Lat and Side Doorway Stretch
This is one of the more complicated stretches to learn and it’s only really effective if you are in the right position. That said, it’s also a favorite of almost all my clients, because it’s very versatile and effective.
One of the initial challenges is to get into a decent starting position. Most people have some variation in their approach, but a good starting point is to reach across your body and grab the doorway somewhere between knee and hip height, whatever feels best to you.
Then adjust your legs so your feet are stable and far enough from the doorway that your arms is fully extended. Just being in this position may cause you to feel a stretch down your side and if your lats are really tight, this may be all the stretch you need. However, most people benefit from a more intense stretch, which is accomplished in a couple different ways.
The best way to increase the effectiveness of this stretch is to rotate your hips away from the doorway. For example, to stretch your right side, reach your right arms across your body and grab the doorway. Then rotate your hips so your left hip moves forward and your right hip moves back.
You can further increase the stretch by shifting your bodyweight away from the doorway, towards the side you want to stretch. These changes increase the distance from your shoulder to your hip, which intensifies the stretch down your entire side and possibly into your hip and back as well.
Another thing your can to do increase the stretch is to use your opposite hand to push against the doorway to add pressure/resistance to the stretch.
Varying your hand position, hip position, and pressure with your other hand, all change how the stretch feels. This allows you to really target your tightest muscles, but it takes practice to find which little variations will give you the most effective stretch.
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