Stretching should be done at the conclusion of every workout. It serves as a nice post-workout cooldown and also helps reduce muscle soreness the next day. Regular stretching helps alleviate postural issues and joint pain by realigning soft tissues, improving circulation, and restoring tissue elasticity. This, in turn, promotes nutrient exchange throughout your body and healthy synovial fluid around your joints.
The stretches below can be performed once or twice, depending on how much time you have and your flexibility goals. The key is to hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds. To learn why this is important, refer to my article on lower body stretches.
Triceps Stretch
Target: triceps
1. Sit tall on your mat, legs crossed in front of you. This is your starting position.
2. Extend your right arm straight overhead. Keeping the upper arm in position, lower your hand down towards your back.
3. Grab your right elbow with your left hand and pull towards your head. You should feel this stretch down the back of the upper arm.
4. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. Slowly release your right elbow and drop your right arm. 
Repeat on the left arm.
Tips: You don’t need to tip your body to get deeper into the stretch – just move your right hand closer to your right shoulder (as you’re stretching the right side).
Shoulder Stretch
Target: deltoids
1. Remain seated cross-legged on the mat. Bring both arms down to your sides. This is your starting position.
2. Extend your left arm across your body directly underneath your chin. Place your right hand on the outside of your left arm, above the elbow, and press against your body. You should feel this stretch in your left shoulder.
3. Hold for 20-30 seconds before switching arms.
Tips: If you feel any pain in your shoulder during this stretch, please stop immediately.
Back Stretch
Target: mid- & upper-back muscles
1. Remain seated cross-legged on the mat. This is your starting position.
2. Round your back forward as you sweep your hands in front of your body and clasp them together. Press your palms away from you. You should feel this stretch right across your shoulder blades.
3. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
Tips: You can raise and lower your arms by varying degrees to play with how this stretch feels.
Chest Stretch
Target: pectorals
1. Remain seated cross-legged on the mat. This is your starting position.
2. Bring your arms behind your back and clasp your hands together. Pull away from your body as you squeeze your shoulders back and your shoulder blades back and down.
3. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then release.
Tips: You should feel this stretch across your chest and shoulders.
Biceps Stretch
Target: biceps & the smaller muscles of the forearm
1. Remain seated cross-legged on the mat.
2. Extend your left arm straight out in front of you and bend your wrist so your fingertips are pointing up and your palm is facing away from you.
3. With your right hand, gently pull back on your left palm. You should feel this stretch along the underside of your upper arm and forearm. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
4. Without switching arms, rotate your left arm so that your fingertips are now pointing down and your 
palm is still facing away from you.
5. With your right hand, gently pull back on your left palm. You should feel this stretch along the biceps and forearm. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
6. Repeat each stretch on the right arm.
Tips: Be careful not to straighten your arm too much, which is called “locking” the elbow joint. Just relax your arm and focus on the muscles you’re trying to stretch without forcing it.
Stretching can be uncomfortable for some people, so just push to your individual comfort level. You should feel a slight pulling sensation in the muscle(s) you’re working, but it should not be painful. If you’re unsure about a particular stretch, simply skip it and move on.
1. Set up your mat and lie on your back, legs out straight in front of you. This is your starting position.
4. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. Slowly return the right knee to the center and switch legs, extending your right leg and bringing your left knee into your chest. Hold this position for a few seconds before progressing.
1. Remain on your back on the mat, but bend both knees and place feet flat on the floor (standard crunch position).
1. Remain on your back on the mat, knees bent, feet flat on the mat. Cross your left ankle over your right knee (as if you were sitting cross-legged on a chair). This is your starting position.
the outside of your left leg. Grab your right leg below the knee with both hands and pull towards your chest. Relax your head and shoulders on the mat.
1. Sit up on the mat and bring the soles of your feet together. The bottom of your right foot should be pressed against the bottom of your left foot and your knees will tip away from each other. This is your starting position.
1. Bring yourself up to a kneeling position on the mat. Place your right foot on the mat in front of you while remaining on your left knee. This is your starting position.
4. If you wish to stretch the front of your leg a little more, you can try this variation: Bring your left arm around behind you and grab your left foot. Pull your foot towards your butt. This extends the stretch into the belly of the quadriceps muscle (see second picture). Again, hold for 20-30 seconds.
Besides its efficacy as a flexibility test, the cobra stretch is a popular yoga pose. Not only does it feel great as an abdominal stretch, the cobra helps keep the lumbar spine limber and preserves elasticity in the surrounding muscles and connective tissue. Retaining flexibility in our lower backs is vital as we age; it helps reduce low-back pain (a very common condition) and reduces the risk for back injuries.
From here, press your palms into the mat and extend your arms as much as you can while keeping your hips in contact with the floor. Relax your lower body as you press away from the mat, as demonstrated in the second picture. Pay attention to the distance between your hips and the mat – ideally, you would like to 
You will need a few materials for this challenge: a mat, masking tape, and a yard stick. To begin, set up your mat and apply a piece of masking tape across the top ¼ of the mat – essentially dividing the mat into 2 sections. Align the 15-inch mark of your yardstick with the masking tape (numbers 16 and higher should be pointing towards the smaller section of the mat). The picture to the left illustrates this set-up.
What few people realize is 
