Easy Stretches You Can Perform With Only the Help of Your Doorway
07th July, 2020
Netflix Flex-pt.com
Straight back and painless shoulders a thing of the past? Every muscle you move reminds you of your age? Time to stand tall and stretch them then! Here’s a bitter truth: Most of us aren’t born athletic, and use a precious few muscles in our day-to-day. We carry our stress in our shoulders, neck, or even jaw and often tighten them for hours, aided by our sedentary lifestyles. As a result, any attempt to reach out for that remote on the far end of the sofa makes our bodies hurt. To undo some of the harm without using up a chunk of the day, here are several doorway stretching exercises. All you need is a doorway, some motivation, and your desire to be healthy and pain-free.
Pectoral stretch onedio.com
01
Pectoral stretch
Pectoral muscles can be a contributing factor to your good or bad posture. The latter is a common cause of neck, back, and shoulder aches. Simply stand with your forearms flat on the doorframe and lean forward till you feel a mild stretch in your pecs. Hold for a couple of breaths and release the position, before repeating the process a few times.
Doorway rotation for frozen shoulder kin-keepers.com
02
Doorway rotation for frozen shoulder
A frozen shoulder can be very painful and can hinder regular activities. Utilizing hot water bags or electrical heat stimulation along with stretches can prove to be very useful. Stand in the doorway facing the doorframe on one side. With your affected hand, grab the frame and rotate away from it. At the final position, your back should be facing the doorway and the shoulder should feel a mild stretch.
Finger walk for frozen shoulder embed.widencdn.net
03
Finger walk for frozen shoulder
Finger walk is another easy peasy and fun activity that can relieve the ache and soreness of your stiff shoulder. Stand a few inches away from the door while facing it. Place the first and middle fingers of the affected arm on the door, above waist-level. Locking your body into position, walk your fingers as high as you can, without it getting uncomfortable. Walk back down, repeat.
Inward rotation embed.widencdn.net
04
Inward rotation
This exercise incorporates a resistance or rubber band and, no surprises, the doorframe. Loop one end of the band around the handle of the door while you’re standing beside it with the affected arm on the inside. Hold the other end of the looped band with the affected arm bent at a ninety-degree angle, and stretch it by pulling it towards yourself with your arm resting close to your body.
Hamstring stretch blog.paleohacks.com
05
Hamstring stretch
Got sore hamstring muscles? Too tired to do anything that requires you to bend down or move too much? Here’s an easy solution; lie down on your back with one leg stretched and resting upon the doorframe. Stretch out the other on the floor. You can adjust the intensity of the stretch by moving your backside close or away from the doorframe. Hold. Repeat for the other leg.
Standing doorway stretch pezcame.com
06
Standing doorway stretch
Placing your elbows on the doorframe, guide your hands to the back of the head. Make sure your shoulders aren’t pushed out. Once you have a good grip, twist your body to one side and hold for a few breaths. Keep stretching till you experience the gentle stretch in your shoulder. Restore position and stretch to the other side for an equal burn on both shoulders.
Levator scapulae stretch for neck pain spine-health.com
07
Levator scapulae stretch for neck pain
Raise and plant your forearm on the doorframe with the elbow positioned above the shoulder level. Do a few shoulder warm-ups before initiating this stretch. With everything else locked in position, twist your head halfway to the shoulder of the raised arm. Now turn the chin downward to experience the neck muscles lengthening. That’s the stretch we are aiming for. Hold briefly and repeat on the other side.
Hanging shoulder stretch prevention.com
08
Hanging shoulder stretch
Release the tension you’re holding in your shoulders. Place both your hands on the doorframe at a height that is comfortable for you. You can begin with your hands above, at, or below shoulder level. Walk a few steps out of the doorway. Hold that doorframe tight, and then, lean forward. Mind how far out you walk as you must not put unnecessary pressure on your hands.
Walkouts prevention.com
09
Walkouts
Plant your hands on that doorframe with your wrists, elbows, and shoulders forming a “W.” Make sure you aren’t holding on to the doorframe with your arm or shoulder muscles wound tight. Now, step out of the doorway with your hands still in place. Keep walking away from that door, and the pain you’ve been holding onto. Stop when you feel a good stretch in your shoulder and back muscles.
T-press with lunge prevention.com
10
T-press with lunge
Though it sounds fancy, it is not a complicated stretch. Aimed at releasing tension from your shoulder and back muscles, this activity does not require much effort. With the hands placed on the doorframe, step out and do a lunge. The intensity of the stretch will be proportional to how far you bend over your front leg. Make sure your neck and spine are aligned at all times.
Single-arm stretch blog.paleohacks.com
11
Single-arm stretch
This exercise is as simple as they come, but it will help you more than you imagined. Place your palm on the doorframe and place one foot in front of the other. Make sure there is substantial space between your feet. Now, lean forward and feel the sweet stretch in your chest muscles. This will help you strengthen your chest and back muscles and might even help improve your posture.
Sideway stretch optimizeyourself.me
12
Sideway stretch
One arm outstretched toward the ceiling and another resting on the door. Place your outside leg in front of the other one. Slowly bend towards the door with the fingers of your outstretched arm reaching as far high on it as possible. Simultaneously, use your inside arm to push against the door. This exercise helps you feel a delicious stretch on one side of the body.
Calf stretch blog.paleohacks.com
13
Calf stretch
Pick a doorway to lean into and take a massive backward step. With your feet placed one in front of the other, lean forward. Reach forward to the doorframe and place your hands on either side. Now, push down the foot at the back until it's flat on the floor. That stretch right there is the cure to stiff calves.
Upper body stretch blog.paleohacks.com
14
Upper body stretch
Stand in the doorway and prepare yourself for the next stretch. For this routine, place both your hands on the same side of the doorframe. Make sure your feet are planted on the ground some distance apart. When you’re ready, start twisting your torso to the side of the doorframe your hands are on. Use your hands to push an extra inch and for that ultimate upper body stretch.
Deltoid stretch blog.paleohacks.com
15
Deltoid stretch
Start by gripping the side of the doorframe that is opposite to the hand you use, i.e., if you start with your left hand, grip the right side of the doorframe. Make sure your thumb is pointing to the ground. Now rotate just the upper body, away from your hand. This is going to lengthen the sides of your shoulder and relieve the tension in your back.
Figure four stretch blog.paleohacks.com
16
Figure four stretch
The figure four stretch is a good stretching position for your hips but can be hard at first, not to mention tricky. Begin with one hand on the doorframe. Bend at the knees and place one ankle above the knee of the other leg. When your legs are firmly in position, place your other hand beside the first one. Now push back with your pelvis. And switch and repeat.
Doorway high lunge blog.naver.com
17
Doorway high lunge
For this one, you want to stand beside the doorframe. Bend one leg at the knee and rest against the wall or the doorframe. Now stretch back your other leg as far as you can go. Don’t push yourself too much; you’re doing this to help your body, not hurt it. When you start feeling a gentle stretch, push down your back foot flat, and hold.
One arm doorway stretch bestraleighmassage.blogspot.com
18
One arm doorway stretch
Place your forearm flat on the doorframe. Check that your elbow is at 90-degrees and your upper arm is parallel to the ground. This will ensure your arm and shoulder area are at the perfect angle and height. Stand with your feet a few inches apart. Now start twisting your upper body away from your doorframe arm. Hold, reverse, repeat. Mimic the activity on the other side.
Banana stretch blog.paleohacks.com
19
Banana stretch
We will start this one by standing in the center of the doorway. Once in place, join your palms while stretching your arms above your head. Keep your fingertips together. With that done, lean sideways by pushing your hips out till they are in contact with the doorframe. Your fingers should be touching the other side of the door frame at this point. Hold, repeat, and switch.
Standing quad stretch blog.paleohacks.com
20
Standing quad stretch
Start with your back to one side of the door frame. Bend one of your legs backward, bringing the outside of your foot to rest on the frame. Lean forward with your hands placed on the other side of the doorframe. Now push your behind as close to the bent leg as possible so that the foot touches it. Hold for a while before switching sides and repeating.