The 40 Best Beginner Stretches: Easy Flexibility Training for ALL Ages and Fitness Levels

By Sean Vigue

This easy to follow book features 40 bodyweight only stretches (with full color photos and descriptions) for everyone regardless of their fitness level and fitness background. Get ready to release tight muscles, build stamina and blood flow, develop better body control, sleep better and increase your physical and mental performance in every activity and sport. From beginner to advanced these total body stretches will work for YOU.

I'm pleased and honored to feature my parents (Mr. Bob and Beverly) in this book as the models. They were so pleased to contribute many of their favorite stretches so you may feel and look better no matter where you are in the world. These stretches can be done anywhere and anytime by anyone. All you need to do is buy this book and begin improving your life today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sean Vigue
• Release date: Apr 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9780985195748

Sean Vigue

Sean Vigue is the bestselling author of over 10 books, the most watched online yoga and Pilates guy, featured in over 2000 health and fitness videos, has taught over 5000 live Yoga/Power Yoga, Pilates, spinning, flexiblity training, Pylata, HIIT and core traiing classes, a pioneer in bringing his unique training programs to everyone including athletes (amateur and professional), kids, teens, military personnel, runners, total beginners and seniors and is also an amateur film, opera, classical music and American History historian. Sean has been featured on over 80 media sites as a top instructor in the fitness world including The Huffington Post, Pilates Style Magazine, The Washington Post, Fit Bottomed Girls, HASfit, Health Line, Yoga Asia, Buzzfeed, Yoga Time TV and has collaborated with some of the best trainers in the business including Lesley Fightmaster, Brett Larkin, Man Flow Yoga, Jerome Fitness, Laura London, Yoga with Kassandra and Ali Kamenova. In his former life Sean worked for 13 years as a professional singer, actor and dancer in the wonderful world of live theater and traveled the United States and parts of Europe. He now makes his home in the Colorado Rockies with his wife and famous dog, Addie (the Beast).

Book preview

1

Why Flexibility is Important

Have you been feeling stiff lately? Is it more difficult to do simple tasks that used to be so easy? Do you groan when sitting down and standing up? Are you tired of feeling tired all the time? Are you ready to start feeling better right now? Good, you’ve come to the right place and it doesn’t matter your age or fitness level - these stretches will work for you!

I’d like to give a shout out and thanks to my parents, Robert (Mr. Bob and Beverly) for being such professional fitness models for this book. They have both been kind enough to follow a lot of my health and fitness instruction over the years and are excited to show you many of their favorite beginner stretches. I love them dearly and am eternally grateful for their support and love through my 43 years of life on this planet. It is with great pride I feature them in this book!

First of all what is flexibility? Flexibility is defined as the highest range of motion which is available around a joint. The amount of elasticity in the muscles and tendons surrounding the joint determines how practical your range of motion (ROM) will be. If the muscles and tendons are relatively loose with proper circulation your ROM will be high but if they’re stiff and unresponsive the ROM will be low.

Along comes flexibility training (stretching) to help alter the muscles and tendons in a positive way to ensure and facilitate proper body movement. The goal is to balance the muscles and tendons associated with each joint. Once you have that accomplished you will move better, with less tension and accumulate more energy.

I highly recommend that everyone engage in some kind of flexibility training each and every day. Why?

Here’s 5 reasons to begin stretching:

1. Improve your Posture

Stretching helps to re-align your body due to poor postural habits as your soft tissue breaks down and the ever present gravity relentlessly pulls us down. Imagine each stretch creating muscular balance throughout your body.

2. Improves Blood Supply and Flow to Body Tissues

Stretching increases the flow of blood through your body and especially in the joint structures. When we