mobility
Knee-Friendly Stretch
hamstrings · glutes · calves · shoulders
bodyweight · beginner
How to do it
- 1Lying hamstring stretch: on your back, loop a towel round one foot and raise the straight leg until you feel the back of it. 30 seconds each leg.
- 2Figure-four: on your back, cross one ankle over the other knee and pull the bottom leg towards you. 30 seconds each. Skip it if it presses on the knee.
- 3Calf stretch: hands on a wall, one foot back with the heel pressed down and that leg straight. 30 seconds each.
- 4Cross-body shoulder: pull one arm across your chest with the other hand. 30 seconds each.
What to think about
- Settle into each one and breathe out slowly.
- Hold still. A mild pull is the right amount.
What usually goes wrong
- Bouncing to get further.
- Bending the knee to reach further in the hamstring stretch.
Worth knowing
- A stretch should pull in the muscle, never hurt in a joint. Ease off to where it is mild.
What the cautions rest on
The safety points above come from these, not from house opinion.
- Before lifting, warm-ups that move through range are preferred to long held stretches; held stretches belong after the session.
- Stretching improves range of motion; it does not meaningfully reduce muscle soreness in the days after training.
Who checked this
Nobody qualified has. These are standard coaching points and ordinary gym safety, written down: how to set the thing up, what to control, and when to stop a set. They are not a clinical opinion and no physiotherapist or strength coach has read them back. If they disagree with somebody who can actually see you lift, believe that person.