Stretching

This week I want to talk to you about stretching. During the winter, you may not want to go outside much. I can’t say that I blame you either, as I highly dislike cold weather and try to stay inside as much as possible, regardless of whether or not it means at home or at a local store. However, the shorter the amount of time I am outside, the better in my opinion. Unfortunately this means that I don’t exercise nearly as much as I should during the winter. This is why I tend to stretch a lot more during the cold months. Here are some of my favorites:
1. Touch Your Toes. This one is as straightforward as it sounds but not always as easy. Many people cannot touch their toes for any number of reasons. If you find this to be true because you simply aren’t flexible, try every day and see what improvements you can make. I find that taking a deep breath and then letting it out while you are bent over tends to help you reach just a little lower to stretch out those muscles in the backs of your legs. If you cannot stand up and bend over, try sitting on a flat surface and reaching along your legs until you can now touch your toes.
2. Leg Lifts. While I tend to have hip problems, one of the best ways that I have found to feel better is a certain rotation into a leg lift. I start with both feet on the ground, then pick up the foot of the hip that hurts. I then bend my knee so that it is in front of the other in a perpendicular fashion. I then rotate my leg so that my knee is pointing in the opposite direction and continue that motion until my leg is extended behind me parallel to the ground. This may take some practice but it certainly does help immensely.
If you are interested in learning about other stretches that you can do, come into Wirth Chiropractic and we can explore what will work best for your body. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have an adjustment while you are here, so we can have a nice, long appointment and figure out what will help you lead a pain free life!