You Need To Know This Before You Stretch Any Muscle
If you're trying to get more flexible, there's one crucial thing you need to understand before you stretch any muscle: You must know which muscle you’re actually trying to stretch — and feel it in that muscle, not somewhere else.
This might sound obvious, but most people skip this fundamental step, which often leads to pain, injury, and frustration. In this video, you’ll learn how to identify the right muscles, adjust your position, and avoid the common pitfalls that sabotage your stretching efforts.
🎯 Stretching the Wrong Way Can Hurt You
If you’re trying to stretch your glutes, but all you feel is jamming in your groin or your lower back getting crunched — you’re doing it wrong. Same goes for hip flexors, hamstrings, shoulders, and lats. If the sensation isn’t in the target muscles, something’s off.
Too many people chase positions instead of sensations. They push for deeper angles and more “stretch” without verifying whether the right muscles are actually being challenged. That’s how you end up feeling pinching, jamming, or worse — injury.
✅ How to Stretch the Right Way
- Identify the muscle group you're targeting — not just the shape of the stretch.
- Start gently. Don’t bulldoze into the deepest position possible.
- Control your joints. For example, don’t lock your knee in a hamstring stretch if it causes discomfort.
- Adjust the angle until you feel the stretch in the right place — not the joint, not the wrong muscle group.
- Back off if it feels sketchy. If something feels like it’s going to explode, it probably is.
- Keep it safe and sustainable. Slow is safe. Fast is foolish.
💡 Stretching Is Skill-Based
Effective stretching isn’t just about going deeper — it’s about going smarter. You may need to experiment with joint angles, limb positions, and even tension levels to find what works for your unique body. And the goal is always to feel safe, controlled lengthening in the muscle belly — not sharp or jammed sensations in the joints.
Remember: When you're just starting, you don’t need to go to your max. In fact, you shouldn’t. Let your body adapt slowly and consistently so your flexibility improves without setbacks.
🎁 Want Help Rebuilding Your Body Safely?
Get started with the free Body Rebuilding Basics program:
https://www.uprighthealth.com/brb
You’ll learn how to:
- Train your mind and body for real, lasting change
- Improve sleep and recovery
- Start safe, effective home workouts for hips, shoulders, posture, and more
And if you'd like to support Upright Health, visit UprightHealth.com/donate
