You can stretch your external obliques by anchoring yourself (holding a weight like a dumbbell or waiter tray) and twisting your knees up to your chest towards the opposite side.
Here's a breakdown of how to perform this stretch:
- Start Position: Lie on your back. You may hold a light weight (like a dumbbell or even an empty waiter's tray) in your hand to anchor your upper body.
- Engage Core: Bring your knees up towards your chest. This activates your core muscles.
- Twisting Motion: Slowly twist your knees down towards one side of your body, aiming to get them as close to the ground as comfortably possible without forcing the movement. You should feel the stretch in the opposite side's obliques.
- Hold: Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, breathing deeply.
- Return: Gently return your knees to the starting position (knees towards the chest).
- Repeat: Repeat the twist to the other side, holding for the same duration.
- Sets: Perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions on each side.
Important Considerations:
- Listen to your body: Never force the stretch. If you feel any sharp pain, stop immediately.
- Control the movement: Avoid using momentum to twist. Focus on controlled movements to properly engage and stretch the obliques.
- Breathing: Breathe deeply throughout the stretch to help relax your muscles and improve flexibility.
- Variations: This stretch can also be done with straight legs for a more intense stretch, if flexibility allows.
