I recently received the following email from an online client asking for me to send her some stretches that she can incorporate into her daily life.
“I have always had stretching issues. Been tight in the hips and lower back and with the recent working from home on a laptop world, my chest is now tight. I was never good at stretching and relied on martial arts to push me and get me stretching but kids and work have decreased my workouts there and I am doing more home and gym workouts. Since I have limited time, I forget to stretch which brings me to today... tight hips, painful back and even less time so again, forget to stretch. Being able to incorporate stretching into my workouts makes me a little more accountable. I feel better when I stretch but forget to be consistent.
My main issues right now are time. I have 30 minutes to work out a day when not working or chasing my kids and like to get the "real" workout done so I skimp on stretching. My back and hips hurt and now are at the point that it hurts to stretch. I would love to be able to just do it all together and feel strong and healthy with no pain and get my flexibility back.. or at least a little.”
For most of us, this time of social isolation has changed our daily routine and we find ourselves sitting more, for longer, while we work from home (not even leaving our desks to walk to meeting rooms or have a chat at a colleague's desk), homeschool our children, etc. Going to the gym is not an option and the time we used to carve out for own self-care has been replaced with other stay-at-home responsibilities.
It is during this time that stretching becomes even MORE important than before. Often it is the first thing to be sacrificed when we are short on time but the benefits are enormous, especially when we are even less mobile than normal.
Below are several benefits of stretching:
Helps to relieve tight muscles and increase range of motion
Improves posture
Helps with stress management/reduction
Reduces tension in the muscles and increases muscular relaxation
May help prevent injury
Increases flexibility
Helps to heal and decrease the risk of lower-back pain
Increases circulation & blood flow to the muscles
Improves performance during physical activity
Helps to decrease post-exercise soreness
Helps decrease tension headaches
As you can see, there are numerous benefits to stretching, and below, I’ve posted photos and descriptions on how to do different stretches for your entire body. Aim to hold each stretch for at least 20-30 seconds at a time and feel free to repeat the stretch for increased lengthening of the muscles. Your body’s flexibility will change from day-to-day, so make sure you stay safe and only push yourself as far as your body is willing to go comfortably in the moment.
Neck:
*Can be done either seated or standing
With your back straight drop one ear towards your shoulder, looking straight ahead. Reach the opposite arm away from your body. For an increased stretch, apply pressure by gently pulling your head towards your shoulder.
Shoulders:
*Can be done either seated or standing
With a straight back, cross one arm in front of the body. Take the other hand underneath the extended arm and pull the straight arm towards your body, keeping the shoulder of the extended arm down and away from your ear. Make sure that the bent arm is either above or below the elbow, not resting directly on the joint.
Chest:
*Can be done either seated or standing
Interlace your fingers behind your back, roll your shoulders down and away from your ears and pull your hands towards the ground, bringing your gaze towards the sky. This will open up both your shoulders and chest.
Triceps (back of the upper arm):
*Can be done either seated or standing
Extend one arm directly up in the air, then bend the elbow so your hand is behind your head. Take the other hand and gently push your elbow down towards the ground.
Back:
In a chair: From a seated position, cross one leg over the other and twist your body in the direction of the crossed leg. To increase the stretch, you can hold onto the armrest & back of the chair, or push against the knee of the bent leg.
On the ground: Sitting with your legs out in front of you, cross one leg over the other, and plant that foot on the ground so your knee is pointing towards the sky. Twist your body towards the bent knee and place one arm behind you (the same side of as your bent leg) and the other elbow against the outside of the bent knee. Try to look behind you in the direction you are twisting.
Glutes (bum) / Hips:
*Can be done either seated or laying down
In a chair: Plant one foot firmly on the ground and cross the opposite leg so that the ankle rests just above the knee of the grounded leg. Make sure your bent knee points out to the side. With a straight back, gently lean forward until you feel a stretch in the hip and glute on the side with the bended knee.
Laying down: Plant one foot firmly on the ground and cross your opposite leg so that the ankle rests just above the knee of the grounded leg. Make sure your bent knee points out to the side. Gently grab the thigh or calf of the leg that was planted on the ground and pull it towards your chest until you feel a stretch in the hip and glute on the side with the bended knee.
Hamstrings (back of thigh) / Calves:
Standing tall, place one heel on the ground in front of you. Slightly bend the back knee as you reach your chest towards your calf or foot. To engage the calf, flex (pulling your toes towards the sky) the foot of the extended leg.
Quadriceps (front of the thigh):
Standing tall (and holding on to something for support if necessary), bend one leg and kick your foot towards your bum, grabbing the foot with your hand. Gently pull your foot towards your bum to stretch the front of your thigh.
Now that you know how to stretch your entire body, I encourage you to try to incorporate at least some of them every day. The more you stretch, the better you will feel and your body will thank you!
If you have any questions or are interested in training, please email me at coastsidehealthandfitness@gmail.com or send me a direct message on my website or Instagram at @coastside_health_and_fitness.
Also, if you haven’t already, please follow me on Instagram! I post pictures and videos of workouts, food & nutrition tips as well as host free online workouts and other fun stuff!
Hope you have a wonderful day and please stay safe!
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