2013 Wellness Challenge Week 8 Recap: Stretch
If you don’t have time or the mental capacity to take a yoga class, taking a few moments to stretch is a perfectly suitable alternative. Stretching is easy and mostly intuitive; if you’re feeling tight in a particular area of the body, it’s a good idea to take a moment to move your limbs around and give your muscles a well-deserved break.
Unfortunately, most of us get caught up in wondering whether we are “doing the right thing” and our quest for perfectionism holds us back altogether. It’s highly unlikely you’ll ever hurt yourself trying out a stretch that feels right to you and your body. As long as you listen to your body speaking to you, you’ll know when it’s time to back off and when you can go a little deeper.
Regardless, it takes time to develop intuition and understanding of the body and it’s language. Here are some stretching ideas for each part of your body to get you started on your quest to loosen up for the long term.
Feet & Ankles
Consider investing in a toe separator to stretch out your toes every now and then. If you’re ankles are sore or stiff, try some ankle rolls. Make sure you twist in each direction! This stretch is a great one to do while you’re at the office working away on an important project.
Calf
Stand against a wall and place your foot at about a 45 degree angle to the wall. Press into the wall with your hands and foot and you’ll feel a great stretch along the calf.
Photo Credit: pkambition.blogspot.com
Hamstrings
Standing forward fold is a great yoga pose for all around stretching. Keep your knees bent if your hamstrings are extra tight and straighten them over time as you breathe through the tension.
Hips
Full pigeon pose will keep you occupied for several minutes and remind you to breathe deeply. Sit in a cross-legged position with the shin of one leg perpendicular to your body. Cross the other shin over the first so that the knee matches up with the ankle of opposite legs. Work to keep the shins parallel to the best of your ability and sit up straight. If you’re up for it, possibly start to bend over your legs. After a few breaths on one side, switch the legs.
Photo Credit: Yogasingapore.net
Glutes
Lie on your back and pull one knee into your chest while the other leg stretches out long on the ground. If you’re up for it, you can even go into a gentle twist by pulling the bent leg across the body with the opposite hand.
Photo Credit: bikramyogakw.com
Low Back
The standing forward fold is great for the low back too. The more you keep your knees bent, the more you’ll be able to feel the stretch in the low back.
Core
Upward facing dog after a tough set of core exercises is the perfect recovery pose. For upward facing dog, lie on your stomach with the tops of your feet pressing firmly into the ground. Press down into your palms to life your chest up and pull your shoulder blades together behind your back. Your arms should be relatively straight and your feet should be pushing so firmly into the ground that your knees lift off the floor.
Photo Credit: Active.com
Chest
Interlace your fingers behind you and press the fists down to life up your chest. This can be performed standing or sitting down.
Upper Back
Cat pose is a nice one for the mid-upper back. Come to your hands and knees and stack your shoulders right over your wrists and your hips right over your knees. Press firmly into your shins and palms as you round the back and pull your belly button into your spine. Gaze down. To counter this stretch, move into cow pose by arching the back, dropping the belly and gazing up.
Photo Credit: yogapostures.com
Neck & Shoulders
Check out my recent yoga video on stretching the neck & shoulders!
Triceps
Reverse Namaste is the best way to stretch out your triceps. Bring your palms together behind your back in prayer position.
Photo credit: yoga.about.com
Biceps
Archer arms will give you a nice gentle stretch in the biceps. Lift your right arm overhead, bend the elbow and place the right palm on the back. Then reach your left arm down, bend the elbow and find the right palm with the left hand. This is also a great stretch for the shoulders. If your hands won’t reach behind you, try using a belt or strap to hold on to. You can also grab hold of your shirt. After a few breaths, switch sides.
Photo credit: extendyoga.com
Wrists & hands
One of my most popular yoga videos is the one I made for wrist stretches. These are simple and can easily be incorporated into your daily life.
Jaw
If your jaw is feeling particularly tight, opening and closing the mouth can help loosen up the tension. Also, try smiling to relax the muscles in your cheeks. It will also make you happy.
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below if you have a favorite stretch!
Photo Credit for featured image: health.rush.edu
