nyújtó

Nyújtó is a Hungarian term with several related meanings, all derived from nyújtani, meaning to stretch. In general usage, nyújtó can refer to a stretching movement or to a person performing a stretch, particularly within physical activity or therapy. It commonly appears in compounds such as nyújtó gyakorlat (a stretching exercise) or nyújtó mozdulat (a stretching motion), describing the act of extending a body part.

In anatomy, nyújtó denotes an extensor, i.e., a muscle that enlarges the angle of a joint by extending it. The plural form nyújtóizmok refers to extensor muscles as a group. Extensor muscles are contrasted with hajlító izomok (flexor muscles), which bend joints. Specific Hungarian terms often translate the Latin or Greek names, for example nyújtó izom or nyújtóizom for extensor muscles; examples include m. extensor digitorum (ujjak nyújtó izma) and m. extensor carpi radialis (csukló nyújtó izma).

In fitness and physiotherapy, nyújtó gyakorlatok are essential components of warm-up, conditioning, and rehabilitation routines, aimed at improving flexibility and reducing injury risk. The broader concept is nyújtás, the act or process of stretching, which encompasses both static and dynamic techniques. Nyújtó thus functions as both a technical term in anatomy and a practical term in exercise and therapy.