Archive for the ‘stretching’ Category
Posted by terrepruitt on August 19, 2024
So, hopefully you are stretching every day. And you understand it doesn’t have to interrupt your day. You can stretch during your daily routine. If you like stretching and you make the time to do it separately from your daily habits, that is great. I am all for that, but I know that people are so busy so I am just trying to encourage people to stretch EVERY DAY and give you ideas (or reminders) on how to do it.
Here is a squat. As you can see I am brushing my teeth while squatting. Ok, maybe you can’t actually see because these stretch pictures I have been posting are blurring, but that is ok with me, I am just trying to give you ideas and remind you that you can stretch EVERY DAY!
As always with my STRETCH EVERY DAY reminders I am not describing HOW to do the stretch, but I have already done a couple of posts on squatting so you can look back at those if you would like. What would be really cool, is if you read them while squatting. 🙂
Get Down On It
Squatting Does A Body Good
Garland Or Malasana Or Squat
So, are you still stretching?
Posted in stretching | Tagged: daily stretch, deep squat, every day stretch, garland, Malasana, squat, stretch every day, stretching, stretching while doing | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 1, 2024
Here is another stretch you can do every day. I am just throwing these out here because, as I mentioned previously, people are ALWAYS telling me they need to stretch more. But I think they think they need to make time to stretch and while I think they do, taking time out of your day to stretch is great, I think stretching EVERY DAY is more important. Stretching is like sleeping, you can’t do it all at once . . . it is something that our body needs daily. So . . . these posts are just quick reminders. They are NOT detailed instructions, they don’t have a lot of notes on variations, they are not addressing injuries and limitations, so remember to do what your body can do. I am just trying to point out that you can stretch EVERY DAY!
This one is another floor stretch and can be done while putting on lotion, brushing your teeth, chatting on the phone, or watching TV, etc.
A stretch is most effective when done for at least 30 seconds. So you don’t even had to sit in it for that long.
This one has a lot of names (as most stretches do) I am going to call it Butterfly. Sit tall and put the soles of your feet together. Let your knees fall out. Bring your feet as close to your middle as you like.
As an example, I am brushing my teeth.
See, easy-peasey. C’mon, this is so simple you can do it every day. The thing is, it may NOT actually be easy for some because of stiffness or limitations. Be gentle and do what you can. But do it every day!
Now you have four stretches you can easily add to your routine EVERY DAY! You don’t even have to do all three every day, but do at least one EVERY DAY!
Calf Stretch
Standing Forward Fold
Seated Wide Angle Stretch Over Leg
and this one (Butterfly)
Edit (03.12.25): More information about this stretch(/asana) can be found at Butterfly, Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle
Posted in Misc, stretching | Tagged: 30 seconds, brushing teeth, butterfly, every day stretch, stretch every day, stretching | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 24, 2024
Ok, so I missed posting one Monday to start you off for the week, but you still had two stretches you could be doing EVERY DAY while you brush your teeth. Here is one you can do while you put on lotion, brush your teeth, chat on the phone, or watch TV. Remember, while taking time out of your day to stretch is great, it also may be the thing that is keeping you from doing it. Just stretch. You can stretch while doing other things so that you can ensure you get a bit of stretching in EVERY DAY.
Keep in mind while you are doing one thing (put on lotion, brush your teeth, chat on the phone, or watch TV, etc.) you are also being safe and careful while you add in the stretch.
With this stretch we are getting down on the floor.
This is a wide angle or wide legged stretch, I’m gonna call it Seated Wide Angle Stretch Over Leg. Sit on the floor with legs spread in a wide angle and then turn your torso to face over one leg and stretch over the leg. If you are putting lotion on you can make that part of the stretch. Can you reach your toes/foot/ankle/shin to apply the lotion? If you need to you can soften/bend your knee, but if you do this stretch every day you will probably be able to straighten your leg eventually.
In this stretch you will be stretching your hamstrings, lower back, and maybe a bit of your side body. Remember, this may be a little uncomfortable at first . . . depending how tight your muscles are. Don’t stretch into “OW!” pain. Be careful. You can start small and see how it goes as you do it EVERY DAY!
Remember to do both sides.
Remember this is just a quick reminder of how and when you can get stretching in EVERY DAY!
Now you have three stretches you can easily add to your routine EVERY DAY! You don’t even have to do all three every day, but do at least one EVERY DAY!
Calf Stretch
Standing Forward Fold
and this one (Seated Wide Angle Stretch Over Leg)
What do you do EVERY DAY that you can add a stretch to?
Posted in Misc, stretching | Tagged: EVERY DAY, every day stretch, Hamstrings, Seated Wide Angle Stretch Over Leg, stretch and do something else, stretch every day, wide angle stretch | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 10, 2024
So, have you been stretching every day? Maybe three out of seven days? Well, don’t forget if you didn’t you still can. So start now. Last week we talked about a simple calf stretch. I am not going into a lot of detail because I am wanting to get you stretching not stuck reading. You can keep with the calf stretch while you brush your teeth or you can move that to when you are waiting for your meal to heat up and you can do a forward fold while brushing your teeth.
Don’t-want-to-read-it-all summary:
—Goal is to stretch not fold all the way over
—Forward Fold*
—Notes variation
The forward fold will stretch the low back and back of your legs. Remember the goal is not to touch the ground, if you can great, but if not, don’t get frustrated. The goal is to sense a stretch in your low back and back of the legs.
*Forward Fold stand with feet shoulder width apart. Keep your legs straight and move from the hip joint. Hinge forward keeping your spine in neutral. Only go as far over as you can before you start bending your legs and rounding your spine. Also, don’t choke on your toothpaste.
So there are a lot of different ways to do a forward fold, some include rounding the spine, some include bending the knees, some may have feet together, some may have feet further apart (like in the photo), some may include hands on legs, some may include hands on floor, some may include hands on props. We are keeping it simple. We are here for a stretch. It’s simple so that you can do it while you are doing something else. If you are setting time aside for stretching – which is great, do that! – then there are a lot of things to think about, but I am just trying to get people to add a stretch into their everyday life so simple is the key.
Ok, add this to your daily routine.
Posted in Misc, stretching | Tagged: brushing teeth, every day stretch, forward fold stretch, neutral spine, straight legs, stretch back of legs, stretch every day, stretch low back | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 3, 2024
Sometimes life is strange. You know when you are thinking about a friend and they call. Or you think about having BBQ for dinner and your spouse says, “Hey, I feel like BBQ.” Or you are thinking that you want to do a blog post about stretching every day and that same day one of your students says, “I need to stretch more.”
Don’t-want-to-read-it-all summary:
—Need to stretch every day
—You can do it while you brush your teeth or scroll on the phone
—Stretching may be uncomfortable, but NOT painful
—First stretch: calf stretch (see * below), do both sides
I stretch every day. I think it is very important. Modern society is primarily set up so that we sit a lot and we have our bodies in a set position for a long time so things (muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.) can get tight and short. We need to stretch every day. Most people will agree but then say they don’t have time. Not having time is a very valid reason, but not a good one. I think that stretching every day for a few minutes is better than stretching for a long time every so often.
There are many stretches that can be done WHILE doing something else. And by “something else” I mean, brushing your teeth, talking on the phone, texting, watching TV, putting on lotion, something you do EVERY DAY. You can incorporate a stretch or two into your everyday routine.
If you think to yourself, “I can’t stretch because I am too tight.” Stop. A stretch is a stretch. If you can’t touch your toes, but you try you are getting a stretch, the point of stretching ISN’T to touch your toes, it is to stretch your body. There could be any number of reason why you may NEVER be able to touch your toes but since that is not the goal, it doesn’t matter. The goal is to stretch.
As a reminder stretching may be uncomfortable, but not painful. Know the difference. It is like a whine compared to an EXCLAMATION (OW!).
We are going to start with a super simple one. Simple may not mean easy for you, but in this case it means you don’t have to get down and then up. You can do it while you are brushing your teeth. I am going to go with the idea that teeth brushing is something done every day so this stretch can be done every day.
This is a simple calf stretch. *You take a step back keeping the back leg straight with the toes facing the same way as your hips, chest, and shoulders. Bend into the front leg’s knee. Keep your stance wide enough – at least shoulder width – apart so you have balance. Press the heel of the back leg into the ground, straighten that leg as much as you can and hopefully you will sense the stretch in your calf. You may not be stepping FAR back and that is fine, just step far enough that you can sense the stretch in your calf of that back leg. You can brush the same side of your teeth as the back leg and when you are ready to switch, you can switch. You can do this at least once a day!
Posted in Misc, stretching | Tagged: brushing teeth, calf stretch, every day stretch, life is strange, stretching, stretching every day, tight muscles, touching toes | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 28, 2023
Here is another inner thigh stretch. This one is on one knee somewhat like the “Half Kneeling Inner Thigh Stretch” but one leg is straight.
Instructions:
-Kneel on the floor on all fours. Straighten one leg out to the side. So hips are squared to front.
-Move hips back (towards foot) and forth.
You will feel the stretch in the inner thigh of the straight leg.
Options and additional information:
-The “back” foot, the one with the bent knee, can be top-of-foot to floor or you can have your toes curled.
-The foot of the straight leg, can be flat on the floor or you can be on the inner edge of your foot.
-The foot of the straight leg, can have toes pointed to the front, out at an angle, or out to the side.
-You can just sit your hips back and not move them.
See what works best for you and what gives you the stretch you need.
As I said in the other inner thigh stretch post, there are many different ways to stretch a muscle.
If you keep your toes curled (on the kneeling leg) you will be getting a foot stretch like in our Toe Squat.
How is it going – your stretching? Are you able to get a couple in a day?
Posted in stretching | Tagged: curled toes, Inner Thigh Stretch, kneeling, Straight Leg, Straight Leg Inner Thigh Stretch, stretching | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 19, 2023
If you have seen any stretching posts of mine, you know I love me some stretching. You know I think stretching is very important and very beneficial. Here is another stretch for you.
Here are quick instructions:
-Kneel on the floor and take one leg out. Knee pointing away from the body to the side. If you were to hold your arm out to the side the thigh would be in alignment with the knee and toes point out in the same direction.
-You can use your arm to push the knee/thigh back a bit.
-I may be stating the obvious, but normally you would do one side after the other. 🙂
That’s it.
This is an inner thigh stretch. It stretches your adductor muscles.
As with many stretches and exercises there are many ways to stretch/exercise a muscle/set of muscles. This is just one.
I teach a stretch class so, of course, I would love you to join, but I also really believe that stretching is so very important so I just want to post some stretches so you can do them on your own and experience the benefit of stretching.
Do you stretch?
Posted in stretching | Tagged: adductors, inner thigh, kneeling stretch, static stretching, stretch, stretch class, teach stretch | 5 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 3, 2023
I would wager that most of you reading this know that stretching is very beneficial. Daily stretching can do wonders for comfortable movement. Stretching does not have to be a time consuming thing. I may agree that longer sessions of stretching might be more beneficial than shorter ones, but a quick stretch is better than nothing. Also, if done daily a 5 minute stretch session could really help.
And when I say “help” I mean help with moving throughout life more comfortably. Of course, there are many people that have many issues that could be exacerbated by some moves so please keep in mind that I am not giving medical advice and that you need to keep your own body’s situation in mind.
With all of that said here is a great stretch that can reach multiple areas.
Here are quick instructions with * adding more.
-Kneel down and bring one leg out in front, whole foot on the ground.* (Half kneeling.)
-Keep the hip of the “down leg” in alignment above the knee. Activate the glutes by tightening or pushing forward a bit.** Add an “additional” stretch by lifting the arm and bending to the side of the front leg.***
-Remember to lengthen the spine and keep the “up” arm shoulder relaxed.
*Stability can be obtained by moving the front leg away from the midline of the body, by turning the foot of the front leg in, or by pulling the front leg’s knee in toward the body. Also one could use a block, furniture, or a wall to stabilize.
The foot of the “down” knee can be flat (top of foot on the floor) or with toes “curled”.
**The stretch is happening in the front of the body of the kneeling leg. I say “front” of the body because it is not just in the leg, but also it is not really the “front” of the body it more of an internal stretch through the psoas.
***When you lift the arm the stretch also goes through the side of the body.
It targets multiple areas that can really benefit from being flexible. The main area being stretched is the psoas, hip flexors, the side body, and the ankle. If you curl the toes (of the down leg) then you would be stretching through the bottom of the foot (like in a toe squat).
We do this often in my classes. Do you stretch?
Posted in Misc, stretching | Tagged: half kneeling, psoas stretch, side body stretch, stretching, toe squat | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 4, 2021
Lately I am loving this stretch. Looks yummy, huh? I have been stretching everyday for about nine months now and this is one I love. It gets a lot of the body. As you are more-than-likely aware the more often you stretch the more chance there is that your body becomes more flexible. There are always going to be days where the body is more tight than others, but if you have a daily or even a three-times-a-week stretching practice you will notice a difference.
There are all kinds of stretches, but I think a lot of people will agree that lying down stretches are nice. It gives you the air of resting while also doing something to help with flexibility. This stretch might be touted as a side stretch or a lower back stretch . . . but it really depends on where you need it because it has the potential of being a lot of muscles/area stretch. And with a modification the areas that can be stretch can increase.
So, let me explain what is going on. Keep in mind that I may not be perfectly posed as it is a hilarious feat to press the button then get down on the ground . . . once I get down I always manage to forget something (foot angle, arm straight, smile, etc.) in the short time of the timer then as soon as it clicks I think, “Oh . . . ”
First of all make sure there is enough empty space around you so you don’t hit or kick anything when you are fully lengthened.
—Then lie on your back. I will explain one side then just do the opposite to stretch the other side.
—Turn to lie on your right side, putting your knees together. Knees are slightly bent and thighs are at about a 45° angle.
—Straighten out the left (top) leg.
—Keeping your knees together, roll onto your shoulders creating a twist in your torso.
—Straighten your left (top) arm. The idea is to create a line from your left fingers to your left toes, like a slash or half of an X. Your right arm can be however it is most comfortable for you.
I gently lift my shoulders off the ground so I can reach my right shoulder more to the left and try to get both my shoulders and left arm on the ground.
For me, I feel the stretch in my left arm, my left side, my lower back, and my left hamstring.
In order to increase the intensity to sense “more of a stretch” I like to bring my left (top) foot/leg up closer to my right hand and hold it and really reach further away with my left hand. This moves the stretch a bit and I feel as if it gets more of the side I am stretching.
I often suggest to my students, to move their top arm around to see which stretch is best for them. As I said some days we are more tight than others and sometimes the areas of tightness change so it is sometimes necessary to tweak the stretches so we get the best out of our time.
So? What do you think? Is this yummy? I think it is.
Posted in Misc, stretching | Tagged: arm and leg stretch, reclined twist, side twist, yummy stretch | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 3, 2011
I’ve talked about resistance bands being great for strength training. The other day after having taught a Nia class with a lot of sumo stances in it AND after having done some weighted squats, I really needed to stretch. I needed a really deep stretch and as I was trying to think of how to get it I remembered I could use my resistance bands for stretching. The resistance bands I have are long flat sheets of rubber. I don’t have the ones that are like rubber bands or tubes. Mine don’t have handles. Any type of band made for exercising will do. There are so many ways to stretch using a band. I will just name a few in this post and maybe do another post at another time.
The first one you probably have done when you pick up a band is just to hold it in each hand and let your arms “fall” to the side. Obviously your arms don’t actually fall because you are holding the band, but you can feel the stretch in your arms and shoulders. The great thing about bands is you can make the tension however you need it to be by the way you hold the band. If you need a really deep stretch make the band really short and either pull or let your arms “fall”. If you want a gentle stretch then hold the band closer to the ends.
Holding opposite ends of the band and allowing your arms to fall behind your body really allows for a stretch in the upper arms, shoulders, upper back and neck.
You can do side bends with an end of the band in each hand holding your arms above your head. Again sensing the stretch in your shoulders and upper back, but with this stretch you also get your sides. Using the band for this stretch allows for a much greater stretch than without the band.
For the legs there are a few I want to share. Sit down on the ground, fold the band in half then put your foot in the band at the fold, hold one side of the band in each hand. Then lay down, keeping your foot flexed, bring your straight leg with the foot in the band up as far as you can. Keep your other leg straight out on the floor. Adjusting the tension of the band gives you the stretch you need. You can bring your leg straight up and closer to your face for an even greater stretch. The closer you pull your leg to your face the greater the stretch in the hamstrings and even calf.
Still lying on your back with your leg up and still holding the band let your leg fall ACROSS your body. This is a further stretch for the hamstrings and gets the outer thigh. With this stretch – again – using the band to pull your leg closer to your head gives you a bigger stretch. Hold the end of the band in the hand opposite the direction your leg is going, while the hand on the side of where your foot is gently pulls the leg towards your head. Remember to be mindful of what you are sensing, often a stretch will cause discomfort but the muscles need to be stretched especially after a workout. But pain is different than discomfort, so be aware of what sensation is present.
Another stretch you can do is from the same position of laying on your back, with your foot through the band, leg in the air, foot flexed, but this time let the straight leg fall away from your body. With this stretch the hand opposite the side your stretching leg holds the end of the band and the hand on the side of the stretching leg can gently pull the leg towards your head. This stretch allows you to really sense the stretch in the inner thigh. The closer your leg gets to the floor the more your inner thigh gets stretch. And at the same time you can gently pull your leg towards your head enable the back of the leg to be stretched too.
Bands are such a great way to get some assisted stretching in without having to have another person there to help you. It is like proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) by yourself. As I mentioned before, please be mindful and aware of what your body is saying. Discomfort at a tolerable level is acceptable but pain is not.
Posted in Helpful Hints, stretching | Tagged: assisted stretching, deep stretch, exercise, exercise bands, gentle stretch, hamstring stretch, Hamstrings, inner thigh, Nia class, PNF, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, resistance bands, rubber bands, squats, strength training, stretch, sumo stances, tubes | 4 Comments »
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