Six stretches

So now that I’ve spent two days convincing folks to stretch, which stretches should we all be doing?  As always, it depends on what else we are doing, but here are some that pretty much all of us need:

 

1.     Chest stretch.  This one is fun.  It can be done one side at a time or both at once.  Stand in a doorway and put one or both arms on the doorframe.  If you are doing one arm at a time, turn away from the arm in the doorframe until you feel a stretch in your chest.  If both arms, just lean through the doorway, supporting yourself with your arms and feeling both sides of your chest stretch.  This is a good one to do after slumping at the computer all day.

2.     Piriformis stretch.  There are a lot of ways to do this stretch, but today I will explain the chair version.  Sit in a chair with one foot flat on the ground.  Place the other ankle on your knee (as if you were starting to sit crisscross applesauce) and press that knee down toward the ground and/or lean forward from the waist until you feel a stretch in your behind on the crossed-leg side.  Repeat other side.

3.     Neck stretch.  Sit or stand up straight.  Keeping your shoulders down, pull your head toward one shoulder with your hand to stretch the opposite side of your neck.  Bonus points for turning your face toward your bicep to target your sternocleidomastoid (you don’t have to spell it; you’ll feel it!)  For both stretches, you may need or want to press the arm you are stretching away from down toward the ground to improve the stretch.

4.     Quad stretch.  Again, there are several ways to do this stretch, but I’m going to explain the one that requires the least balance.  Lie on the floor (hooray!) on one side.  Bend the top leg at the knee and grab your foot (or loop a strap or towel around the foot if you can’t reach it yet).  This may be enough to feel a stretch in the front of the thigh, but if not, you can press your hips forward.  Also, try to keep your knees next to each other for best results.

5.     Calf stretch.  Stand back up (sigh.) near a table or sturdy chair or wall.  Using the wall for balance, step one foot back behind you as if you were lunging.  Keeping the back heel down and the back knee straight, lean your hips toward the wall until you feel a stretch in your calf.

6.     The Olympic salute.  Stand up nice and straight with your arms in a Y.  Inhale and lift your breast bone to the ceiling, extending your upper spine.

 

Go play.