Deeper Stretches Using The Wall

How The Wall Can Help Your Stretches

With our every day stretching we tend to focus on the back of our body, hamstrings, calves, etc. We hardly ever stretch our sides: I don’t mean obliques, I mean deep muscles on our sides. As a martial artist, those deep side stretches help me to get a better range of motion on the side of my body and more mobility along the spine and shoulders. All the kicks are higher and easier to perform.

If you need a deeper stretch, try the below routine. It is designed for your body’s sides – stretching you might not be getting with the regular stretch. Using the wall is a great way to focus on your posture, especially on your back, it’s a constant reminder to keep it straight. Doing regular hurdler or splits stretch, sometimes we compensate and try to touch the knees with our head if we don’t have enough flexibility to hinge and try to touch the thigh with our stomach. Wall will help you to realize that reaching that knee with your head is not the goal. The stretch might look “worse”, but you will feel it more because the posture is better. 

1. Lunge With A Twist

Assume the position of a deep lunge. Bend your left leg – the one closer to the wall. Keep the right leg straight with the toes on the ground and lift your heel up. Put your left hand on the floor by the left foot, twist your torso and glue your whole back to the wall. Raise the right hand up and hold for couple of seconds. After being balanced, try to reach the arm the farthest you can, keeping your back glued to the wall. Hold this stretch for 30-45 seconds and switch sides.

2. Cross-Legged Stretch-Sides

Sit in a cross-legged position with your back glued to the wall behind you. Keeping your whole back on the wall, reach up with your right arm and start bending to the side as seen on the picture below. The goal here is to put the opposite hand’s forearm flat on the floor. This stretch looks easy, but please be careful as you try to reach the floor. Hold this stretch for 20-45 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Figure-4 Wall stretch

Sit in a cross-legged position with your back glued to the wall. Cross your left foot over your right quad and bend the right knee. Again, this stretch looks very easy, but ease up to it slowly. Feel the stretch, move your foot closer to the wall if you can. To make it more challenging you can also lift your toes as seen on the picture below. Hold the stretch for 30-45 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

4. Hurdler Stretch By The Wall

Sit in a regular hurdler position, as seen on the picture below. The left leg is the straight leg and closer to the wall. The right leg is bent. Keeping your back completely straight, “glue” it to the wall. Twist your torso. Rest the left arm on the floor inside your inner thigh. Reach up with the right arm and start reaching towards the left foot as seen on the picture below. Feel the whole side of your body stretching. Stay in this position for 20-30 seconds and switch legs.

5. Splits- One Leg Touches The Wall

This stretch is similar to the hurdler stretch. Sit down in a splits stretch position. The left leg is close to the wall. Twist your torso so your whole back is glued to the wall, raise the right arm up and begin the side stretch. Reach to the left foot. Keep a good posture. Hold the stretch for 30-45 seconds and repeat on the other side.

6. Splits- One Leg Touches The Wall, Opposite Arm Reach

Stay in the previous position with your left leg close to the wall, and raise the right arm. Place your right hand on the inside of your left leg, depending on your flexibility. The knee hight usually is a good place to start. This stretch doesn’t require you to use the wall, other than keeping one leg close to the wall. Twist your torso towards the wall and stretch the side of your body. Try to keep your back straight. Hold this stretch for 30-45 seconds and repeat on the other side. Try to stretch more each time.

7. Door Frame, Or End Of The Wall-Hamstring

Find the door frame or the end of the wall and lay down at the end of it. Raise your left leg straight up as seen on the picture. Keeping the opposite leg straight focus on the hamstring stretch. If you want a deeper stretch, just move down a little. If you still need a little more, simply flex your toes. Hold this stretch for about 45-60 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

This deep side stretching routine helps me every time. I try to do those stretches every day before a class or my own training session. Our typical class stretches usually don’t touch on the deep side stretches. Sides are more connected to Martial Arts kicking than we realize. I encourage you to try some or all of those. Please let me know of any other wall stretches I can use during my stretching sessions in the comments section below!

If you liked this stretching routine, you can check out my other articles here.

• About
• Latest Posts

Anna Gruszczynska

Anna is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, a TaeKwonDo black belt, and a professional TaeKwonDo instructor. Anna is certified in the RockTape Functional Movement Techniques Kinesiology assessment and therapy system. She began her professional fitness journey with kickboxing and boxing in her native Poland. After moving to the United States, she pursued training in Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Judo, but she decided to specialize in TaeKwonDo, women's self defense, and stretching. She provides advice and assistance as a stretching consultant, and can be reached at www.stretchingconsultant.com

Anna is a co-author of a book: "Reach Your Goal. Stretching and Mobility Exercises for Fitness, Personal Training and Martial Arts" available on Amazon.

Latest posts by Anna Gruszczynska (see all)

• Young Athletes and Martial Arts Injuries - November 11, 2020
• Martial Journal Spotlight: Anthony DelMar On Adults in Traditional Martial Arts - April 3, 2020
• Ankle Mobility Stretches for Martial Arts - February 24, 2020