Movement is our passion, and we love helping our clients feel their best through a variety of exercises, movements, and modalities. Stretching is most definitely one of them - but most times it might be the last thing on our mind, especially after a workout when we have somewhere else to be, or if we're strapped for time and want to just get straight to the workout. Stretching is an essential part of your workout in the beginning, to warm you up, and in the end to cool you down and help reduce soreness and prevent injury. Unfortunately, the majority of us are tight, and inflexible which can lead to all sorts of injuries and not allow us to move freely in all planes of motion.
We want to share with you our favorite stretches that we do almost daily, as well as why we love them! Let's start with Laura!
Laura
Instead of just stretching one thing, I tend to choose movements that open up more than one thing at a time, here’s one of my favorite series right now:
Start in a ‘Captain Morgan’ lunge position with your Left foot out to the side: lunge toward your left knee, you should feel a stretch in your inner thighs. Pro tip: press down through your foot to come back to activate more through the muscles that support your knee. Not feeling a stretch? Step the foot out further!
With hands behind your head, lean Left to Right to open up through your ribs and thoracic spine (you may even feel a stretch in your hips and waist).
Place your hands on the floor and shift your hips straight back and forward. Pro tip: keep your spine long and your knee pressing back as you move.
Add some rotation! Thread your Left arm under your Right, then reach toward the ceiling.
Do 3-4 repetitions of each movement, then repeat on the other side.
Check it out on YouTube!
Jim
One of, if not, my favorite stretch is an upward-facing dog followed by a child's pose. I do these virtually every day! And for good measure I like to throw some plank to pikes in before going into the upward-facing dog.
The reason I love this is because these few moves offer a lot of benefits. The plank pikes are great for shoulder mobility and stability, it also strengthens the core and gives a slight hamstring stretch. Then moving into the upward facing dog, gives the chest, shoulders, hip flexors and abs a stretch while working spinal mobility, and strengthening the arms and upper back. Finally ending with child's pose then stretches the low back, hips, thighs and lats.
Check it out on YouTube here!
Melissa
Worlds Greatest Stretch
This stretch covers it all. I have a long commute to Boston (who doesn't!), and when I get out of the car I am STIFF. As soon as I walk into the gym I drop my stuff and do this stretch and I immediately feel relief everywhere. This stretch basically stretches all those muscles that tighten up when you're sitting (hip flexors, hamstrings, lower back, shoulders), and the extra rotation enhances your mobility in your spine.
Check it out on YouTube!
Bryan
Couch Stretch!
Yep that's right - a stretch right on your couch? What could be better! This stretch is a great hip opener and Bryan shows a few variations of this stretch in two videos. Stretch your hip flexors, open up your hips, stretch your quads, adductors and more with this great stretch! Do this while you're watching tv or in between commercials!
We hope you enjoyed these stretches and can add some of these to your routine to keep feeling great!!
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