Blog Layout

Tennis Warm Up Stretches

Lisa Moore • May 06, 2021

Triceps and Lats Stretch

Lift your arm above your head and try to pull your arm back down while putting resistance through the elbow. Your arm should not move. Side bend your body away from your arm to create a stretch just behind your armpit. This exercise stretches your triceps and latissimus dorsi muscle. 

Forearm Extensor Stretch

Hold your arm out in front of you, straighten it, rotate your arm inwards, and bend your wrist back. Hold this position to create a stretch. This exercise stretches the forearm Extensor muscles and can help with tennis elbow pain and other repetitive strain injuries.  

Radial Stretch

Hold your arm in front of you, with your thumb facing up. Pull your hand to the side of your thumb, to create a stretch on the outside of the wrist. 

Ulna Stretch 

Hold your arm in front of you, with your thumb facing up. Pull your hand to the side of your little finger, to create a stretch on the inside of your wrist and forearm

The Football Supporter

Take a scarf, hand towel or dowel rod, and grasp both ends. Lift it above your head, and slowly move the scarf from side-to-side as if you were waving a football scarf. This exercise will help improve mobility to the shoulder, but if your shoulder is stiff, start gently as it can be uncomfortable.

Door Frame Stretch

Place your arms above a door frame and walk forwards creating a stretch underneath your armpits. This is an advanced mobility exercise for the shoulder.

Pec Stretch

Hook your fingers around a door frame or corner of a wall, and lean forwards creating a stretch across your upper arm, front shoulder and slightly into your chest. This exercise stretches the pectoral muscle.

Deltoid Stretch

Place your arm across your chest, and resist pulling your arm away from your body. Your arm should not move. This exercise stretches the mid-deltoid muscle located in the upper arm and shoulder.

Rhomboid Stretch

Sitting upright with good posture, place both arms in front of you with hands resting on your knees. Stretch your arms out in front of you and you will feel a gentle stretch around the shoulder blades.

Latissimus Doris Stretch

Stand up next to a high shelf, or high table. Rest your elbows on the shelf or table. Drop your knees slightly and shift your hips back without moving your arms to feel a stretch around the armpits of both shoulders. This will create a stretch to the latissimus dorsi muscle (you will feel the stretch under the armpit, and towards the shoulder blade).

Toe Touch

Keeping your legs straight, run your hands down the front of your thighs and touch your toes (or go down as far as feels comfortable). Hold the stretch as required, and then come up. This will increase the mobility in your spine, and also stretch your Hamstrings.

Standing Extension

Standing up with good posture, extend your back by arching your spine backwards. You can place your hands in the small of your back for support if you require. Start gently and keep the exercise within your comfort zone.

Lumbar and Thoracic Stretch

Stand up straight, and bend to the side by running your hand down the outside of your leg. Keep the movement slow and fluid. Repeat to the opposite site. This is a good mobility exercise for the lower and upper back.

ITB Stretch

Standing, cross your legs, and run your arm down the side of your leg. You should feel a stretch in your back, and slightly on the outside of the opposite leg.

Oblique Stretch

Lie flat on your back and bend your knees. Place your hands above your head. Keeping your knees together, gently drop them to the floor to create a rotation through your back. Go as far as feels comfortable. Your feet do not need to remain flat on the floor. Rotate to the other side. Make the exercise stronger by placing your arms above your head.

Quadriceps Stretch

Pull your foot towards your bottom. If you are unsteady on your feet, make sure you hold on to something sturdy like a wall or a table. You will feel a stretch to the quadricep muscles at the front of your thigh.

Adductor Stretch

A deep side-lunge adductor stretch can be achieved by keeping one leg straight, while fully bending the other knee, and squatting down. You may find it easier to rest your hands on the floor to support yourself. Feel the stretch on the inside of your straight leg.

Hamstring and Calf Stretch

Sit on the floor and place a towel or band around the sole of your foot. Pull the toes towards you while straightening the leg. You will feel a stretch in the calves and Hamstrings (at the back of your legs).

Heel raises and Toe Lifts

Sit upright with good posture, with your feet flat on the floor. You can do this exercise in your shoes, or with bare feet. Lift your heels going up on to your toes, and then return to the floor. Lift your toes going up on your heels, and then return to the floor. This exercise will help strengthen your lower legs and ankles.

Backward Lunge

Take a step backwards and drop your knee towards the floor. Always keep good alignment: your knee should stay over the 2nd ray of your foot, and never let your knee drop inwards.

By Lisa Moore 11 Feb, 2024
Our last Mind, Body & Soul event was such a success its back!
By Lisa Moore 01 Nov, 2023
Connect mind and body through breath, movement and sweat.
By Lisa Moore 28 Sep, 2023
Chiropodist or a Foot Health Practitioner: What is the difference?
Injury Prevention Techniques
30 Mar, 2023
Therapy and Fitness Centre have outlined in this guide, you will avoid causing long-term, career ending injuries such as strains, torn ligaments and muscles.
How to Relieve Tension in Your Neck
19 Jan, 2023
At Therapy and Fitness Centre, we’ve put together a guide on how you can ease, prevent and eliminate long-term neck tension before it progresses.
28 Sep, 2022
Whether you’re struggling with the symptoms of everyday stress, or are experiencing a big change in your life that is activating feelings of anxiety, it can have an adverse affect on your emotional and physical wellbeing. When your mind is in turmoil, it can be difficult to figure out how to diffuse the feelings of stress, so why not try taking the focus off the things you can’t control, and instead concentrate on the things you can. At Leamington Therapy and Fitness Centre , we’ve put together this list of our top 8 stress relievers to help you relax.
06 Sep, 2022
Where is fascia located in the body? Fascia is a sheath of stringy connective tissue that surrounds every part of your body. It provides support to your muscles, tendons, ligaments, tissues, organs, nerves, joints and bones. Does massage help fascia? Massage therapists can help with a technique called Myofascial Release that uses sustained pressure to loosen and lengthen constricted fascia. Cupping therapy is another technique that stretches and lengthen fascia with the use of vacuum cups. What does fascia massage do? Fascial release therapies are known to increase tissue flexibility and joint mobility. Massage therapists can help with a technique called Myofascial Release that uses sustained pressure to loosen and lengthen constricted fascia. How is myofascial release performed? Using light, manual pressure, your therapist will massage and stretch the trigger point, sometimes holding that point for a few minutes. Your therapist may repeat this process a few times on each trigger point they find, until they feel a full release. What can I expect from myofascial release? Myofascial release can be an intense experience. During a session, a massage therapist will massage, knead and gently stretch the muscles and fascia to work out knots. This bodywork technique also involves applying pressure to the tight or sore areas to get them to relax. What should I expect after a myofascial massage? You may feel tired or relaxed after your myofascial massage, however, most people experience an immediate feeling of relief. Aches and pains are common for for around 24 hours after your treatment as the body flushes the toxins that have been released out. What are the benefits of myofascial release? Myofascial release offers a host of benefits to your health and well-being, including: Reduces soreness and improves tissue recovery. Improves neuromuscular efficiency. Increases blood flow. Maintains normal functional muscular length. Improves joint range of motion. Decreases overall effects of stress on the body. What is the difference between myofascial release and massage? First of all, they each have a different focus. Massage works with soft tissue and the overall system of muscles in the body to relieve stress and tension. Myofascial release works specifically with the connective tissue (fascia) to relieve the tightness that causes muscle restrictions. What does myofascial massage feel like? During a massage treatment, when we stretch this tight tissue you could feel a burning sensation. This is a myofascial release sensation and is generally short lived and quite normal, but not felt by everyone. What happens when fascia is tight? Healthy fascia is smooth and flexible. However, when the body undergoes physical trauma, such as muscle injuries or surgery, the fascia is placed under stress and tightens up, causing muscle pain. What causes fascia pain? Factors that cause fascia to become gummy and crinkle up (called adhesion) include: A lifestyle of limited physical activity (too little movement day after day) Repetitive movement that overworks one part of the body. Trauma such as surgery or injury. What can damage fascia? Accidents, abnormal posture, repetitive movements, overextension injuries, or inactivity can all lead to fascial damage. What does damaged fascia feel like? However, when the fascia is damaged through injury, overuse, or dehydration it often has a domino effect, causing a series of painful symptoms to appear over time. You may experience stiffness, reduced range of motion, and increasing chronic pain. How long does it take for fascia to heal? Most injury to fascia heals within a six to eight weeks period. Occasionally chronic inflammation and pain affect fascia. This may cause problems such as painful movement or fibromyalgia. What makes myofascial pain worse? Myofascial pain may worsen if it is left untreated for a prolonged period of time. Additionally, you may also feel more pain if the trigger point or affected muscle is strained or stretched. What happens if myofascial pain syndrome is left untreated? Untreated, the myofascial pain syndrome leads to a reduced extensibility of the involved muscle with consecutive decrease of the range of motion and development of a muscular imbalance resulting in a disturbance of complex movement and evolution of a chronic pain disease. Should you exercise after myofascial release? Many therapists recommend clients avoid strenuous exercise for at least 24 hours after a bodywork session. Exercising after a session can both increase muscle soreness and compromise the value of the soft-tissue work you've just received. What happens to fascia as we age? As you age, your body produces less and less collagen. This has a dramatic effect on the fascia throughout your body. With less collagen, the fascia starts to dry out and tighten. It becomes restrictive, making it more difficult for the body to move efficiently. Can tight fascia cause nerve pain? As fascia stiffens through adhesion, fascia—rich in nerve endings in and of itself—can entrap surrounding nerves, leading to radiculopathy and a host of painful consequences. Who should avoid myofascial release? Contraindications for MFR include – but are not limited to – those with malignancy, aneurysm, acute rheumatoid arthritis, advanced diabetes, severe osteoporosis, and healing fractures. Your physical therapist can help determine whether or not MFR is an appropriate course of treatment for you. Can you do myofascial release on yourself? SMFR methods do not require the assistance of a physical therapist or fitness professional but can be performed by the individual itself and are considered an effective rehabilitation tool. Can you overdo foam rolling? When it comes to foam rolling, yes, you can overdo it. Excessively using a foam roller on a specific area can increase injuries and leave you in more pain. Instead, limit foam rolling to 30 to 90 seconds per muscle group and include 10 seconds stretching in between each roll.
How to Improve Posture
05 Aug, 2022
The most common cause for bad posture is a slouched seating position. With most of us working at a desk all day, it can be difficult to mindfully correct posture, and it may feel uncomfortable at first.
28 Jul, 2022
Come and try our new Yoga Classes in August
28 Jul, 2022
Golf is a physically demanding sport. Golfers require strength, stability, explosive power, flexibility and athletic ability to perform an effective golf swing.
More Posts
Share by: