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They Don't Call It The World's Greatest Stretch For Nothing — Here's How To Do It

Author:

Sarah Regan

August 15, 2021

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

August 15, 2021

If you're looking for a stretch that hits all your muscles and helps prepare you for a workout, look no further than the World's Greatest Stretch. Yes—it's really called that, and for good reason. This versatile stretch is great on its own, as a warmup, or throughout your workout. Here's how to do it properly, as demonstrated by fitness instructor Mindy Lai.

How to do the World's Greatest Stretch.

Image by mbg creative

From a high-plank position, step your right foot to the side of your right hand.
Press your left hand into the ground and bring your right hand overhead. Twist your body to the right side, and bring your gaze to the lifted fingertips.
Reverse the movement, and repeat on the opposite side.
Continue for 30 seconds.

Tips & modifications:

Really peel the chest up to maximize your twist.
Keep that back leg active, with the quad engaged and the ball of the back foot pressing firmly into the floor.
Spread the fingertips wide to keep the arms active.
To make this easier, you can lower down onto your back knee.

What are the benefits?

This dynamic stretch requires a fair bit of movement and transitions, so you're working a variety of muscle groups. Planks are a full-body move and a part of this stretch, activating your legs, arms, core, and glutes.

The move also does a great job of stretching your hips, your chest, all parts of your back, along with your shoulders and neck.

And again, this stretch is super versatile, so you could repeat it for longer than 30 seconds if you wanted, sprinkle it into your warmup, or include it in your workout itself.

Convinced yet? Give the World's Greatest Stretch a try. When you do it properly, you'll strengthen and stretch all the areas you want limber and strong.