Do you remember hearing your gym teaching yell across the gym in the beginning of gym class during the boring old warm up stretches “if you can’t feel it then it’s not working”? Well that old gym teacher wasn’t too crazy because basic stretches to improve flexibility and decrease injuries.
With just a few minutes throughout the day of stretching several large muscle groups may increase your flexibility and help to prevent injuries. Why? How do I do that when I sit in the car all day or behind a desk? Well there are tons of things you can do during the day that do not require to move things in our office or even buy new things like a chair of desk. So let’s get started!
You may want to “warm your muscles up” with a light aerobic movement for 5-10 minutes prior to stretching. Performing a head to toe routine daily can be very beneficial and this can be done with no equipment! How neat is that?!?!
Several things to keep in mind when stretching are:
- You want the stretch, but not pain.
- No bouncing, this may cause the muscle to contract rather than relax
- Each stretch should be at least 30 seconds.
- Any areas that are uncomfortable, it may be helpful to repeat for a second tretch
Check out the exercise below to help you be motivated no matter where you are.
Calf & Achilles Stretch:
Hamstring Stretch:
Quadriceps Stretch:
Hip Flexor Stretch:
Shoulder Stretches:
Neck Stretch:
Daily routes help to improve flexibility and range of motion around a joint. Overall, stretching can make you feel better.
It is important to stretch both sides. Daily routes help to improve flexibility and range of motion around a joint. Overall, stretching can make you feel better.
