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Dynamic and Static-active stretching exercises

The focus for this article is to share a number of exercises which I have found particularly useful in helping mindfully relax the shoulders, back, hips and legs to allow the correct action of joints and muscles needed to perform the Wing Chun techniques.

These are divided into two categories – Dynamic stretching and Static-active stretching.  Dynamic stretching involves moving parts of the body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both.  Dynamic stretching improves dynamic flexibility and is a typical part of warm-up exercises for martial arts.  Static-active stretching involves assuming a position using our own muscles and holding that position with no assistance other than our agonist muscles.  The action causes the antagonist muscle to relax and facilitate muscle stretching.  Active stretching is common in Yoga poses.

It is important to recognise the difference between the above types of stretching and Ballistic stretching which uses the momentum of our body or a limb to force it beyond its normal range of motion.  This is typically done by bouncing into and out of a stretched position.  This creates a high risk of injury and is advised against by medical experts.

Dynamic stretching

In the Dynamic stretching examples below the aim is to increase to a point where you are able to comfortably complete the full action of the movement through a number of repetitions.  The key is to do it right, rather than do it fast or doing as many as you can do.  As such, be focused, start slowly, and work up the number of repetitions from say 10 to start with up to 50. 

This volume of repetitions means the exercises take on a warm-up type approach which warms up the muscles and also has a sufficient number of instances to allow you to ensure you can focus on correct action and achieving relaxation.

Shoulder rotation

Overview

This exercise involves closing and opening your shoulder towards and away from your body.

​Internal shoulder rotations strengthen the front Deltoids, Latissimus Dorsi, Pectoralis Major, Teres Major muscles in your back and Subscapularis (one of the four rotator cuff muscles).  External shoulder rotations strengthen your rear Deltoids as well as the Infraspinatus, and Teres Minor (two other rotator cuff muscles that stabilize your shoulder blades).

Action

• Stand in a natural stance with you arms relaxed by your side.
• Continue the motion without stopping so the arm extends above the head and then rotates forwards through the natural action of the movement, rather than actively placing the arm in this position.
• Continue the circling movement back to a position where the arm is at the side of the body with the wrist down by the hips.
• Repeat the process individually on each arm, or with both arms.  Also, repeat the process alternating between a forwards and backwards circular motion.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

Actively think about the action or the movement originating in the body and not within the hand or shoulder alone.  This thinking will help with taking the focus of the mind out of the hand. 

Concentrate on a controlled motion rather than whirling the arms around at speed.  This allows the mind to actively concentrate on what muscles are being used and how different muscles need to be switched on and off at the different stages of the rotation. 

Focus on allowing the natural weight of the arm under the force of gravity to allow the arm to  continue through the controlled circular motion but allow the arm to drop without the need to actively use muscles to pull the arm down.   This helps us understand the important part that gravity plays in Wing Chun and the principle of wasting as little effort as possible.

Calf raises with arm swings

Overview

Calf raises target the muscles on the back of your lower legs, specifically the Gastrocnemius muscle (which runs down your leg) and the Soleus muscle (near your Achilles tendon).  Calf raises also promote ankle stability and mobility.

The raising of the hands is part of the Yoga movement, Hasta Uttanasana.  Although here the movement is not about arching the back.  It stretches and tones the muscles in your arms, spine, abdomen, and chest area.  Combined with the expansion of the chest and rib cage this improves your respiratory functions.

Action

• Stand with your feet under your hips, arms at your sides.
• Bring your arms up above your head as you come up onto your toes.
• Bring your arms back down to your sides and return your heels to the ground.
• Repeat.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

Focus on the muscles involved in the action of the arms and the legs.   To start to develop a sense of whole-body application this is a great exercise for timing the raising of the foot with the raising of the arms so that the final hand position is reached at final foot position.  It is useful to visualise the whole-body action of driving the body upwards as if attempting to break through a suspended ceiling.

Again, allow the arm to drop from the highest point without the need to actively use muscles to pull the arm down to actively integrate the natural weight of the arms under the effect of gravity.

Touching toes

Overview

Within Yoga this is call half Padahastasana, or ‘hand to foot’ pose.  The full version of this movement is more advanced and involves hugging your legs – with your body parallel to and in direct contact with your legs.

The benefit of being able to touch your toes is having proper flexibility in your hamstrings, calves, and lower back.

Action

• Stand with your feet under your hips.
• Hinge forward from your hips, keeping your legs straight and knees soft, and reach for the floor with your hands.    Initially your fingertips might not reach your feet, but the target state is to be able to get your hands flat on the floor in front of your feet.
• Use your waist to extend back into standing position.
• Repeat.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

A key focus here is feeling the action of the Psoas muscle which connects the upper and lower body.    As such, when bending over do this in a controlled manner rather than allowing your upper body to collapse down.  This has the same feeling as doing a sit-up where instead of feeling your abdominal muscles contracting and bringing your body up, you can feel the action lower with your waist.

As you lean forwards in a controlled, slow manner focus on the weight of gravity and feel how the technique stretches out the muscles in your back and legs.

Another thing to really focus on is not reaching out with the hands to touch the floor.  Instead, the action is about the controlled bending action of the body which then allows the relaxed shoulders to act like a pendulum and then ‘dangle’ moving downwards with the action of the body until the point you can complete this action and they are as close to the floor as you can achieve / are touching the floor.  Keep that feeling of complete relaxation in the shoulders, arms, and hands as you move through the repetitions.

When seeking to return to a standing position actively focus on your balance, how this feels with your feet.  Then thinking as your feet as the base of your support, visualise pressing up from the centre of your feet as you extend back upwards to your full standing position.  At the very end feel how this unfurling allows your relaxed shoulders to come up and back and your standing position is a vertical expansion from the ground.

Hip Rotation

Overview

Hip circles are a standing exercise that improves stability and flexibility in the hips, abdominals, buttocks, and lower back.  This exercise helps to loosen the lower back and hip muscles and strengthens the core.  Strengthening the hip external rotators improves stability and helps prevents injuries in the hips, knees, and ankles.

Action

• Stand in a natural stance with both hands relaxed down by your side.
• Rotate your hips around in a circle in a full a circle as you can without deviating the vertical position of your head.
• Repeat. 
• Then rotate the other way. 
• Repeat.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

This is a focused action that is not about wiggling the body around like you are hoola-hooping.   Keep the shoulders, arms and hands relaxed by your side.   Do not use your hands to move your hips or assist with the motion.

Pay close attention to the different muscles in the legs, buttons, waist, and lower back as you complete the circle.  Feel where and when these are used and if there is any tension being held in these that is stopping the circular motion from being completely fluid.  

Keep your head relaxed in the same space as if suspended by a string.  Concentrate on the changing weight position in your feet and the effect this has on your centre of gravity / stability.

Neck Flexion / Extension

Overview

Neck Flexion is the motion of tilting your head forwards and down, lowering your chin towards your chest.  Neck Extension is the opposite motion of tilting your head back and down, looking directly upwards.   The neck is an important structure that supports the head and the cervical spine. Poor posture resulting from leaning over results in neck pain (usually involves muscle spasms and strain),  limitation of motion of the neck joint but also can cause tension in the shoulder and back muscles. 

You can also do neck rotation in the same way.  This exercise involves keeping the eyes looking forwards straight forwards and turning the head to the left, and then to the right.

Action

• Gently bend your head forward while bringing your chin toward your chest.
• Stop when a stretch is felt in the back of your neck.
• Return the head back into the normal standing position.
• Gently bend your head backward so that your eyes are looking upwards.
• Stop when a stretch is felt in the front of your neck.
• Return the head forwards into the normal standing position.
• Repeat.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

A key focus for the exercise is getting the shoulders in the correct position to start with.   These should not be hunched forwards or artificially held backwards.    A good way to find the right position is to stand up straight, breathe out fully and let your head and shoulders hunch forwards.  Now, breathe in through your nose and fill your lungs to their full capacity.  This will open out your chest and bring it back to a central position, with your shoulders centrally aligned.  Now move your head back into a straight position.  You should now feel that your head supported in a balanced way on top of your chest. 

With the natural weight of your arms handing off the shoulders you should feel a gentle pull down the neck, along the shoulder and over the top and down your arm.   It should now feel that the chest structure supported from within the chest cavity as if by an inflated ball.  And a feeling within the shoulders as if supported by resting upon the horizontal beam of a cross with the spine as the vertical beam.

Be mindful of this position as you breath in and out, recreate the feeling each time as you gently feel the weight of you head shifting your centre of balance.  In neck flexion, a normal range of motion is 40 to 80 degrees.

The cervical spine’s range of motion is approximately 90 degrees for sideways rotation.

Neck Lateral Flexion

Overview

This action, in which your neck moves from a straight to a sideway tilted position is called Lateral Flexion.   This uses a group of muscles called the Scalenes (or scalenus muscles).

As with the Neck Flexion and Extension exercises, the following stretches are intended to relieve neck pain, tension, and stiffness.  They are also intended help to improve flexibility, mobility, and strength.

Be gentle and gradually work your way through the stretches, especially if your neck is sensitive. Stretch as far as you can without forcing yourself through any movement.

Action

• Gently bend your head to the left whist keeping your head upright.
• Stop when a stretch is felt in the right side of your neck.
• Return the head back into the normal central position.
• Gently bend your head to the right whilst keeping your head upright.
• Stop when a stretch is felt in the left side of your neck.
• Return the head forwards into the normal central position.
• Repeat.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

As in the Neck Flexion and Extension exercises make sure you get into a correct posture with relaxed shoulders.

This and the other neck exercise is particularly useful for making sure the neck is relaxed and has the full range of movement.   During the chaos of a fight even the best fighter will be unlikely to avoid taking a couple of strikes to the head.  As such, it is important that the head is relaxed and flexible, otherwise any impact is likely cause injury to the neck muscles.

As you complete the movements on each side be mindful of the tension in the neck and shoulders.  Remember to keep relaxed with focused breathing.  Observe how the tension changes over time to get to a position where you are able to get a full range of motion in a fluid relaxed manner.  The cervical spine’s range of motion for Lateral Flexion is approximately 20 to 45 degrees.

Shoulder Raise

Overview

This simple restorative exercise has amazing healing potential and can help to relieve tension in your back, shoulders, and neck.

Shoulder shrugs are extremely effective for building and strengthening the shoulder muscles, as well as the muscles behind the neck that help in stabilizing the head as well as help moving the arms from the shoulders.

Action

• Start with your feet flat on the floor in a standing position. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
• With your arms at your sides, turn your palms to face each other.
• Bend your knees slightly so that they line up with (not past) your toes. Keep your chin up, facing straight ahead, and your neck straight.
• While you inhale, bring your shoulders as high up toward your ears as you can. Do the movement slowly so that you feel the resistance of your muscles.
• Lower your shoulders back down and breathe out before repeating the movement.
• Aim for 3 sets of 10 repetitions to start. You can increase the number of reps as you build up your shoulder strength and improve relaxation.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

The ability to relax and isolate the shoulders is an important requirement in Wing Chun and is called Lok Bok (Dropping shoulder).     Relaxed, isolated shoulders allow muscle tension to be taken out of the shoulders and the direction of energy to come up from the ground the through the structure of the body.

Tension in the shoulders is one of the most common areas a developing student will struggle with.  Muscle tension in the shoulder is most obvious in the application of Bong Sau where any tension results in incorrect action and massive fatigue in the muscle.   This is where a Sifu is often heard saying “relax your shoulders”! 

A good way to practice your level of relaxation in the shoulders is to stand in a natural standing position with your arms and hands relaxed down by your sides.   A training partner can then, using one hand on the wrist and one just above the elbow, perform the action of the shoulder shrug moving your relaxed arm for you, without you being involved in the motion at all.   If there is muscle tension in the shoulder or emotional tension, then the training partner will not be able to complete this without muscle tension action creeping in your shoulder.  

Be mindful of any tension and actively work on letting this go as you repeat the exercise over as many days and weeks as necessary to remove this. 

If you do not have the luxury of a training partner, then focus initially on letting the force of gravity drop your shoulders back from the raised position.  It is also useful to check in a mirror to see how you are holding your shoulders – often for women carrying heavy handbags tension can be retained in the carrying shoulder.   Use these visual cues to compare one to another, or to compare your shoulders to other people who are relaxed.    

You might find that you are able to get to a relaxed position from the lying down Relaxation stretch exercise below.  At this point stand up and try this exercise from a relaxed position and compare this to how it feels after having let the stresses and strains of a normal day or training session creep in. 

Relaxation Stretch

Overview

Called Shavasana, Corpse Pose, or Mrtasana in Yoga this is an exercise often used for relaxation at the end of a session.   It is also the usual pose for the practice of Yoga nidra meditation.  This exercise is much more than taking a rest at the end of a class.  This is considered an essential pose that is crucial for calming the central nervous system (mind and body).

Action

• Lie on your back, stretch both legs out, lengthen your arms by your sides with your palms up, and relax your shoulders, eyes, and jaw.
• Take a few deep breaths and rest completely and fully into the floor.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

A key aim for this seemingly very simple exercise is based on the teachings of Yoga.  Close your eyes and starting from the top of your head and working down to the tips of your toes examine every part of your body to understand if you are holding any tension in your body and try to release this.

For example, this can include in your forehead, your eyes, your jaw, your neck, shoulders and so on.   It is surprising just where different people hold tension and how it manifests in our bodies.

Make sure you focus on deep diaphragmatic breathing.  Focus also on your emotional and mental state – have you been able to switch off troubling day to day thoughts?  Do you feel emotionally relaxed or are you holding onto internal stresses and anxieties?   By focusing on your breathing and the exercise of actively checking and relaxing your body try and be ‘in the moment’ and allow yourself to be physically, mentally, and emotionally relaxed.  

Having reached the best state of calm you can hold on to that feeling.  Try to get to a deeper level in your next session.  Also try to emulate this state when you are training your forms, or when engaged with a training partner in Chi Sau or sparring.  It is this inner calm and relaxed breathing that will allow you to avoid the muscle tension that creeps in through the fight or flight physiological reaction in the body.  Through being able to have this level of calm under pressure but with the safety of a training session this will help transition to be able to maintain this same calmness in a real fight situation.

Static-active stretching

Below I have detailed a number of Static-active stretches demonstrated by a female character.    Unlike the Dynamic stretches above these exercises are not about the benefits of warming muscles through repetition, but about getting into the position and holding it.  Having completed the stretch, you can then repeat the stretch 3 times.

Of course, it is important to remember to warm up muscles first before doing any stretching exercises.   The key focus here is to ensure you are relaxed, breathing correctly and focus on the action of the muscle being stretched as actively relaxed.  Also keep an eye on the progress you are making until you get to a position where you can do the technique fully in the most relaxed state.

Knee to Chest Stretch

Overview

The Knee to Chest stretch is used to stretch your hip, and lower back (Lumbar spine) muscles.  The action of lifting the knee stretches your hip flexors, thigh muscles, and Gluteal muscles.  It should also help relieve pressure on spinal nerves by creating more space for those nerves as they exit the spine.

Action

• Lie on your back with both legs extended.
• Pull your right knee into your chest, while keeping the left leg straight and your lower back pressed into the floor.
• Hold for between 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Repeat on the other leg.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

Although Wing Chun does not have high kicks above the waist. Having flexibility of the leg muscles, buttocks and waist is crucial to having the mobility needed for stepping and kicking.  

Beyond this, it is necessary for the relaxation needed for correctly ‘sinking’ into the Lok Ma stance and for the ability of the body to ‘spring’ using whole-body application from this sunken position to add tremendous force into the strikes rather than using the arms / shoulders alone.

As such, use this stretching time to feel the muscles that are being worked and the freeing up of tension that this helps with over time.

Standing Quad Stretch

Overview

This movement expands and contracts the muscles at the front of your thigh, collectively called the Quadriceps Femoris muscle.  This is one of the strongest and largest muscles in your body, holding your weight when you are upright and supporting the flexion of your lower leg through the kneecap.

Tightness is in this muscle group can cause leg pain, lower back pain, and difficulty standing or walking.  Stretching these activates the muscles, stimulates blood flow, and increases your short-term range of motion and flexibility.

Action

• Stand with your feet together.
• Bend your right knee and use your right hand to pull your right foot toward your buttocks. Keep your knees together.
• Put one hand on a wall for balance, if required.
• Squeeze your Gluteal muscles to increase the stretch in the front of your legs.
• Hold for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.
• Repeat on the other leg.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

A key transition in moving between a normal standing stance and the Wing Chun turned in Yee Gee Kim Yeung ma basic stance is the shift from using the Hamstring and Quadricep muscles in supporting the body weight in holding an upright standing position to using these in the action of sinking and springing alongside the Adductor muscles of the inner thigh.

This difference is in the shift of muscle use from a static weight bearing approach (or it use in normal walking activity) to a more fine-tuned, controlled application of using the Quadriceps and Hamstrings like a suspension mechanism under weight of gravity pressing the body down into the legs.

A mindful focus here should be on making sure the muscle is relaxed and flexible, especially when stood in the basic stance as this is where muscle tension can be incorrectly applied above the knees as part of weight bearing when the Adductor muscles are not yet being engaged correctly.  

You should be able to rise and sink in the stance with flexibility in the upper legs.  Having stretched the leg muscle in this exercise be mindful of how the leg muscle now responds to a sunken stance and the ability to move the body up and down the vertical centreline.

Side Bend Stretch

Overview

The upper body action of side bends bring balance to your entire body. They lengthen the abdominal muscles, hips, and thigh muscles, while improving flexibility in the spine.  The side stretch exercise also stretches and strengthens the Intercostal muscles (the muscles between the ribs).  It focuses on the Psoas and Abdominal muscles which are key to unifying the upper body through the waist with the legs.

The upper body part of this exercise is a variation of Yoga Mountain Pose (Tadasana), the foundation for most standing poses, with the upper body in a side bend (lateral bend). This asymmetrical pose helps lengthen the muscles of the side, back and abdomen helping the lower body develop core strength.  It also has a deep effect on the lungs, chest, and sides of the torso.  The opening of the chest and diaphragm also helps with reducing stiffness and stress of the entire back muscles.

The action of the extended side leg stretches the groin, hips, inner thigh, obliques.

Action

• Kneel on the floor with your legs together and back straight.
• Extend your left leg out to the side.  Keep it perpendicular to your body (at the side, not in front or behind you).
• Extend your right arm overhead, rest your left arm on your left leg, and gently bend your torso and right arm to the left side.
• Keep your hips relaxed and facing forward without any rotation to the side.
• Hold this stretch between 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Repeat on the other side.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

A key lesson from the Chum Kiu form is the ability to use the core muscles of the body (including the Oblique and Abdominal muscles) to contract as part of a whole-body unity in delivering a strike.  This unites the action of the arms and legs through the waist and core trunk muscles.    As such, it is important that these muscles are free from tension and muscle tightness.

This is a great exercise that allows a specifical mindfulness on these core trunk muscles.  Pay close internal attention to the muscles involved in the process both into the bend and in straightening again.   Do this in a coordinated, controlled fashion with a focus deep in the centre of the body as if it were a robot with internal gear mechanisms all working in unison to achieve the movement.

As with all the stretches ensure you are emotionally and physically relaxed and focused on the activity and pay active attention to the relaxation and gentle stretching of the muscles.     

Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch

Overview

This is a variation of the Low Lunge pose, or Anjaneyasana in Yoga (which normally includes reaching the arms up above the head).   This exercise focuses on stretching the hips, Quadricep and Gluteus muscles.

These muscles cross the front of the hip and attach on the front of the thigh. They act to flex the hip joint (i.e., raise the thigh towards your body) and they can also tilt the pelvis forward.  They include the Iliopsoas, Psoas Major, Rectus Femoris and Tensor Fascia Latae muscles.

Stretching your Psoas muscles and other hip flexors using this lunge stretch will help you loosen up and counteract the effects of sitting too much or tight hips from sports such as cycling.  The standing lunge stretch helps to lengthen these muscles and provide better flexibility and range of motion.

Action

• Kneel on your left knee. Place your right foot flat on the floor in front of you, knee bent.
• Lean forward, stretching your left hip toward the floor.
• Lightly squeeze your buttocks – this will allow you to stretch your hip flexor even more.
• Hold for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Switch sides and repeat.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

In Relaxation Versus Structure Dilemma – Article 3 I detail the important role the Psoas muscle plays if unifying Wing Chun whole body relaxed structure.    This exercise is really important for stretching and relaxing the Psoas, hips and Gluteal muscles which are fundamental part of the rotation of the hips which is necessary to properly stand in the Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma stance.

This exercise allows you to mindfully feel tightness in these muscles and to actively remove this.   Many developing Wing Chun students do not understand how flexibility of the waist is tied into the muscles of the upper legs, lower back, and waist.  Nor do they understand how these muscles work together to give stability and movement to the pelvic girdle. 

Be mindful of the action of the muscles as you move in and out of the position in a controlled and coordinated fashion.   As ever, ensure you are employing diaphragmatic breathing and are relaxed.  Having completed the stretch get into the basic Wing Chun stance and feel how these muscles are employed in holding the relaxes structure of straightening the lower spine (Ting Yu) and the tilting / rotating of the pelvis (Tei Gong).

A key learning is being able to differentiate the Adductor muscles and Psoas muscles action and location within the body.   This exercise allows you feel the Psoas muscle which extends over the Pelvis, whereas the Adductor connects from within the Pelvis.  Having isolated this muscle, it can then be mindfully employed and understood in the role it plays in providing unity and stability to the Wing Chun relaxed structure.

Lunge With Spinal Twist

Overview

Within Yoga this is called the Revolved Crescent Lunge (with Arms Extended) pose, or Utthita Parivritta Anjaneyasana.

This exercise lengthens and stretches the spine, creates flexibility in the rib cage and opens the shoulders and strengthens the back muscles.  This exercise also works the Gluteus Maximus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Core, Spine, and Hip Flexor muscles.  It helps open your hips and improve thoracic (mid-back) mobility.

Action

• Start standing with your feet together.
• Take a large step forward with your left foot, ending in a staggered stance position.
• Bend your left knee and drop into a lunge, keeping your right leg straight behind you with your toes on the ground, so that you can feel a stretch at the front of your right thigh.
• Place your right hand on the floor and twist your upper body to the left as you extend your left arm upwards.
• Hold for between 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Repeat on the other side.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

As with the lunge exercise the focus here should be doing the technique in a controlled, coordinated, and correct manner.  

Focus should be given to being in a relaxed emotional, mental, and physical state and feeling the muscles be used and worked.

Seated Shoulder Squeeze

Overview

This exercise is beneficial for shoulder and upper limb stability.  It is also specifically prescribed to improve posture and avoid ’rounded’ shoulders.  It relieves poor posture and releases tension in the upper back.  Chest expansion is a good way to stretch your back muscles, open your chest, and increase range of motion in your shoulders.

This stretches the Deltoid, Pectorals, and Upper Trapezius muscles.

Action

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Reach both arms up towards the ceiling so that the upper arms cover the ears.
• Then, reach both arms down by the sides and interlace fingers behind the back.
• Straighten and extend your arms and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Do this for 3 seconds, and then release.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

Having tension in the back, shoulders, and chest is a common way in which the Wing Chun practitioner incorrectly locks their upper body to try are artificially create structure through muscle tension.   The proper Wing Chun solution is to isolate each of these elements and allow each muscle segment to work together through whole-body unification with the larger muscles of the legs and chest being employed to do the majority of the work.  This takes all the fight out of the arms and shoulders, which are comparatively smaller and weaker muscles.

Woman with large, heavy breasts, men who have concentrated on body-building their chest (Pectoral) muscles, and now a generation of people bending down over phones or laptops are particularly prone to poor posture with the shoulders rounding inwards and forwards.  This stretch is great at correcting that poor posture by stretching the shoulders and chest backwards and elongating muscles which have contracted.

Having completed this exercise and felt the chest cavity open and expand, and the shoulders pulled back it is useful to get into the Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma stance with the arms in Chamber position to feel how these can be drawn back from within the body by contracting the Scapula and Rhomboid muscles rather than pulling back and holding tension in the Deltoids (shoulder muscles).

A mindful awareness of the correct posture and position of the shoulder is critical in being able to isolate the shoulder and take tension out of it.    This exercise helps to identify if there is any tension built up in the musculature around the chest, shoulder and neck that is prohibiting the correct posture and free motion of the shoulder joint and arm action.  

Standing Hamstring Stretch

Overview

The Standing Forward Bend pose, or Uttanasana is a Yoga exercise that actively stretches your hips, Hamstrings, and Calf muscles.  It provides strength to your thighs and knees and regular practice relieves stiffness of your spine, neck, and back.

The Hamstring muscle group is located in the back of your thigh and is responsible for bending or flexing your knee.  Since the Hamstrings also cross your hip joint in the back of your thigh, they also serve to help your Gluteal muscles extend your leg during activities like running and walking.

The lengthening of the lumbar spine and the entire backside of the body helps counteract pressure in the lower back from sitting or a sedentary lifestyle.  It increases hip flexibility and range of motion, and through the stretching and lengthening of the hip flexors it can restore balance and strength in the pelvic region.   

It is also great at releasing tension in the shoulders and neck along with stretching the Gluteal, Hamstring and Calf muscles.

Action

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and arms relaxed by your sides.
• Exhale as you bend forward at the hips, lowering your head toward the floor whilst keeping your head, neck and shoulders relaxed.
• Wrap your arms around backs of your legs and hold between 45 seconds and 2 minutes.
• Bend your knees and extend back up into the standing position.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

It is important during this exercise to allow the head, neck, shoulders and back to remain relaxed.   The arms should only be used to gently aid the stretch and should not use a tugging action nor allow any tension to creep into the shoulders.  

As with the Touching Toes dynamic stretching exercise a key focus here is feeling the action of the Psoas muscle which connects the upper and lower body when getting down into this position in a controlled manner.   And, when returning to the standing position actively focus on your feet as the base of your support and roll upwards in a whole-body motion from the feet, through the bent legs and the core muscles of the body through the connection of the legs through the deep muscles of the torso.

It is important to remember that the focus of this exercise is the stretching of the rear leg muscles.  As such, ensure that you have warmed up correctly and are in a relaxed physical, emotional, and mental state using your breathing to achieve and maintain this through the exercise.

Piriformis Stretch

Overview

This exercise stretches the hips, back and Gluteal muscles.

The Piriformis muscle is a deep internal hip rotator which connects the tailbone (Sacrum) with the top of the upper leg bone (greater trochanter of the Femur).   It is one of the most over-worked, under-appreciated muscles in your body. 

Whilst only small, the Piriformis plays a significant role – working as a stabilizer to help hold your thigh bone (femur) in your hip socket.  In this stabilising role the forward pull of the Piriformis holds the sacrum forward in a neutral position.

When the Piriformis is involved in movement (as opposed to stabilizing), it is one of six deep lateral rotator muscles which rotate your leg to the side, away from the midline of your body.  It also abducts (moves away from the midline) the thigh in the action of taking a step to the side.  It also partners with the Psoas to help us stand upright, and these two muscles are the only muscles that connect the leg to the spine.

Action

• Sit on the floor with both legs extended relaxed in front of you.
• Cross your right leg over your left leg placing your right foot flat on the floor.
• Place your right hand on the floor behind your body.
• Place your left hand on your right Quadricep or your left elbow on your right knee (as shown) and press your right leg to the left as you use your core muscles to twist your torso to the right.

Wing Chun Mindfulness

A key part of achieving relaxed structure in Wing Chun is being able to let go of incorrect muscle use (such as holding tension in the Hamstrings and Glutes) that results in locking joints and restricting motion whilst finding those deeper internal muscles that allow for correct stabilisation.

The stabilisation of the pelvis, waist and lower back whilst allowing the free movement of the legs and upper body is critical in order to be able to correctly perform Wing Chun techniques.   

The hip rotators play a major part in the rotation of the Lok Ma lower-body Wing Chun stance structure.  As with all other muscles, the Piriformis needs to be relaxed and without any tightness impeding its natural range or efficiency of motion.

It is very hard to internally feel the action of this muscle working independently from the Psoas or the hip rotators, but it is important to relax the muscles of the inner thigh (including the Pectineus, Adductor Longus and Gracilis) which can be felt at the surface so as to allow this deeper muscle to stretch.

Finding what works best for you

Although I have found the above stretches beneficial in developing my Wing Chun and these really worked for me in loosening up tension and keeping limber, remember to actively seek to understand where you are holding tension and develop a programme that works for you.

There are lots of great articles and information on the web, and great videos on YouTube.  It is important to always recognise the limits of your own body and to seek medical advice, if needed.    

Being realistic in your expectations is important – you are not going to go from not being able to touch your toes on day 1 to achieving advanced Yoga poses on day 2.  Making improvements to posture, flexibility, and core strength takes time.    Just as a commitment to mastering Wing Chun takes a lifetime, ensuring we are emotionally, mentally, and physically relaxed is a lifelong activity.

Take time to complete your exercise and stretching programme.  Make the time to ensure this is a positive, relaxing experience.  Trying to cram in 10 minutes here and there between meetings or picking the kids up will not have the desired effect.  If anything, that is when you are more likely to pull a muscle. 

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Copyright @ Craig Sands

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