How should I be stretching or preparing for this?

Sometimes when I do dumbbell bench presses, either sitting strait or on an incline, I feel a really weird “snapping/popping” phenomenon in my right arm between my wrist and my elbow. It does not hurt but it does feel weird, almost like a very mild burning. I don’t like it, but it doesn’t prevent me from doing more weight so it’s not “structural” but I’d like to avoid it. Not sure what it is or is called :(

I never really stretch prior to doing dumbbells - is there a particular stretch I should be doing?

I've been dealing with very tight shoulders due to a combination of weightlifting and sitting hunched over a desk for the past 30 years. As a result, I have limited mobility, and I can't do the "hand-behind-the-back" reach—there’s a gap of about 10 inches.

To improve my flexibility, I’ve been looking into three stretches that I can do every day. I’m keeping it simple with just three, so I’m more likely to stick with them. The stretches I’m considering are:

1. Doorway Stretch
2. Thread the Needle
3. Posterior Capsule Stretch

I’m thinking of holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds and repeating 2-3 times per day.

Has anyone been able to improve their hand-behind-the-back reach with similar stretches? Any thoughts or feedback on my routine? Would you suggest swapping out any of these stretches, or perhaps adding something else to target shoulder mobility more effectively?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I’m woefully inflexible, tight back muscles and leg muscles. Can’t remember the last time I was able to touch my toes, if ever. The sit & reach always kept me from getting presidential in school gym 😂.

When I sit straight up, with legs extended, I basically feel extreme burning/stretching in my calves and only my calves. When I do hamstring stretches, it feels like my calves get stretched/are restricting me.

Do I need to target my calves first before I target anything else?

Hi, All!

I (42M) had a question about stretching my hamstrings. Ever since I was a child, when I attempt to stretch my hamstrings by bending at the waist (standing or seated) I get a sharp pulling pain at the end of the hamstring near the posterior or my knee. For some reason, I assumed this was normal and also assumed that proper stretching was pushing into that pain. That’s led to me never being able enjoy stretching (I have similarities when doing a butterfly stretch but that may be for another post).

Does anyone have any idea of what could be causing this?

For more context, when I stretch by leaning more to the side with my leg extended to the side as well, there is much less pain but I feel like it’s stretching a different part of the muscle. I’d really like to find a way to get my hamstrings looser without the pain.

Hello guys,

in short: I've created a small booklet and software as a service for creating my own full stretching routine which varies each day. It's sorted by muscle groups. So each day you can do one stretch for each muscle group. Why did i create this? For myself. I was frustrated that i didn't find an overview of all stretches (not with duplicates all over the place)

So i created this booklet with all stretches i found and have done which are not duplicated. I tried to eliminate all stretches which felt like doubling. Afterwards i created an app for myself and this booklet which i can take to the climbing gym.

So for everyone who wants to have it, i'd like you to register for free and without email validation in the app, but the inlet i also attached here.

If you download it or use the app (which as a timer and automated creation of a daily routine as well) i'd like if someone needs another function as well. Happy to help here.

If you have something like this available and this i redundant it seems i didn't found it along the way and invested those hours just for fun :)

Have a great day :)

Website scribbled: https://beta.markus-egon-kuhn.de/

App: https://app.beta.markus-egon-kuhn.de/

Full Book without registration: https://app.beta.markus-egon-kuhn.de/book

I have not remembered dreams for years. It was like I didn’t dream at all.

Recently so started stretching, because I read that it can help with PTSD.

And, I started dreaming again!

Did anyone else have this experience? Do you know why this could be?

I’m 26f, I’ve had chronic lbp for around 5 years. I stretch a few times a week but have never felt much relief. Last night I stretched my hamstrings, seated on the floor and reaching for my toes. I gradually moved deeper into the stretch and started feeling a nice stretch in my back. But when I stood up, I felt this sensation in my mid back of the vertebrae being stretched apart and a deep soreness, borderline painful.

I felt extremely nauseous and started to lose consciousness. Every time I tried to stand, my face would begin to tingle and my vision would start to go out. After 15 mins this stopped, the nausea lasted for a few hours. But today I have absolutely no back pain for the first time in years. Has anybody experienced this?

I did consult with a doctor, they told me to rest and think it was a vasovagal reaction, were not too concerned.

Heyo, tried searching for an answer on Google and they kept giving me different stretches to do but I'm just curious as to why I get really bad cramping in my calves when I stretch (in bed) in the morning or at night? You know when you point your toes downward and have that good stretch after a long day or right in the morning? Every time I do that I get like a bad muscle spasm and I just simply miss doing it without that being the consequence.

Has anyone tried out Stretch Zone? They lay you on tables, and stretch you in various ways. The cost is $50 per stretch, in my area. What say you?

Hello!

I’m an electrician, and we do stretch and flex in the morning. Most guys don’t take it seriously at all, but me and my apprentice try to take full advantage of it. We would prolly be allowed to take 10 minutes to stretch everyday, would anyone be able to point me in a direction of a good routine we would be able to do in that time?

I had no idea what sub would know best about this but , my tv has been facing my bed on the side and when I lay I have to be on my left side, I usually prop up my arm and lie down on my left side to see the tv and a couple week ago I noticed a pain in my back so I changed my layout and stop laying like that. The back pain hasn’t stopped and yesterday I noticed a chart pain directly on my spine. I put a heat pad on it and tried to sleep it off but this morning it was more intense .

when I went to work and when I moved my neck or arms and upper body , I was getting nauseous when it was happening and dizzy and would have to sit to catch my breath . It gradually got worse throughout the day in waves and my boss told me to go to er. Took some X-rays and blood tests everything came back perfectly fine, I was told it was just a pulled muscle. Although the pain was right on one of my spine bones ( no bruise or injuries there)

I don’t know how I would have pulled a back muscle at all and the bed situation is my only idea, I might just be stupid but how would you pull a muscle in just one tiny spot on your spine i just don’t get that or why a pulled muscle would make me feel nauseous . And also how do you heal a pulled muscle there

Hi guys!

I've had a hip replacement recently, like 2 days ago now. I was wondering if there's any safe stretches I can do while laying down ontop of my pt

Hi everyone! For context, I am able to fully stretch front-faced and been able to move my upper body such that my hands touch my feet while being stretched. However, for some reason, I am not been able to do side-stretches and I have been trying this for almost 1 year. Does anyone know how to attain side stretches? And also I would like to explore hyper-flexibility and cartwheels, so any advice on how to start that would be helpful. PS: I suffered from slip disc many years ago and however I've recovered my flexibility to some extent,, I am afraid to explore any flexibility excercises without any background research or opinion.

Hi there! I've been having migraines for over a week now, first time ever happening to me. While I wait for my appointment with a specialist, I've been recommended medication, which do not work. One of the possible causes could be that it's caused by tension in my back and neck.

I know it's not clinical advice, but it can't hurt to stretch the trapezius and neck and see if it mitigates the symptoms. Truth is that they are the parts that I feel contract the most while I'm working on the computer. I tried soft chin-to-chest exercises and side to side stretch, but do not last long.
Do you have any recommended exercises? Have you experienced something similar?
Thank you!

Hi, I have had multiple tendonitis-like symptoms in both elbows and both knees. A bit of background - I'm a 26 year old female who was morbidly obese for most part of my life. At 22, weighed around 95kilos and thats when I started on a weightloss journey through a calorie deficit diet along with brisk walking for 7kms daily. Managed to reduce 30 kgs of bodyweight over a period of 1.5 years, aiming for 0.5 kg reduction every week. I felt very healthy, fit and over the moon, never looked better in my life. But by the end of this journey, i started having pain below the knee cap bilaterally, it was diagnosed as knee fat pad impingement. I did some PT and symptoms got better and I started brisk walking again after 4 months, but it would occasionally hang around, especially after standing for long. 3 years later, I gained 4 kgs and tried to lose it using the same technique that I used the first time around. Only this time I tried to do a few basic dumbbell exercises (3kg) for 3-4 weeks along with a lot more brisk walking. This time I also included more protein in my diet. I lost those 4 kgs in 3 month. All of this with mild pain along the patellar tendon, but not enough to stop me from exercising. A month later, my knee pain got so severe that I was unable to do anything pain free, sit, lie down, walk even for a few mins.But There has been no loss of functionality in my limbs so far. I now have the following pains, all playing musical chairs with me on a daily basis

1. Pain on either side of patella on both knees and along the patellar tendon.
2. Pain right above the patella, and quadracep muscle pain. MRI says no sign of tendinitis, but mild fat pad inflammation. Went to a dozen orthopedics with all of them telling me, its a normal MRI. Tried stretching hamstrings, quads and calves for 2 months and PT, but no significant improvement.

( I also have a little bit of patella alta and mild knock knees. The only thing doctors diagnosed was that this misalignment of my knee along with overuse is causing pain. But it just doesn't seem to go away even after rest and PT. ) 3. Tricep tendonitis like symptoms - constant nagging near the elbows and tricep pain.Here again no loss of function or strength, but i occasionally feel a little bit of weakness especially while typing on my computer with no elbow support. Again MRI was negative and only said mild joint effusion. 4. Neck pain which refuses to go away despite trying multiple sleeping positions and pillows. Never had neck pain before. MRI says mild disc bulge at C5-C6 and C6-C7. Doctors say such minor bulges are there in 8/10 ppl and there's nothing to worry about and that my tricep pain is unrelated to neck pain. ( Not cervical radiculopathy) 5. Mild pain on the outer hip muscles which increases on sitting for long periods. 6. Occasional dull aches in both wrists and ankles near the achilles tendon, but not constant like the knee or tricep pain. 7. Loud Cracking sounds coming from ankles, elbows, shoulders and knees very frequently even though I'm active through the day. 8. 8 years ago, when I was a teen I was diagnosed with a disc bulge in the spine at L4-L5, severely pinching the sciatic nerve. I suffered through this pain for 3 years while in school sitting for long periods of time, got so used to the the pain, I had almost accepted it as part of my body. Finally got a discectomy surgery done back then and the sciatic pain has been gone since 8 years. But there is still some mild disc degenration at L4-L5 and L3-L4, which causes occasional flare ups which are very painfull. I dont have any radiating pain in the legs now.

I have known what pain feels like and certainly not someone who overplays my pain. My real frustration comes from the fact I have had doctors telling me that I don't have any issues, and that I'm just over reacting or my brain is presuming pain, but I really am in constant pain in multiple areas hampering my daily routine every single day in the last 4 months. When the pain is extreme , I get severely nauseous too. Also when one the pains for example knee pain is extremly severe, I can almost always not feel pain/negligible pain in elbows, neck or hips. Maybe its just the body's way of dealing with pain.

I also consulted a few rhematologists to rule out autoimmune diseases, got all the necessary parameters tested. Had slightly elevated ESR levels, but after examination of my joints, all doctors cleared me of any autoimmune disorders. I have no other symptoms of RA like fever, or visible swelling of joints. No redness also. And no genetic history of autoimune disorders in the family. Doctors also ruled me out of fibromyalgia since I dont have pain in all the sensitive points clinical of fibro, no digestive issues or headaches.

I got my blood tests done for deficiencies and found out I was low on VItamin C and D. Took supplements for these along with collagen supplement for 2 months along with following a balanced diet and yet no sign of improvement.

I have tried doing a lot of research to get to the bottom of these problems, did everything in my control - met so many doctors, did PT, fix my nutrition, stay positive, did so many tests and imaging. I thought there must be some muscle imbalance in my limbs since I lost a lot of weight causing tendon issues and tried to do some strength testing exercise, like single leg glute bridge. I seemed to be doing okay and I'm very flexible in most things. After all this I still find myself not in any better situation.

When I lost those 30 kgs, I felt I started a new life and it changed me for better on so many ways. But now, I feel like an old person with so many pains and not being able to do things by myself pain free. I feel down mentally not just because of the pain but also because of being unable to find the root cause and fix it. I just want to live a normal healthy life and get back on track.

I'm not sure why so many tendons seem to be painful bilaterally. I beleive tendon injuries are caused by overuse and age related, but I'm not sure if I have overused so many of my tendons, especially triceps/hips/neck.I never went to the gym and did heavy weight training. Can this be a systemic tendon issue?At this point I'm not even sure if they are tendon related or anything else. Also why is nothing showing on imaging?

Sorry for the really long post, but it would really help if anyone has ever experienced similar things and shared it here. Thanks in advance.

Hi, I have had multiple tendonitis-like symptoms in both elbows and both knees. A bit of background - I'm a 26 year old female who was morbidly obese for most part of my life. At 22, weighed around 95kilos and thats when I started on a weightloss journey through a calorie deficit diet along with brisk walking for 7kms daily. Managed to reduce 30 kgs of bodyweight over a period of 1.5 years, aiming for 0.5 kg reduction every week. I felt very healthy, fit and over the moon, never looked better in my life. But by the end of this journey, i started having pain below the knee cap bilaterally, it was diagnosed as knee fat pad impingement. I did some PT and symptoms got better and I started brisk walking again after 4 months, but it would occasionally hang around, especially after standing for long. 3 years later, I gained 4 kgs and tried to lose it using the same technique that I used the first time around. Only this time I tried to do a few basic dumbbell exercises (3kg) for 3-4 weeks along with a lot more brisk walking. This time I also included more protein in my diet. I lost those 4 kgs in 3 month. All of this with mild pain along the patellar tendon, but not enough to stop me from exercising. A month later, my knee pain got so severe that I was unable to do anything pain free, sit, lie down, walk even for a few mins.But There has been no loss of functionality in my limbs so far. I now have the following pains, all playing musical chairs with me on a daily basis

1. Pain on either side of patella on both knees and along the patellar tendon.
2. Pain right above the patella, and quadracep muscle pain. MRI says no sign of tendinitis, but mild fat pad inflammation. Went to a dozen orthopedics with all of them telling me, its a normal MRI. Tried stretching hamstrings, quads and calves for 2 months and PT, but no significant improvement.

( I also have a little bit of patella alta and mild knock knees. The only thing doctors diagnosed was that this misalignment of my knee along with overuse is causing pain. But it just doesn't seem to go away even after rest and PT. ) 3. Tricep tendonitis like symptoms - constant nagging near the elbows and tricep pain.Here again no loss of function or strength, but i occasionally feel a little bit of weakness especially while typing on my computer with no elbow support. Again MRI was negative and only said mild joint effusion. 4. Neck pain which refuses to go away despite trying multiple sleeping positions and pillows. Never had neck pain before. MRI says mild disc bulge at C5-C6 and C6-C7. Doctors say such minor bulges are there in 8/10 ppl and there's nothing to worry about and that my tricep pain is unrelated to neck pain. ( Not cervical radiculopathy) 5. Mild pain on the outer hip muscles which increases on sitting for long periods. 6. Occasional dull aches in both wrists and ankles near the achilles tendon, but not constant like the knee or tricep pain. 7. Loud Cracking sounds coming from ankles, elbows, shoulders and knees very frequently even though I'm active through the day. 8. 8 years ago, when I was a teen I was diagnosed with a disc bulge in the spine at L4-L5, severely pinching the sciatic nerve. I suffered through this pain for 3 years while in school sitting for long periods of time, got so used to the the pain, I had almost accepted it as part of my body. Finally got a discectomy surgery done back then and the sciatic pain has been gone since 8 years. But there is still some mild disc degenration at L4-L5 and L3-L4, which causes occasional flare ups which are very painfull. I dont have any radiating pain in the legs now.

I have known what pain feels like and certainly not someone who overplays my pain. My real frustration comes from the fact I have had doctors telling me that I don't have any issues, and that I'm just over reacting or my brain is presuming pain, but I really am in constant pain in multiple areas hampering my daily routine every single day in the last 4 months. When the pain is extreme , I get severely nauseous too. Also when one the pains for example knee pain is extremly severe, I can almost always not feel pain/negligible pain in elbows, neck or hips. Maybe its just the body's way of dealing with pain.

I also consulted a few rhematologists to rule out autoimmune diseases, got all the necessary parameters tested. Had slightly elevated ESR levels, but after examination of my joints, all doctors cleared me of any autoimmune disorders. I have no other symptoms of RA like fever, or visible swelling of joints. No redness also. And no genetic history of autoimune disorders in the family. Doctors also ruled me out of fibromyalgia since I dont have pain in all the sensitive points clinical of fibro, no digestive issues or headaches.

I got my blood tests done for deficiencies and found out I was low on VItamin C and D. Took supplements for these along with collagen supplement for 2 months along with following a balanced diet and yet no sign of improvement.

I have tried doing a lot of research to get to the bottom of these problems, did everything in my control - met so many doctors, did PT, fix my nutrition, stay positive, did so many tests and imaging. I thought there must be some muscle imbalance in my limbs since I lost a lot of weight causing tendon issues and tried to do some strength testing exercise, like single leg glute bridge. I seemed to be doing okay and I'm very flexible in most things. After all this I still find myself not in any better situation.

When I lost those 30 kgs, I felt I started a new life and it changed me for better on so many ways. But now, I feel like an old person with so many pains and not being able to do things by myself pain free. I feel down mentally not just because of the pain but also because of being unable to find the root cause and fix it. I just want to live a normal healthy life and get back on track.

I'm not sure why so many tendons seem to be painful bilaterally. I beleive tendon injuries are caused by overuse and age related, but I'm not sure if I have overused so many of my tendons, especially triceps/hips/neck.I never went to the gym and did heavy weight training. Can this be a systemic tendon issue?At this point I'm not even sure if they are tendon related or anything else. Also why is nothing showing on imaging?

Sorry for the really long post, but it would really help if anyone has ever experienced similar things and shared it here. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to get some advice on stretching routines to help with an old ankle injury. About 10 years ago, I hurt my ankle, and since then, it pops when I move it and has limited mobility compared to the other side.

I play basketball three times a week, and while I used to dunk regularly, I’ve lost a lot of my explosiveness over the years. I’m also working on losing 20 pounds to get back in shape, but I know improving my flexibility and mobility is key to getting back to peak performance.

What are some daily stretches I can incorporate to:

Improve ankle mobility and reduce stiffness.

Regain explosiveness for jumping and quick movements.

Support overall flexibility and range of motion for basketball?

I’d love recommendations for dynamic or static stretches that you think could help. Any tips for a consistent stretching routine to complement my workouts would be amazing!

Thanks so much for your input!

Hi,

I have very poor flexibility in my legs. I can't sit on the floor with my legs stretched out in front. They have to be bent, very bent. Or I have to lean back at an incrediblly obtuse angle. I've been this way for as long as I can remember. I'm only in my 20s and I'm a little bit worried about this serious lack of range of movement.

I find that due to how bad my range of movement is, there are many stretches that I can't even begin to do because the require you to at least be able to sit up with your legs straight or even just slightly bent- which I can't do.

Whenever I try to stretch my hamstrings there's this awful burning pain I'm the back of my knees as well. It's so bad and comes on so early that I feel like I don't even get to stretch my hamstrings very much.

Regarding my shoulders, they're just a bit crunchy and I want to address that. I'm just looking for any recommendations.

Other than that I think my hips are fine... I can push my knees all the way to the floor in the butterfly pose.

I am very grateful for any help.

Thank you.

I really want to learn to become super flexibile, like contortion level flexible. I want to be able to learn to do tricks safely & effectively, such as chest stands or splits. But theres no classes in my area or state at all that actively teaches contortion like that.

Not only that, but I also do iceskating and would like to start stretching to improve my performance on ice. I know that it involves alot of core strength & balance, and some flexibility for figure skating. But once again there's little to no input i found about getting help besides off ice coaching; which is expensive & wouldnt be something I could do 7 days a week.

Tldr; I want to build a routine to increase flexibility and train core stregth + balance, but I want to do it the right way. I'd be willing to find a coach that doesn't focus solely on off ice, but I can't find any classes in my area that has classes for what I'm looking for. (a balance between the two.)