Run / Walk 2 Laps around Pool / Diver Jumping Jacks
Circles (Hip, Neck, Arms)
Wrist Push - Calf-Stretch - Shoulder Stretch - Handstands (20 Shoulder Shrugs)
Straddle Leg- Point vs Flex - side, side, center - 10-20 seconds each (6 total)
Hurdler Stretch 10 - 20 Sec each Leg
Rock On Feet - Third World Squat
Cat Cow
Tuck Rolls onto Back
Shoulder Stretch w/ Partner
Pike Stretch on Matt with Partner
Butterfly ---> Diamond
Bent Knee Split - straight leg- full split - repeat both sides
Warm-up first: Always start with a light warm-up before stretching. This could include a few minutes of brisk walking, jogging in place, or any activity that increases your heart rate and warms up your muscles. You can also use dynamic stretching during the warm-up.
Focus on proper technique: Pay attention to your form during stretches, which includes maintaining good posture and alignment to target the intended muscle group. Avoid jerky movements, over-stretching, or compensating with different muscles, as this can lead to injury.
Hold each stretch: Hold each stretch for at least 30-60 seconds. You can gradually increase the hold time as your flexibility improves [static stretching].
Match the activity: Jeffcoat says stretches should be in multiple planes and speed of stretching should match your activity. For example, if you’re kicking a football, you should do quick, ballistic stretches, but if you’re prepping for yoga, do slower, deeper stretches.
Slow and steady: If you're working on increasing flexibility, progress gradually, and don't force your body into uncomfortable positions. Overstretching can lead to injuries.
Stretch both sides: Whether you're stretching one leg at a time or both arms, make sure to stretch both sides equally. This helps maintain balance in your muscle development.
Don’t forget to stretch the surrounding muscles. “Although the hamstrings are important to stretch, you also have to release the glutes, the calves, and the feet,” says Hannah [from the article].
Stay consistent: Regular stretching is more effective than occasional intense sessions. Incorporate stretching into your daily or weekly routine for long-term flexibility benefits.
Try adding props: Yoga blocks, straps, or other props can assist in achieving good alignment and making stretches more accessible.
Listen to your body: And most importantly, listen to your body. Slight discomfort is normal with stretching, especially if you’re new to it, but sharp pain or severe discomfort is not. If you have any existing injuries or are experiencing pain while stretching, consult with your physician or a physical therapist. They can help you design a program that is safe and effective.
Enhanced flexibility can provide many benefits, including a decrease in the occurrence of injury, pain relief, and advances in athletic performance.
Full article can be found here.
Tight or weak hip flexors can limit your mobility and even cause lower back pain, since these muscles connect from the lower spine to the front of the pelvis and down to the thigh. For divers, they’re key to both takeoff power and clean positions in the air.
Not all discomfort comes from tightness, sometimes it’s due to weakness, overuse, or pelvic misalignment.
To care for your hip flexors, try:
Ball release: Lie on a tennis or baseball positioned at the front of the hip and gently roll for 30–60 seconds
Tall kneeling hip flexor stretch (engage glutes while holding)
Tall kneeling quad stretch
Lunge walks to build strength through range
Watch this video for a simple breakdown of why hip flexors matter and how to release them.
The hamstrings, a group of three muscles (semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris), run from the hips to the back of the knees and play a major role in diving. Tight hamstrings can limit hip flexion, reduce knee extension, and are commonly linked to low back pain and increased injury risk.
Tightness often comes from prolonged sitting, poor stretching habits, imbalances, or past injuries. For divers, maintaining hamstring mobility is essential for clean entries, strong kick-outs, and full range of motion.
To reduce tightness and improve performance:
Use dynamic stretches (leg swings, high knees, dynamic toe touches) before workouts
Use static stretches (seated or standing hamstring holds) after training, holding for 30-60 seconds
Consider foam rolling pre-practice to improve tissue quality
Research shows that eccentric exercises (like Nordic hamstring curls and single-leg RDLs) are just as effective as stretching for increasing flexibility, with the added benefit of strengthening the muscle through its full range.
Bonus: studies suggest that improving core stability can actually help increase hamstring flexibility: and both are essential in diving. Focus on stability exercises like bird dogs, curl-ups, planks, and squats to support full-body control.
The shoulder is one of the most mobile, and vulnerable joints in the body. For divers, especially males, shoulder injuries are extremely common due to the repetitive overhead movement, high forces on entry, and instability at the glenohumeral joint (the ball-and-socket of the shoulder).
Tightness or weakness in the wrong muscles can lead to compensation patterns that reduce performance and increase injury risk. Often, the issue isn’t just tight muscles, but also imbalances, overuse, previous injury, or lack of muscle activation. When certain muscles don’t do their job, others (like the deltoids, traps, or rhomboids) take over, pulling the shoulder out of proper position.
Common causes of shoulder dysfunction include:
Rotator cuff weakness (especially infraspinatus and subscapularis)
Scapular instability due to weak lower traps, serratus anterior, or rhomboids
Tight lats or tight pec minor, which restrict overhead movement and pull the shoulder blade out of alignment
Tight joint capsules, previous injuries, or poor thoracic spine mobility
Because overhead mobility requires cooperation from multiple areas like the glenohumeral joint, scapula, clavicle, ribs, spine, and even pelvis, it’s important to assess the full chain. Limitations in thoracic extension, nerve mobility, or lumbopelvic control can all affect shoulder function.
To figure out what's limiting your mobility, try:
Flexion (arms straight up in front- goal: 180°)
Abduction (arms out to the side- goal: 180°)
Extension (arms behind the body- goal: 45-60°)
Internal/external rotation in “goal post” position- goal: 90° each
Watch for compensations like shrugging, back arching, elbow bending, or head tilt
You can also test scapular control by slowly raising your arms overhead with a resistance band or light weight, the shoulder blades should move smoothly and evenly. Weakness or “winging” could point to scapular dyskinesis.
To improve shoulder health and overhead mobility, use a mix of soft tissue release, mobility work, and strength training:
Foam roller thoracic extensions
Doorway stretch and banded lat/pec stretches
Downward dog or bench thoracic mobility drills
Supine flexion drills, floor slides, and prone Y/T lifts
Landmine press, dumbbell row, seated cable row (to build functional strength)
Remember: it’s not just about stretching. If tightness is caused by weakness or poor control, stretching alone won’t solve the problem. You need to activate and strengthen the right muscles to keep the shoulder stable in motion.
If you're unsure whether your issue is tightness, weakness, or compensation, a physical therapist can help you figure out what's actually limiting your range, and save you from wasting time on the wrong stretches or drills.
More on shoulder mobility from BSR Physical Therapy
Men’s Health Overhead Mobility Self-Check
Prehab Guys Shoulder Mobility Guide
In diving, toe point matters a lot. For every head-first entry, a diver’s toes are the last thing the judges see, making it a crucial stylistic detail that can elevate the look of the entire dive. A clean toe point shows control, polish, and body awareness. To improve:
Towel scrunches: Strengthen foot muscles by pulling a towel with your toes
Theraband flex/point drills: Build ankle strength and control
Standing toe point stretch: Improve foot flexibility and range
Calf raises: Develop supporting strength through the lower leg
Jump drills: Practice toe point in the air with simple shapes (tuck, pike, straddle, straight) to build automatic habits that carry into dives
More tips on improving toe point
Static stretching involves holding a single position for 30-60 seconds to lengthen a muscle. It’s best done after training to improve flexibility and aid recovery.
Dynamic stretching uses active movement to warm up muscles without holding a position, making it ideal before exercise to increase blood flow and prepare the body for movement.