Stretches for Rowing

Generally, hold each stretch for 20 seconds, find a gentle ache initially in the target muscle first, and then in the last 10 seconds, try to develop the ache to a useful feeling of development. Working from the head down.

1. Neck : side to side, front to back. To start, stand tall. a) Lean the head to the left, stretching the side of the neck from shoulder muscle to behind the ear, add the weight of your hand. Back to centre, lean the head to the right, repeat. b) Look up as far as you can, feel the stretch under the chin, hold for 20s. c) Look down as far as you can, chin on chest, add weight of hand. 4 x 20s

 

 

2. Shoulder:

a) Reach left arm as high as possible, fold hand down behind the head, right arm hold the elbow, feel the stretch in the back of the arm. Pull hand lower in the4 second half. Relax and shake, swap sides. 2 x 20s

 

 

 

b) Point the left arm out forwards, swinging in a flat arc across the chest and catch the elbow with the right hand and pull the elbow towards the opposite shoulder. Increase pull gradually.Relax and swap sides. 2 x 20s

 

 

 

c) Put your flat left hand against a wall at shoulder height, and rotate your body against it to stretch the front of your chest. Change sides, repeat on right. 2 x 20s

 

 

 

 

 

3. Side: Stand straight, reach up as high as possible with the left hand, then curve over and reach the right hand down to the knee, whilst keeping on pushing up with the left. Change sides and repeat. 2 x 20s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Core:

a) Get onto all fours, set the back completely flat like a table top. Lift the left hand off the floor, and right leg, hold still for 20 seconds, swap to right arm/left leg raised weight on left/right now, another 20 seconds, repeat 3x. (20s x6)

 

 

 

 

b) All hands/knees on the floor, arch the back up as high as you can, feel your tummy button pulling up. 20s. Sag down tummy with complete relaxation 20s, arch again, 20s, pushing your bum towards your shoulders, then relax 20s, then try to lift the front of your pelvis up 20s. Relax. (20s x 5)

 

 

 

c) Drop the backside onto the calves, stretch the hands out forwards as far as possible. Feel the stretch in the side chest, 20 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Pelvis: Like a sprinting start, hands holding the weight of the chest, back leg as far back as possible, but front leg forwards holding the pelvis square. Feel the stretch in the pelvis by dropping it as low as possible, and the hamstring in the front leg by pushing the front foot forwards. Change sides (2 x 30s).

 

 

 

 

6. Hamstrings: Seated, legs flat on the floor, sitting tall, try to walk the hands down the shins, over the ankles, up the feet, still sitting as tall as possible, fingers over the end of your trainers. Duration 40 seconds.

 

 

 

7. Quadriceps: Steadying by holding onto a wall, hold your ankle and draw it up so your heel touches your backside, keeping the body as tall as possible. 2 x 20s

 

 

 

 

 

8. Calf muscles: Standing by a wall, lean to it and leave the heels on the floor, trying to relax to let the legs feel like they are pushing through the heel into the floor. 1x 20 seconds

9. Ankle flexibility: Achilles Tendons, by the same sort of position as before with the body, but now on one foot, and bent knee, feel the tightness move down to the back of the heel. 2 x 20 seconds. Finished!