20 Best Stretches for Athletes to Maximize Mobility & Recovery

As athletes, we put our bodies through a lot. Whether you're sprinting to the finish line or getting ready to make a big play, the last thing you want is to be tripped up by an injury. But when you need to prepare, that's exactly what can happen. The good news is that you can enhance your flexibility, prevent injuries, and support faster recovery with the best stretches for athletes. This article will help you discover effective stretches that consistently empower you to perform at your best. Keep reading to learn How to Get Flexible Fast?

Pliability's mobility app is a valuable tool for achieving your objectives. With this app, you can discover effective dynamic warm-ups and recovery routines to enhance flexibility, prevent injuries, and support faster recovery. 

Why is Stretching Beneficial for Athletes?

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Stretching is crucial for athletes before intense workouts and competitive sports. When you push your body to its limits without preparing properly, your soft tissues can sustain irreparable damage. Soft tissues include skin, ligaments, tendons, joint capsules, and muscles. Stretching helps prevent injuries to these vital areas and improves your athletic performance. 

Improves Circulation

Stretching gets your blood flowing. As you stretch, your body increases its production of blood and oxygen, which helps boost performance and reduce cramping. In addition to improving circulation, stretching helps relieve muscle tension. 

‍Cramping is common in athletes, especially in sports requiring sudden movements or intense training, such as football and swimming. Stretching helps reduce the risk of cramping so you can focus on your performance, not the painful distractions. 

Enhances Coordination and Mobility

Stretching makes your movements faster and more relaxed, which can affect your coordination and overall performance. It also helps improve your mobility so you can move freely and react quickly during athletic performance. 

Improves Flexibility

Almost every sport requires some degree of flexibility. For athletes like gymnasts, flexibility is critical for optimal performance. Stretching helps improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury. 

Relieves Muscle Tension

It's common to feel tension and anxiety before a major game. As a result, your muscles may stiffen. However, stretching exercises can help relax and loosen your muscles, allowing them to move more freely. Stretching makes you feel great because it activates your parasympathetic nervous system. It also boosts blood flow, which reduces tension and improves your mood. 

Increase Your Range of Motion

Stretching your muscles makes it easier to run and leap since your legs will feel relaxed and relaxed as quickly as possible. Therefore, always prepare your body for a major game to perform at your peak. 

Prevents Muscle Strain

If you do not stretch, you risk harming your muscles and joints. If you make quick, vigorous movements, you could develop muscle strain or injury, some of which are permanent. Stretching will prepare your body for exercise and prevent your muscles from getting strained and overworked.

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20 Best Stretches for Athletes

1. Leg Swings

Leg swings are excellent dynamic stretches for athletes to warm up their legs before exercise. This pre-workout stretch benefits any athlete by helping to open your hips, loosen your hip flexors and glutes, and increase circulation to your legs. 

‍How to: 
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• Stand alongside a wall, chair, or pole and hold onto it with your left hand. 
• Lift your right leg and swing it back and forth in front of and behind your body like a pendulum. 
• Maintain a slight bend in your right leg to avoid locking it out. 
• Keep your core and glutes engaged. 
• Your torso should remain stationary and upright. 
• Avoid hunching over. 
• Complete 15 leg swings. 
• As you warm up, you can increase your range of motion with each swing. 
• Switch legs and repeat.

2. Downward Dog

Downward-facing dog is a yoga pose that stretches the entire back, including the:
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• Achilles' tendons
• Calves
• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Lower back
• Upper back
• Shoulders
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It’s particularly beneficial for runners and hikers who tend to feel tightness in their lower body and cyclists who ride in an aerodynamic position. 

‍How to: 
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• Come to your hands and knees. 
• Place your hands slightly before your shoulders and position your knees directly underneath your hips. 
• Spread your fingers, press your palms firmly into the mat, tuck your toes, and lift your knees off the mat. 
• As you straighten your legs, lift your hips and reach your heels toward the mat. 
• Your body should be folded at the hips into an inverted V shape. 
• Draw your navel toward your spine and keep your gaze toward your navel, thighs, or feet to maintain a neutral position in your neck and spine. 
• To intensify the stretch to your Achilles, bend your knees slightly while pressing your heels toward the mat. 
• Breathe here for 30 seconds.

3. Butterfly Stretch

This yoga pose stretches your hips and glutes. 

‍How to: 
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• Sit upright on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat. 
• Place the soles of your feet together in front of your body. 
• Allow your knees to fall out to the sides. 
• Your legs should be a diamond shape. 
• Keep your core engaged and your back straight. 
• To deepen the stretch, use your elbows to press down on the inside of your knees gently. 
• Hinge forward from your hips. 
• Hold this position for 30 seconds.

4. Knees-to-Chest Stretch

If you’re a cyclist or runner or spend most of your non-working-out hours hunched over a screen, this stretch will relieve your lower back. 

‍How to: 
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• Lie on your back.
• Bend your knees, bring them toward your chest, and hug your shins. 
• To experience a more intense stretch, squeeze tighter. 
• Breathe here for 30 seconds.

5. Glutes and Piriformis Stretch

This is one of my go-to stretches for athletes because it targets the glutes and piriformis, which tend to become tight with the repetitive motions that most athletic pursuits demand. 

‍How to: 
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• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. 
• Rest your right ankle on your left thigh and rotate your right hip outward.
• Lift your left foot off the floor until your shin is parallel. 
• While holding this position, grab behind your left thigh with one or both hands or use a strap or belt to help you reach. 
• Pull the leg in toward your chest. 
• For a deeper stretch, press your right thigh away from your body with your right hand while hugging your left leg in. 
• Breathe here for 30 seconds before switching sides.

6. IT Band Stretch

If you’re an athlete, you probably have tight IT bands. This post-workout stretch helps release tension along your outer hips and knees and lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. 

‍How to: 
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• Stand upright. 
• Cross your left leg behind your right foot so your left heel is to the outside of your right foot. 
• Hinge at your hips and release your chest toward your thighs and let your head hang. 
• Breathe here for 20 to 30 seconds. 
• Stand up and switch legs.

7. Standing Quad Stretch

This static stretch targets your quads and hip flexors while improving your balance. 

‍How to: 
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• Stand upright. 
• Lift your right foot, bend your knee, and draw your heel behind and toward your glutes with your right hand. 
• Don’t allow your right knee to drift out to the side. 
• Breathe here for 20 seconds. 
• Then press your pelvis forward and lean back slightly with your chest until you feel a stretch across the front of your inner thighs (hip flexors). 
• Breathe here for 20 seconds before switching sides.

8. Chest Stretch

The muscles in your upper body likely need a stretch, especially if you’re a hiker, swimmer, or skier. This move relieves the pectoral muscles in your chest and the anterior deltoids of your shoulders. 

‍How to: 
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• Stand alongside a vertical bar or a doorway. 
• Lift one or both arms straight from your shoulders to create a T shape. 
• Step one foot forward before the bar or through the doorway. 
• Your straightened arms will find resistance when it meets the bar or doorframe, and you will feel a stretch along the front of your shoulders. 
• Keep your gaze forward and your spine upright. 
• Breathe here for 30 seconds. 
• Switch your front leg and repeat.

9. Runner’s Lunge with Side Stretch

Runners lunge w/ side stretch. 

‍How to: 
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• Assume a lunge position with your forward knee bent over your foot and your back leg extended behind you. 
• Tuck your hips by pulling your belly up and in. 
• Bring your opposite arm over your head and slowly lean into the stretch as you continue to breathe. 
• Repeat on the opposite side. 

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Note: Drop your back knee to the ground for a deeper stretch.

‍Muscles stretched: 
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• Hip flexors
• Quads
• Oblique

10. Sitting Hamstring Stretch

How to: 
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• Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. 
• Bend one leg in at the knee. 
• Pull your abs in, then slowly bend forward from your hips towards the foot of your straight leg until you feel a slight stretch. 
• Hold for 30 to 45 seconds, then repeat on the other side. 
  ‍

‍Note: To increase the difficulty of this stretch, do this one with both legs straight. 

Muscles stretched: 
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• Hamstrings
• Lower back

11. Overhead Triceps Stretch

How to: 
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• Put one arm overhead, positioning your forearm as close to your upper arm. 
• Grasp your elbow overhead with your other hand. 
• Pull your elbow back and toward your head. 
• Hold this stretch for 30-45 seconds, then repeat with the opposite arm. 

‍Note: You can deepen this stretch by grabbing your top hand with your bottom hand behind your back. 

‍Muscles stretched: 
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• Triceps
• Lats

12. Pigeon Pose

How to: 
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• Cross one knee before you while extending the opposite leg behind you. 
• Place both hands on the ground before you and slowly lower your upper body as low as possible while keeping your core pulled in. 
• Work both sides. 
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‍Muscles stretched: 
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• Hips
• Glutes
• Lower back

13. Runner’s Lunge with Quad Stretch

Directions: Assume a lunge position with your forward knee bent over your foot and your back leg extended behind you. Drop your knee to the ground as you pull your belly up and in. Reach your arm back, grab your foot or ankle, and pull forward to stretch. Repeat on the opposite side. 

‍Muscles stretched: 
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• Hip flexors
• Quads

14. Twisted Arm Stretch

How to: 
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• Bring your hands out in front and cross your arms, one over the other. 
• Twist your hands so the palms face each other, trying to create contact with your fingers.
• Hold, then repeat on the other side. 
  ‍

‍Muscles stretched: 
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• Lats
• Shoulders
• Triceps

15. Upward Dog

How to: 
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• Lie face down on the ground with your feet hip-width apart and your hands resting next to your lower ribs. 
• Keeping your toes and hands on the floor, press your chest up. 
• Squeeze your glutes and pull your shoulders back. 
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‍Muscles stretched: 
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• Chest
• Core
• Lower/upper back

16. Standing Forward Bend  

The Standing Forward Bend Stretch, or Uttanasana, is excellent for your hamstrings and calves. 

‍How to: 
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• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, slightly bend your knees, and then hinge at the hips as you exhale, allowing your upper body to hang down. 
• Let your hands reach for the floor, rest on your shins, and relax your head and neck.
• Gradually straighten your legs without locking the knees. 
• Make sure you experience the stretching sensation in your hamstrings and lower back. 
• Take deep breaths and maintain the position for approximately 30 seconds to one minute. 
• To exit, bend your knees slightly, engage your core, and roll up gently.

17. Cat-Cow  

The Cat-Cow Stretch promotes spine flexibility and releases the tension around that area. 

‍How to: 
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• Assume a tabletop position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips. 
• As you inhale, arch your back, lifting your tailbone and head, creating the "Cow" position while gazing upward. 
• As you exhale, round your spine, tuck your chin to your chest, and engage your core, creating the "Cat" position. 
• Move smoothly between these poses, syncing breath with movement.

18. Spinal Twist  

The Spinal Twist Stretch will help improve joint mobility and reduce back pain. 

‍How to: 
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• Lie on your back and outstretch your arms to form a "T" shape. Bend one knee and cross it over the opposite leg so it drops towards the floor while your shoulders remain grounded.
• Gently guide your bent knee down with the opposite hand, and turn your head in the opposite direction. 
• You should feel a gentle twist along your spine as you hold this stretch.
•  Breathe deeply and relax into the pose, then switch sides.

19. Lying Hip Flexor Stretch  

The Lying Hip Flexor Stretch helps loosen tight hip flexors from running and kicking. 

‍How to: 
‍

• Position yourself on your back with one knee bent and the opposite leg extended. 
• Pull the bent knee toward your chest by interlacing your fingers and wrapping your hands around. 
• Keep your lower back relaxed, but do not curve it. 
• Wait for 30 seconds, and then do the same thing on the opposite side.

20. Standing Lunge  

The Standing Lunge dynamic stretch helps increase flexibility and range of motion in your hips and glutes. 

How to: 
‍

• Step one leg forward into a lunge, lowering your body until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees and your back knee nearly touches the ground. 
• Ensure your front thigh is parallel to the ground and your back is straight. 
• Hold for 30 seconds and switch legs.

Related Reading

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When and How Long Should You Stretch?

Stretching routines vary depending on the sport and the athlete’s level of professionalism. For instance, USA heptathlete Anna Hall sets a timer for 10 minutes to stretch the parts of her body that feel sore after a 10-minute core exercise routine every night. To start, you can try: 

The Two Types of Stretches You Should Know About

There are many ways to stretch; some stretches are better at certain times. Two common types of stretches include: 

Dynamic Stretches

Dynamic stretching involves actively moving a joint or muscle through its full range of motion. This helps warm up your muscles and get them ready for exercise. Examples of dynamic stretches include arm circles and leg swings. 

Static Stretches

Static stretching involves holding a stretch in place for at least 15 seconds without moving. This helps your muscles loosen up, especially after exercise. 

Before or After Exercise?

Warm muscles tend to perform better than cold muscles. Therefore, it’s important to include stretching in your warm-up routine to prepare your muscles for the upcoming activity.

Although it’s still a topic of debate, there’s some evidence that static stretching before exercise can reduce power and strength output in athletes. If you’re training for a power or speed-based sport, you may want to avoid static stretching in your warmup and opt for dynamic stretching instead. 

After Exercise

Including static stretching after your workout may help reduce muscle soreness caused by strenuous exercise. Stretching all body parts and emphasizing the muscles you use during your workout is a good idea. 

After Sitting and Before Bed

Static stretching activates your parasympathetic nervous system, according to a 2014 study of 20 young adult males. Your parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for your body’s rest and digestive functions. This may be why stretching before bed helps them relax and de-stress at the end of the day. 

Stretching after prolonged inactivity can help increase blood flow to your muscles and reduce stiffness. This is why it feels good and is beneficial to stretch after waking up or after sitting for a long period. 

How Long to Stretch for Optimal Results

How long you can stretch depends totally on your fitness level. You can start with 10 to 15 minutes of full-body stretching a few times a week. But ensure to warm up before you start stretching.

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• Improve flexibility
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