Start the Weekend with Stretching!

Adding stretches to your daily routine has many benefits to your health and wellbeing! Kick start your day by waking up your whole body and releasing tension. Benefits include:

• Relieving Stress – Stress can be a major cause of tense muscles and aching bodies, stretch the stress away before you start your day
• Relieving Chronic Pain – Hip, neck and shoulder, and lower back pain and more can be relieved with daily stretching
• Improving Blood Circulation – As you stretch you increase the blood flow to your muscles and the rest of your body, giving yourself a boost to start the day
• Preventing Injuries- Relaxed and supple muscles are less prone to injury, daily stretching stops your muscles becoming tense and easy to injure

Check out some simple stretching you can do at home as you get up in the morning:

Lower Back Stretch

While keeping your spine in alignment, bend from your hips and reach toward the floor. Aim to touch your toes, but if you can’t reach, rest your hands on ankles or shins. Repeat three times.

Upper back Stretch

Cross your arms in front of you and grab the chair arms (if you can’t reach, hold onto the bottom of the seat). While grasping, lean back, keeping your spine in alignment, until you feel a slight stretch. Repeat three times.

Right Shoulder Stretch

Keep your shoulders relaxed and cross your right arm over your chest. Cradle your arm with your left hand and apply slight pressure. Repeat three times.

Left Shoulder Stretch

Keep your shoulders relaxed and cross your left arm over your chest. Cradle your arm with your right hand and apply slight pressure. Repeat three times.

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and the arms loose. Dip your chin slightly toward the chest. Gently roll your head in a clockwise motion for one rotation, taking about seven seconds. Rest for five seconds, then roll your head anticlockwise in the same motion. Repeat three times.

Shoulder Roll

Stand up straight with your arms loose. Without bending your arms, slowly raise your shoulders and then roll them back in a circular motion. Roll your shoulders backward five times and then reverse the movement, rolling them forward. Repeat twice.

Childs Pose

This yoga position can be a relaxing way to end a stretch routine. Kneel with your toes pointed back, so the tops of your feet lie flat along the ground. Sit back against your heels. Push your buttocks back and lower your chest toward the floor, sliding your arms forward. Hold the stretch for thirty seconds and repeat three times, with ten-second rest periods between the stretches.