We know that many of us are heeding the warning to stay inside while we ride the wave of this challenging time. Although we cannot work on you in person, our team of Licensed Massage Therapists and Acupuncturists wanted to remind you the importance of stretching-especially if your living a more sedentary lifestyle or are preparing to live one for at least a couple weeks.
Please remember to stay hydrated. Muscle pain and spasm can be related to dehydration in the tissues and cells. So your best friend when staying in more often will be hydrating your body and skin. Your skin is your largest breathing organ and it is important to keep it hydrated – and not just overloaded with alcohol.
Stretch exercises is a great way to help avoid back pain, since it stretches the muscles, joints, bones, etc, thus promoting fluid and blood flow. Getting breath, oxygen, hydration and blood flow to the area may help alleviate deep rooted pain. And guess what happens when we are in a high stress situation? We tighten up and cut off important circulation and blood flow.
Please share and monitor the elderly and frail, it is very important they are moving, connecting with breath work, and stretching. And monitor children?s behavior to make sure they aren?t sitting in one position for hours on end.
Stretch workouts can be simple and include shoulder shrug, triceps, arm, leg, trunk, torso, and other stretches. To help you avoid back pain we can perform a few workouts to help you stretch those muscles.
First we stretch our lungs. Yes, you heard me right. Take a deep breath down deep into your lungs. And let it go. Deep breath in again, let it all out. You should be breathing in though your nose and out through your mouth. When breaking in your nose, your belly should fill up and be pushing out in front of you. Be mindful your shoulders are not raising up toward the ceiling. This is a sign that you are not breaking right. And yes your intercostals and all the muscles around your ribcage need to be stretched as well. Especially with the Covid-19 attacking the lungs, it is a great idea for everyone to strengthen and stretch from the inside out to build up th lunges. Again, the elderly and frail are the most venerable and will benefit from breathing alone. To help bring the breath down deeper and expand the lungs, tru using peppermint, spearmint or breathe essential oils.
Starting with the shoulders, stand erect. Rest your hands upon the hips and shrug them shoulders up and down. Rotate the shoulders around in circles in slow motion toward the back ten times. Next, perform the same actions rolling forward; same motions toward the front.
Working the triceps:
Triceps is the extensor muscles, on the back of the arms, which require stretching to avoid tension. Stand erect and lift your arm (Right) and rest the tips of your fingers on the shoulder. (Right) Use your free hand and push it against the opposite elbow. If possible, lower the fingers down the length of your back while pushing the elbow. Count to eight and perform the same actions on the opposite side.
Next, stretch your arms. Form a circle. First, stand erect while keeping your feet at shoulder distance apart. Level the arms and stretch them outward in sync with the shoulders. Circle and bring the arms ahead. Count to ten and perform the same actions on the opposite side. Circle the arms largely as feasible.
Now work that torso. Stand erect, keep your feet at in alignment with the shoulders and gradually rotate (Starting at the waist), and then stretching to one side. Stretch ahead and move your body in rotation to the opposite side. Extend back and around again to the opposite side. Continue on each side.
Work that trunk:
Stand erect, keep the feet the length of your shoulders and slightly apart. Bend the knees slightly. Lock the fingers behind the head, and bend starting at the waistline, touching your right knee, joining it with the elbow on the right side. Next, rotate the torso, or trunk, rotating it to the left and then touch your left knee. Extend backwards to you are standing erect again.
Once you are standing erect, slightly move your feet apart and bend the knees somewhat. Lift your arms to the height of your shoulders and grip the hands while turning to the side, starting at the waistline. Hold, count to five and do the same on the opposite side. Next, keep the hips and legs motionless as you turn the upper section of your body, only.
Stand erect, while extending the hands down at the sides. Bend the knees somewhat and gradually lift the arm as far as you can reach over the head. Slowly, glide the free arm, sliding it down to the leg, and pull the arm so that it is over the head as high as you can reach. Push down and onto the thigh, returning to standing position. Continue on the opposite side and do three reps.
Stand erect, keeping the feet at length with your shoulders. Bend the elbows at the height of your shoulders. Join your fingertips and gently fling the arms toward the back, staying consistent with the height of the shoulders. Continue the action on each side, counting to ten as you move along.
Continue:
Stand erect, and grip your hands, joining them and extending them behind the back. Lift the hands up and out as high as you can reach. Count to five and lower. Stand erect and keep the feet at the length of your shoulders. Bend the knees somewhat and lock your fingers, while raising the arms to the height of your shoulders. Once in position, push the arms ahead. Do not lean to the front. Stretch and count to ten. Perform the same actions, counting to five. Apply a medicinal cream to your body to help get into a deeper stretch such as CBD or DeepBlue rub.
Lastly re-connect with your breath and take 10 deep inhales And exhales.
If you have access to a doorway, put your left hand onto the left side of the door jam (after sanitizing it of coarse) . Your putting your left hand up at a 90* bend at the elbow with your fingers pointed to the ceiling. (Think bicycle turn signal). Then you point the matching foot forward into the room in front of you with your knee bent slightly. Thinking mini lunge here. Not enough to count In the gym, but just enough to propel us slightly forward. You should feel the stretch in your front pectoral muscle under your breast bone. You can have your hand (the one on the sanitized wall) climb up and down the wall, to help stretch the place that might need it most. Then…. wait for it… look up. Look up to the ceiling. All the way. Point your chin upward. Look toward the sky and stretch the front of your next job and chin. If you talk right now, your voice will sound very different than standing normal. This stretch, when done correctly and often enough can alleviate back and neck pain. Especially now that everyone, children to the elderly are forced to be glued to our computers, phones and televisions.
It is so important to take the time away from our devices and unplug, connect with our breath & time within. Even if it is just for a short time.
You can use self massage tools to help get into crevices in between muscles such as t-spheres or foam rollers.
