves resilient movements that alternately elongate and shortens the muscle. This type of stretching can be included in the warm-up especially when the stretch is not too intensive. It prepares the body for instance for the judo throws that require often a great range of motion. On the other hand, static stretching, which will be the main focus of this article, should be done at the end of your training session or as a separate unit. As the name indicates, static stretching requires you to slowly shift in the position and hold this position. The stretch should last for 20 seconds up to a maximum of 1 minute, but usually, 30 seconds should be sufficient. For some exercises, it can prove helpful to have a partner who helps you to move in the correct position. In general, it is crucial to shift your body to the right angles and to be sure that you feel the muscle that you want to target to get the best results. However, when the feeling of pain arises you should not stretch the muscle farther to prevent injuries. Since judo demands the whole body judoka should stretch all big muscle groups at least twice a week. Below you find a basic stretching routine that will help you to improve your range of motion for being able to perform the judo techniques correctly!

Legs

1. You start sitting on the ground with straight legs. Then, you try to reach your toes while keeping the back of your knees on the ground. Furthermore, you should try to keep your back as straight as possible. This exercise mainly targets your hamstrings as well as your calves.
2. You start again in a sitting position and pull both of your heels close to the body. Now you have to push your knees to the ground while keeping your back in a straight line. The goal is to touch the ground with both knees. You should feel the stretch in your inner thighs.
3. For this exercise, you stand on one foot and pull the other foot behind your body in the direction of your hips. Be careful that the knee stays next to the knee of the leg that holds your weight! This exercise stretches your quadriceps.

Core

4. “The Cobra” starts in a laying position facing the ground. Then you slowly use your hands to lift your upper body. In the meanwhile, your hips remain on the ground and your head moves upwards. When everything is done correctly you should feel the stretch in your abs.
5. Now you lay on your back and move both legs backward while the upper body rests on the floor. Then you should try to move your feet as close to the ground as possible behind your head. The legs remain straight. This exercise targets your lower back

Arms/Chest

1. This exercise requires you to kneel on the floor while extending one arm in front of your body. The other arm is bent and pushes to the ground in order to stretch your chest.
2. This final exercise will target your triceps and shoulder muscles. You extend one arm above your head. Then you use the other hand to pull the elbow behind in the direction of your back.