Glutes stretch

Source: Best Health magazine, December 2011; Illustration: Kagan McLeod

Thinking about switching your team sport or getting back into a gym routine? Any time you change up your fitness, you challenge your muscles in a new way. Says Erica Bowie, a physiotherapist and a personal trainer at The Yellowknife Racquet Club, you could notice it in your piriformis muscle, which is deep in the glutes. ‘It’s one of the first muscles to get tight.’ Do this stretch after being physically active to increase flexibility and prevent pain and future injury.

Technique

Start out on all fours, with your back flat and your hands and knees shoulder-width apart. Bring your left knee to the left hand and your left ankle up and toward your right hip. As you do that, extend your right leg so your thigh is close to the floor as you drop your hips and rest on your forearms. ‘Breathe deeply, and always keep your back and neck aligned,’ says Bowie. Hold the stretch for a minimum of 20 seconds. Try to do this up to three times with each leg.

This article originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of Best Health. Subscribe today to get the full Best Health experience’and never miss an issue!