10 Tips for Proper Stretching

1. Don’t let your knees buckle as you bend toward your legs whether you are sitting or standing.
   
   
2. Go as far as you can on your own, without assistance or the use of apparatus.
   
   
3. Don’t hold a static position or bounce, but continue to pull one end away from the other.
   
   
4. Don’t give in at the moment of discomfort, instead breathe like you are in labor.
   
   
5. If you feel stuck, wiggle, gently pulse or take a deep breath in and increase the stretch as you exhale.
   
   
6. Practice making a “flat back,” feeling the length of the spine from its base to the top of your head - no curves.
   
   
7. Stretch your tight areas after you lift weights and your more flexible areas beforehand.
   
   
8. Don’t pull on your toes, but instead flex your foot by using the muscles in your ankles.
   
   
9. In between stretches, “hang heavy” meaning let the muscles be limp and relaxed.
   
   
10. Connect mind with body by identifying the “feelings” in each area as you go.