Stretches You Can Do To Warm Up Before A Session
Get the blood flowing and your muscles stretched
As much as we know stretching and keeping fit is essential to being able to ride a skateboard through adulthood, not enough of us take it seriously. So here is a bit of encouragement to get the blood flowing and your muscles stretched before you regret not doing it earlier. It only takes a few minutes and probably saves you years of pain in the long run.
1. HIP FLEX
- With your right foot, step back, keeping it relatively straight while bending your left knee to a lesser degree. Your upper body and pelvis should remain straight as you lower your body to the ground, putting most of your weight on your right leg. In addition, you should feel a stretch on the front of your right hip.
- Rise yourself up a little bit and back down again in a bouncing kind of motion. Repeat on the left side.
2. TUCK KNEE
- Standing on your right leg, swing your left knee in front of you.
- Grab around your knee/shin with both hands and pull it towards your chest.
- Lower your foot back to the ground and repeat this on the other side.
- Try and keep your back straight while doing so.
3. QUAD STRETCHES
- While standing on your right leg, swing your left foot behind you.
- Grab your ankle and pull your heel up towards your butt.
- Lower your foot back to the ground and repeat on the opposite side.
- Keep your back straight and try not to bend forwards, as this can lead to a trapped nerve or muscle pulling.
4. HAMSTRING STRETCH
- Standing upright, place your left foot about 1-2 feet in front of your right. Keep your left leg straight and slightly bend your right leg.
- Bend forwards over your left leg and reach forward for your left foot.
- Move up and down while trying to stretch further as you go.
- Try to extend and keep your lower back as flat as possible when bending forwards to prevent injury or uncomfortable cramps.
5. THE CROUCH
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and slanted in the most natural direction.
- Lower yourself into a squat position as far as you can.
- Return to the squat by rising 1 foot and sitting back down.
- Try and elongate your back.
- Hold your arms out in front of you if you need help balancing.
6. SIDE STRETCHES
- Raise your arms behind your head, reach across, and grip each arm anywhere between your elbows and hands while you stand straight with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your left hip to the left side and pull your upper body to the right while keeping your body straight.
- Return to a neutral stance and do the same on the other side.
7. THE CALF STRETCH
- Lift your right leg out of the way and stand on your left foot in the center of your truck/on the edge of a ledge/step with half of your foot dangling out the rear.
- Drop your leg so your heel is below the step, and then bob up and down while keeping your leg straight. Again, stretching in your calf must be felt.
- Lean further into your foot to increase the intensity.
8. ANKLE ROLLER
- While standing with both feet together, gently bounce onto the sides of your feet in the feared torn ankle position.
- If it's more comfortable, do one foot at a time.
- Go slow, and don't push it; you need to feel a stretch in your foot. Not a torn ligament.
9. UPPER BODY ROTATION
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at a 90-degree angle in front of your chest.
- Twist your upper body from left to right, keeping your eyes in the direction you're twisting.
- Make sure you twist at the upper body, not the hips.
10. THE REGULAR AND SWITCH PUSH
- Standing on your right leg, swing your left leg straight forward up in front of you as high as possible and then back behind you. Kind of like your hauling ass toward a gap or kicker! You should feel a stretch on the front & back of your thigh, depending on which way you're swinging. Continue to do this on the opposite leg then, otherwise known as 'switch.'
- Try to keep the leg you're moving relatively straight.
- Keep your back straight, and keep your pelvis in a neutral position.
