Even though this is a dance marathon, who said you can’t shake it up with some stretching to keep your body loose and fresh throughout THON Weekend?

I’m no expert, but after a few THON Weekends, you tend to learn how to get rid of those calf cramps and knots in your back. Not only is stretching incredibly important to make sure you’re moving in a way that’s not only getting the blood flowing, but it stretches muscles that are sure to be sore Monday morning.

Half Fold

You can’t sit at THON, but who needs to sit when you have the next best option of the half fold? Begin by simply standing with your feet placed firmly on the ground and folding the front half of your body down to the ground, bringing your chest to your knees. Your knees should remain straight to help maximize the stretch in your upper and lower back.

Cross Neck-Stretch

By placing one arm across your chest and holding it with the other, your shoulders and upper back will surely get a much-needed stretch and take away some of those aches from dancing all day long.

Quad Stretch

The quads are often some of the most neglected parts when it comes to stretching but can be the tightest after a long workout. To avoid this, bend your leg behind you and grab your foot, pulling it to your butt. This will maximize your stretch, and be sure to hold it for 15 to 30 seconds.

Neck Stretch

Please do this next one carefully to avoid injury to your neck. With that being said, neck stretches can help alleviate headaches and other tightness in your neck or upper back. First, bring your head forward. With one hand, grab the opposite side of your head and gently pull. Only hold this for 15 seconds as needed.

Lunges

While bending one leg, extend the other. Move the bent leg slowly to the side to maximize this stretch for the inside of your thighs.