For everyday people…YOU!

In the last article, I talked and shared some dynamic stretches useful for keeping your body limber. This time, we are going to explore on some of my favorite static stretches that you can do to help yourself feel better. If you can relieve some stress from doing stretches, you are hitting the cortisol on the head (hard!) and sleep better after!

For The Chest

• Seated or standing, start with arms hanging by your sides and shoulders pressed down away from your ears.
• Gently squeeze your shoulder blades tougher, widen the chest, and then bring the arms behind the back and grip elbow to elbow.

For The Back (Upper) – Cat-Cow Pose

• Start on all fours. The hands are directly under the shoulders and knees directly beneath the hips.
• Slowly arch the back upward, pushing down through the shoulders and dropping the head to the chest. This is the Cat Pose.
• Hold it for a few seconds, then release it.
• Return to the starting position, this time drop the lower back towards the floor. Gently move the head back so that the chin and nose are pointing upward. This is the Cow Pose.
• Hold it for a few seconds, then release it.
• You can repeat this several times over by starting over from the first step.

For The Back (Lower) – Child’s Pose

• With your hands and knees on the ground, with the big toes of the feet touching each other, sink back through the hips to rest them on your heels.
• Hinge at your hips as you fold forward, walking your hands out in front of you.
• Rest your stomach on the thighs.
• Extend your arms in front or alongside your body with palms facing up.
• Breathe deeply and relax any areas of tension or tightness.
• Hold the pose for 30s or a minute.

For hips, thighs and glutes (butt muscles) – knee to chest stretch

• Start by laying on your back, bend both knees and feet flat on the ground.
• Keep the left knee bent or extend it straight out along the floor.
• Draw the right knee to the chest, clasping hands to the top of the shin bone or behind the thighs.
• Focus on lengthening the spine all the way down to the tailbone and avoid lifting the hips.
• Breathe deeply, releasing any tension.
• Hold this pose for a minimum of 30 seconds, or for 1-3 minutes.
• Switch leg and repeat.

For the hamstrings (Back of the legs)

• Begin by sitting on the floor with both legs extended in front of you.
• Extend your arms and reach forward by bending at the waist as far as possible, while keeping the knees straight.
• Hold this position for 30 seconds. If 30 seconds is too long, try doing it in 15 seconds increments.
• Relax back to the starting position.
• Repeat this as often as the body needs.

For the calves

• Start by standing by a wall. Put one foot up against the wall, with toes pointing upwards.
• Lean forward as a full body unit to feel the stretch of the calf muscles of the leg that you are stretching.
• Hold this position for 30 seconds and return to standing straight.
• Then repeat on the other leg.

These are basic stretches but they are my go-to and I can use them after my activity. Try them out! Let me know how it goes.

Live life well and love it!

Annie