Although stretching exercises alone will not improve your endurance or strength, they give you flexibility.

Safety tips for stretching exercises

• Always warm up before doing any stretching exercises and after endurance or strength exercises by doing some easy walking or arm-pumping first.
• Stretching exercises should never cause pain, especially joint pain.

• Stretching exercises should never cause pain, especially joint pain.
• Mild discomfort or a mild pulling sensation is normal.
• Never bounce into a stretch -- make slow steady movements instead.

Triceps Stretches lengthen muscles in the back of the upper arm

1. Hold one end of a towel in right hand.
2. Raise and bend right arm to drape towel down back. Keep your right arm in this position and continue holding onto the towel.
3. Reach behind your lower back and grasp bottom end of towel with left hand.
4. Climb left hand progressively higher up towel, which also pulls your right arm down.  Continue until your hands touch, or as close as you can comfortably go.
5. Reverse positions.
6. Repeat 3 to 5 times each session. Hold stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.

Double Hip Rotation stretches the outer muscles of hips and thighs.

Don't do this stretching exercise if you have had a hip replacement, unless your surgeon approves.

1. Lie on floor on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Keep shoulders on floor at all times.
3. Keep knees bent together and gently lower legs to one side as far as possible without forcing them.
4. Hold position for 10 to 30 seconds.
5. Return legs to upright position.
6. Repeat toward other side.
7. Repeat 3 to 5 times on each side.

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