Stretching is vital for healthy muscles and circulation. Do some form of yoga/stretching combination every day to limber up, for at least 5 minutes (use a timer).
Pick from these to set up your routines. Then print them and paste or put together in some referenceable format in a referenceable place (keep a copy in the Reminders Book).
For illustrations, see Resources, below.
THE OVERALL BODY CAT SUPER-STRETCH GETTING-OUT-OF-BED ROUTINE
Get up out of bed stretching like a cat, feeling every muscle, bending over to stretch, moving your neck, arms, twisting body, extending leg and stretching the front and back, until you've stretched every possible muscle. Takes less than a minute.
Favorite alternative to this is to walk a bit weird, kinda like a robot but moving more flexibly with all muscles contracted and moving such that you are stretching every conceivable way. A fast "upper" that is drug-free.
NECK
Chin to Chest: Gently bend your head forward while bringing your chin toward your chest, stopping when a stretch is felt in the back of your neck; hold for 20 seconds. Return head up.
Repeat 5 times.
Side to Side. Gently turn head to left, looking over your left shoulder, stopping when a stretch is felt in the right side of your neck; hold for 20 seconds; do 5 times. Do same for right side.
Ear to Shoulder. Gently bend your neck moving left ear toward your shoulder, stopping when a stretch is felt in the right side of your neck; hold for 20 seconds; 5 times. Do other side same.
SHOULDERS
Deltoids, triceps: Right hand to left shoulder, elbow elevated. Then, using your left palm, press into the right elbow, stretching the shoulder. Hold a few moments. Then do opposite side.
Muscles under arm. Bring your arm over your head; gently hold your elevated elbow with the opposite hand, and pull towards the opposite side, hold for a few moments. Do other side.
Open up shoulders. Interlock your fingers behind your back, with your elbows bent; neck straight and relaxed; then, gently straighten your elbows and stretch in front of your shoulders; hold for a few moments.
Relax shoulders. Pull shoulders down, then bring the shoulders up towards the ears, hold for a count of three, then drop the shoulders straight down, by letting go of the tension that you held the shoulders with at first.
BACK (Includes Cobra and Downward Dog; Print off at HowToStretch)
Legs up, move feet to above head
Legs straight up, slowly lower to floor
Cobra - As if doing a pushup, but keep pelvis on floor and raise feet and chest, look up, raise
so arms are fully extended; go into:
Downward Dog - Make triangle with butt, arms fully extended, stretch calfs and ankles
gently
Twist back - Lie down, raise right knee and grasp it with left hand, grab your knee and bring
it across your body,keeping upper back on mat.
Twist - Sit up, one leg with bent knee put on other side of straight leg, arm on other side of
bent knee to feel stretch.
LEGS (See SAEF and print entire page, don't click on image.)
Back of leg: Bend over and touch floor. Then do with one leg forward and one back
Upper thigh: On back, place one leg over the other knee, lacing your behind that knee, bring leg closer to chest. Then do with one straight leg fully extended pulling up to chest.
In chair, cross leg over as high as possible, lean forward, press on knee.
Hamstring ("Lunge"): Gently squat down forward with front bottom leg straight and hips forward, stetching back leg. Move into posture with hands on floor buttocks up "walking" to stretch each leg.
Standing, straight leg on chair, leaning forward - Very strong stretch
Groin: On floor, grab ankles, bring soles together. Push knees down.
Inner thigh: Squat to the side, extending the other leg.
"Chair" stretches: Excellent.
1. Put one foot flat on chair, stepping forward, moving forward to stretch hamstring.
2. Put back of one foot on chair, bend body forward to feel hamstring stretch.
3. Put side of foot on chair, bend toward it to feel stretch
RESOURCES
Using these resources: Print the illustrations and cut and paste to your exact routine or to fit your needs - then put them into your Reminders Notebook or some referenceable non-losable place (in the latter case perhaps putting a copy in the Reminders Notebook.
Overall about stretches:
Routine of 6 key ones: Lats, triceps, calfs, quads, groin, hamstring - Health.com
