My 6 Favourite Stretches

Relieve pain, keep your body supple and improve your posture with these simple everyday stretches.

Have you ever done a yoga class or a nice long stretch, online or with a personal trainer? Can you remember how you felt after? Pretty good I’m presuming. The body is meant to move, and the muscles are meant to be strong, supple, and loose.

However, with certain jobs and an ever-busy lifestyle, people often find themselves stuck in the same position for long periods. You might work at a desk or drive for a living and struggle to find enough time to squeeze in a little self-care routine.

Below I have come up with a short and simple stretching routine that anyone can add into their daily routine and feel all the better for it. It will only take 10 minutes and all you need is a small bit of floor space.

Benefits of Stretching

Before we jump into the stretches themselves let's talk about why it is important to stretch in the first place.

Improves your posture

Poor posture is an underlying cause of pain and discomfort. Our bodies have evolved over thousands of years to stand on two feet, to have a straight back and to move regularly. Sitting jobs are the opposite of this, leading to imbalances in the body. Pain in the shoulders, lower back and hips can be the result of poor posture as we sit and lean over our computers. Stretching can help alleviate this by keeping the muscles from becoming too tight in the wrong position.

Reduce the risk of injury

Stretching before exercise can reduce the risk of injury by preparing the body for the movements to come. If muscles are too tight, they can be at a higher risk of injury as they struggle to perform the exercises required.

Relaxes the mind and body

We hold a lot of our stress in our upper shoulders and neck. Stretching either at home or in a yoga class with some calming music can relax the mind and the body helping to get rid of this stress. Unlike cardio or weights, stretching does not require much effort and so you can let the mind wander and let go of any negative thoughts while you are at it.

My 6 Favourite Stretches

Starting from the top down we will focus on the main areas of tightness for people. Each stretch will be held for 30 seconds. Do each stretch at least twice.

Neck

• Standing or sitting up tall take your right hand and place it over the top of the head and behind the left ear.
• Gently pull your head towards the front of your right shoulder and look down towards your right hip.
• Make sure to keep your left shoulder pulled away from your left ear.
• You should feel the stretch on the muscle that connects the shoulder to the base of your skull.
• Repeat on the opposite side

Chest

• Standing or sitting bring both hands behind your back and lace the fingers together.
• Pull your shoulder blades back and push your chest up.
• You should feel the stretch across the front of the chest and shoulders.

Upper back

• Standing or sitting lace the fingers together in front of the face.
• Push your hands away, palms forward and separate your shoulder blades.
• You should feel this stretch in the upper back.

Forward fold

• Standing up tall and with a slight bend at the knees bring your chin to your chest.
• Slowly peel down as you curve forwards until you feel a stretch at the back of your legs.
• Relax and breathe deeply as you feel this stretch work all your posterior muscles from the base of your head to the bottom of your legs.

Hip flexor

• You might need something soft like a pillow or towel to place under your knee for this one.
• Start in a lunge position with one foot flat on the ground and the other with the knee and toes on the ground.
• Squeeze the back of the leg that has its knee down and lean slightly forward.
• You should feel this stretch at the front of the hip on the kneeling leg.
  

Cat/Cow

• Start on all fours, knees below your hips and hands below your shoulders.
• First, tuck your hips in towards your belly button and then curve your chest inwards. This will create an arched upper back.
• Now drop your chest down and push your hips back so your lower back is arched downwards.
• Repeat this movement for 30 seconds
  

Pigeon

• Start in a high plank position.
• Take one leg and tuck it under the body so the shin is facing forward.
• Keep the back leg straight and point away from the body.
• Sit the hips down towards the floor.
• You should feel this stretch on the outer hip of the bent leg.

We spend most of our day in positions that are not good for the body. Taking just 10 minutes a day can help combat the problems associated with being stuck in these positions. I’m sure everyone can find 10 minutes somewhere in their day.