Full Body Stretch – 30mins

Full-Body Stretch with Coach Kristen

Hi everyone, Coach Kristen here from Team McLean Fitness Club! Today, I’ll guide you through a gentle, full-body stretch sequence. We’ll move from the neck and shoulders, down the spine, hips, and legs. Put on some relaxing music, follow along, and let’s reconnect body and breath.

Warm-Up: Breath and Forward Fold

• Begin standing tall, arms extended overhead.
• Take a deep breath in, then exhale as you fold forward.
• Keep knees soft, spine curling down vertebra by vertebra, chest to thighs.
• Inhale to rise slowly back up, exhale as you fold again.
• Repeat 2–3 times, sinking a little deeper with each breath.

Neck and Shoulder Release

• Sit on a chair or kneel. Hold under your seat or thighs.
• Gently drop one ear toward your shoulder, breathing deeply.
• For a deeper stretch, look down toward your arm, or gently guide with your hand.
• Repeat on both sides.
• Finish with a couple of big shoulder shrugs.

Child’s Pose Flow

• Kneel with toes together, knees wide. Stretch arms long, chin tucked, hips sinking back.
• Walk hands to the left to stretch the right side body, then to the right for the left side.
• Return to centre, breathing into the stretch.

Cat-Cow and Spinal Wag

• From hands and knees, inhale to arch your back (cow), exhale to round (cat).
• Repeat slowly, matching breath to movement.
• Add a “tail wag” by looking over your shoulder and crunching through the side body.

Chest and Upper Back Openers

• Clasp hands in front, rounding the upper back and separating shoulder blades.
• Reverse: clasp hands behind, lift chest, and open the heart to the sky.
• Add gentle neck tilts for an extra release.

Wrists, Arms, and Triceps

• In tabletop, gently turn palms backwards and lean back slightly for wrist stretches.
• Flip palms up for the reverse stretch.
• For triceps: one hand between shoulder blades, use the other to gently press the elbow. Swap sides.
• Follow with a cross-body shoulder stretch on each arm.

Standing Spinal Flex and Side Bends

• Step one foot behind and lift the same-side arm overhead, reaching across the body.
• Alternate sides, lengthening through the spine and waist.
• Add a gentle trunk rotation, side to side.

Strengthening Back Muscles

• Lie face down, arms reaching like an airplane. Lift one arm at a time, squeezing shoulder blades.
• Progress to overhead “Y” reaches, alternating arms or both together.
• Add “Y–W” pulls: reach arms up in a Y, then draw elbows into a W, squeezing shoulder blades.

Back and Hip Mobility

• Roll onto your back, knees bent. Gently rotate knees side to side for the lower back.
• Add single-leg spinal twists: draw one knee across the body, looking in the opposite direction. Extend the top leg for a hamstring stretch.
• Draw knees to chest, then open into Happy Baby pose.

Hip Openers and Glutes

• From lying down, place one ankle over the opposite knee, press it away.
• Deepen by drawing legs toward the chest for a glute stretch.
• Swap sides.

Hip Flexors and Hamstrings

• In a kneeling lunge, press hips forward to stretch quads and hip flexors.
• Add a torso twist or overhead reach for depth. Repeat both sides.
• Shift hips back, front leg straight, toes pulled back for a hamstring stretch.

Seated Forward Folds and Twists

• Sit tall, legs long and toes flexed. Tilt pelvis back to lengthen hamstrings.
• Fold forward gently, reaching hands toward ankles or shins.
• Open legs wide, rotate through the trunk, reaching across the body.
• Finish with seated twists, keeping hips square and legs together.

Final Relaxing Folds

• Sitting tall, reach arms overhead, then exhale into a final forward fold.
• Inhale to rise, exhale to fold deeper each time.
• Close with a few shoulder rolls and reconnect with your breath.

Well Done!

Take a moment to thank yourself for slowing down, stretching, and giving your body this time. Repeat this sequence whenever you need to release tension, improve mobility, or simply reset your mind and body.