1. Make a Human Windmill
To do the windmill stretch, you stand with your legs spread wide and your feet slightly turned outward. Raise your arms vertical so they extend in a straight line from your shoulders. Bend at the waist and sweep your left arm down and grab your right ankle. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths and then windmill to the other side so your right hand grabs your left ankle. Repeat the movement 4 to 5 times. Keep your legs straight to stretch your legs and help define your lower body.
2. Stretch Shoulders With Windmill Rotation
Does this sound different from the windmill stretch you use? A variation of the windmill stretch, sometimes called arm circles, focuses on rotating the shoulders to stretch the arms. In the upper body windmill stretch, you stand with your legs together and your arms at your sides. Lift one arm to form a 90-degree angle with the front of your body and slowly continue to raise the arm vertically. As your arm nears your face, bring your arm in toward your body and try to touch your cheek with your bicep. Continue the rotation and pull your arm away from your body on the back stroke motion. After 30 seconds of rotation, switch arms.
3. Warm Up Your Body
Before you take off on a mile jog or any other type of physical activity, you should allow your body the chance to get moving. A warm up period is like turning on a car before gunning the engine. The warm up signals your body to start the systems you use during exercise. Warm up stretches, like the windmill stretch, loosen your muscles, increase your blood circulation and reduce the risk of injuries, like sprains, caused by sudden change in movement.
4. Cool Down With Stretches
Incorporating stretches into your warm down, or cool down, helps remove lactic acid from your muscles, prepares your body to stop exercising and allows the muscles to relax. The intensity of your cool down should be greater than your warm up and less than the duration of your exercise. As you stretch, focus on your breathing, which helps eliminate toxins from your body.
5. Go Back to Better Stretching
Some chiropractors discourage patients from using a lower body windmill stretch. The bouncing of the stretch may irritate back injuries or force your body to extend past its point of flexibility. For a simple stretch, try the twist. Lay flat on your back and bring your knees up so the heels of your feet move closer to your bottom. Rotate your hips to the right so your knees touch the surface and turn your head to the left. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then switch positions.
