What You Missed:
- Spring Cleaning: Fitness & Nutrition Edition (6 Actions to Take NOW)
- Response to Maria Kang’s Second Photo (Hint: I’m Not As Nice This Time)
- Austin, Texas: Food, Friends & Fun
- Back Surgery: It’s Happening
- Snow Day: Tips For Getting the Fresh Air You Crave
I’ve never been good on stretching. I’ve always known it’s good for you but it’s thrown on to the end of workouts in a haste — often skipped all together in favor of time to get ready for work.
Boy was that a bad idea. Having lived with a back problem for nearly 6 months now, I’ve come to see just how important stretching is.
Imagine your muscles becoming tight and never getting relief. It puts pressure of everything around it — including your spine — an important thing to take care of!
Now I can’t help but envision my muscles — not just in my back but everywhere — tightening and never getting relief. Truth? If you neglect stretching, you are neglecting your full responsibility to exercise with care for your body.
Everyday Stretches for a Healthy Body
1. Cobra Stretch: This one feels good! You want to slowly arch up and then bring your head back. I usually lift myself up and down 5 times slowly to get the strong. Always good to elongate your spine in this way.
2. Pigeon stretch: The more parallel your front shin is to your hip, the more intense stretch you will fill. You need to bring deeply into this pose and hold it on each side for about a minute. It’s not comfortable but it’s oh so good!
3. Knee Hug Stretch: This one is easy but it feels great. Basically, lie on your back and hug one knee to your chest for 30 seconds to one-minute on each side, feeling the stretch in your buttocks and hamstrings (you can take the stretch out to the side a bit too.)
4. Hamstring Stretch: In this photo, I’m using the Xfinity band (love it!) and boy do I have tight hamstrings. I do this stretch every day and every day I need it. Slowly bring your leg up (don’t pull tight) and don’t rush the stretch. Breathe into and hold it for 30 seconds on each side twice.
5. Downward Dog: The classic yoga pose brings you back to center and gives you a change to really stretch your calves by pedaling them back and forth while in downward dog. You also get a great shoulder stretch. Keep the position for one minute.
7. Side Stretch: This worked amazingly well for me when back issues were acting up. Lean into one side and stretch your arm over your head to that side as well and pull that side of your body apart while leaning into the high lunge. It feels amazing. Hold twice for 30 seconds on each size.
8. Spinal Twist Stretch: This is a big stretch and an important one. To get the most out of it, make sure you turn your neck to view the outstretched arm. Breath into it to get deeper and hold it for a minute on each side.
9. Hamstring Stretch II: I love to reach up and feel the stretch in my whole body, holding it for a few seconds, then bowing down as straight as possible slowly bringing my hands as close to my feet as possible. Hold for 30 seconds twice.
Do you like the clothes I’m wearing? Guess what they are? Fabletics! I’m such a huge fan and they gifted me a couple of complimentary pieces from their spring catalog and I had to show them off.
My favorite is the top — which gives you a ton of air but doesn’t force you to wear just a sports bra. The lightweight jackets was perfect for the weather this weekend — too hot while working out — but nice as soon as I was done. It would also be good if there was a light drizzle or something. Then, the long light blue/white striped pants. Supercomfortable and cute!
It was finally warm this weekend as you can see and that sunlight felt amazing! Definitely tried to stay active since tomorrow I’m having my back surgery. I would love to have your prayers! The surgery is at 7:45amET on Tuesday and should take 45 minutes-1 hour. Then I’ll be recovering in the hospital most of the day and heading home that night.
Do you do a lot of stretching or neglect it because of time restraints? Are there any stretches you love and can share with us? I’ve learned more stretching since I started going to yoga more — is that helpful to you as well?
Lots of treadmill and elliptical this week for me but I didn’t record it and can’t remember the exact days of what! So, just know I was sweating with you! Now, link up with us!
Good luck on your surgery Erika! I'll be wishing you a speedy recovery 🙂 XOXO
I love stretching, maybe because I have just been an extremely flexible person my whole life, but I stretch for 20 minutes everyday, haha!
Thank you so much for the well wishes! I am NOT extremely flexible but hopefully this will prevent from being completely creaky when I'm older!
pigeon.
ahhhh pigeon.
I spend about 65.38738% of my day in that pose for my HIPS.
I hate it kind of but I know it's so good. THe breathing deep into gets ya!
thanks for the reminder – i definitely need to stretch more…. not just when i'm getting my fitness on!
It makes a difference for me — kind like a mini-yoga session.
Good luck tomorrow! Wishing you a very speedy recovery. Love the clothes and the stretches!
Thank you so much! I'm optimistic 🙂
Pigeon pose is my favourite. If I go to a yoga class and we don't do pigeon, I'm ALWAYS disappointed. It hurts so good.
Oh I would be too. I feel like I am not fully stretched without — as much as it can suck!!
Great post and pics!
thank you Alison!
Those clothes are definitely cute, lucky they allowed you to try them out! Good luck with the surgery, everything will go smoothly and I hope it helps you feel better in the long run! Definitely some good stretches. I think I do pigeon stretch the most, it feels so good.
Thanks so much…you should try Fabletics, I am seriously a poster child now. Love it! Thanks for the kind words on the back, I know it will be better in the end!
Thank you so much for sharing your techniques! When I go to our training class, I swear we don't stretch enough! These are perfect to add with our routine 🙂
No usually classes don't have enough stretching at all. People dont' realize you need to hold those stretches for at LEAST 30 seconds (which seems like a long time when you are just doing them in silence!) It's definitely worth taking the time.
Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Cute outfit!!
Thank you Natalie!
I'll be praying that your surgery goes well and that you have a speedy recovery. 🙂
Thank you Susan! It went well today and I'm recovering now. A little painful but I so appreciate your prayers, means a lot to me!
Stretching is so important…thanks for the reminder! My hamstrings have been tight lately, I'll have to get back to doing that stretch.
Oh the hamstrings, mine are always sooo tight. I feel like they are tighter than a normal persons even though I do this stretch everyday. It will make you feel good if you stick with it though!
Pigeon pose. Best ever! My hips are always so dang tight! Great post!
It's a must, even if painful ( if you are doing it right at least!!)
I'm horrible at getting my stretching in especially on Crossfit days. That's one thing I wish Crossfit incorporated was stretching. When I do spin or workout on my own I tend to do a little stretching but for some reason after Crossfit I typically head out when everyone else does. Need to stretch more!
Oh me too…I used to go to Crossfit int he AM and would be rushing home afterward. Our box always did stretching but I would actually skip most of the time! But it seems like especially with CF you should beause you are always moving so many different muscles. Maybe if you started making a goal fo doing it just a few times a week it would become a habit!
Hope your recovery is speedy and easy. Thanks for the list of stretches. It's sometimes difficult in choosing what kind of stretches you want to do vs the ones you must do, so it's easy have someone put a list on the internet for you.
Cheers!
9 Every Day Stretches For a Healthy Body
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