Stretch it out

I think a lot of you can relate when I say that my job keeps me sitting for hours on end, with very little physical activity thrown in. I’ve been noticing lately that my muscles are getting pulled super easily; I’m talking simply reaching-behind-me-in-the-car easy. I thought I’d do a little research on stretching to see how to keep this painful experience from occuring so often, and discovered how beneficial taking some time out to stretch really is. Not only does it keep your muscles limber (as we get older, our muscles tighten and their range of motion decreases), but it helps increase your blood circulation (which will keep you energized), your joints range of motion, and coordination (thank you Jesus!) to name a few.

So my brief Saturday advice to you this week is to take some time out every hour or so to stretch. Below are some easy stretches you can do anywhere for a few minutes at a time. I’m even doing them in jeans and a button down, so there are no excuses!

wrist rotation

To stretch your wrists, clench your hands into fists and rotate them both clockwise and counter-clockwise.

forearm push

Stretch your forearms by placing your hands with your palms facing together. Push them gently together, and move them up and down.

neck slide

One easy way of stretching your neck muscles is using your hand to gently push your cheek towards your shoulder. Repeat on the other side.

side bend

Interlock your fingers, raise them above your head, and bend side to side to stretch out your back and side muscles.

toe touch

Bending over to touch your toes is a great way to stretch out your whole body – this feels great after hours of sitting.

forward bend

Sitting down, place your ankle on the opposite leg’s knee. Bend forward for a nice back stretch.

Hahaha hope you all like the “examples”, I admit I felt a bit awkward taking pictures of myself stretching. Those are just a few different stretches you can try – I really like this website to get more ideas (great flash explanations). Enjoy!

How do you keep your muscles happy? What are your favorite stretches? Let me know!

PS – Happy birthday Mom! Happy birthday Dad tomorrow! I love you!

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