Strive to Thrive quarantine workout #4

This full body stretching session can help relax muscles, relieve stress or tension, and keep your body limber.

Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program and always listen to your body, moving at your own pace.  It is important to note that stretching should be gentle and comfortable, never painful! Ease into each motion until you feel a mild stretch, then hold for approximately 20-30 seconds and breathe.  Use this workout to relax muscles, relieve stress or tension, and keep your body limber.

Shoulder Rolls – Gently roll shoulders back and down a few times.

Neck Stretches – Slowly lower ear toward the shoulder while keeping shoulders relaxed down. Repeat on other side.

Upper Back Stretches – Keeping chin parallel to floor, turn head off to one side, then gently lower chin toward armpit. Repeat on other side. Clasp hands in front of chest, keeping shoulders relaxed down and gently stretch forward.  

Chest Stretch – Reach arms out to sides and stretch through the hands or gently reach back and clasp the seat or back of a chair if sitting. Or, if a doorway or wall is available, place forearm against it with arm at a 90 degree angle and elbow approximately at shoulder height and then repeat on other arm.

Arm Stretch 1 – Bring straight arm across the chest and gently hug it in with the other arm. Look away from your hand for more of a stretch and feel free to add in some wrist circles with the straight arm. Repeat on other arm.

Arm Stretch 2 – Reach straight arm overhead as far as comfortable, then rotate the palm to face behind you and bend the elbow, letting fingertips fall near the back of shoulder. Hold here with a relaxed neck or gently guide elbow back with other hand. Repeat on other arm.

Torso Stretch – From a chair, sit tall and walk hands as far to side of the leg, hip or the seat of the chair as possible. Keep posture tall and don’t let torso or shoulders round forward. Repeat on other side. From the floor, kneel on all fours and let hips sink back toward heels as far as comfortable. With chest relaxed toward floor and head relaxed between the arms, walk hands to the right and hold. Repeat to the left. (This variation can be done with a step or stability ball.) 

Low Back Stretch – Place hands on the back of a chair, and lightly press down (or you can hold onto a sturdy, non-slippery surface like the edge of a counter). Walk feet back as you fold from hips, pressing them behind you, and lower chest towards floor. Arms should be outstretched and you should feel a gentle lengthening through the spine. Or, lie on the floor with head resting back, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor. Draw the bellybutton in as you flatten the lower spine against the floor and breathe steady.

Quad Stretch – Gently bend knee and allow it to relax toward the floor. Standing you can hold onto foot or set it on a step. Seated you can let your thigh hang over the edge of your seat.

Hamstring Stretch – Straighten one leg gently and fold from the hips until a slight stretch in back of leg.

Calf Stretch – Sit, extend one leg, draw toes toward head. Or, place ball of foot against wall and lean in.

Figure 4 Stretch – In seated or lying down position, extend one leg and cross the other ankle over it (below or above, but not on, knee). Relax the top knee out to the side. Adjust bottom leg for comfort.

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