12 posts tagged “stretching”
One more stretch before it all comes together tomorrow.
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Put both of your palms together (like a prayer) in front of you at face level
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Extend your fingers and thumbs while keeping palms together.
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Press palms together strongly
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Hold
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Keep the base of your palms together and gradually lower your hands until your lower arms are horizontal (or as close as you can get them to horizontal). You will likely be around your chest area
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Hold
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Now, take your hands down further keeping the fingers and upper palms together (allow lower palms to separate if needed)
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You will feel a stretch on the inside of your fingers and wrists
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Hold
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Repeat
This exercise is a little more complex but invigorating to your hands.
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Expert
You’re almost there. Today’s post is for those technical people who do not consider their thumb to be a finger. In case you missed stretching your thumbs over the last couple of days, today we will take care of that.
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Extend your left arm in front of you (without locking elbow)
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With your right hand, gently pull your thumb DOWN and toward your wrist
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Bring it back to neutral
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With your right hand, gently pull your thumb UP and back toward your wrist (this will not work nearly as well as down. Do not worry … just stretch it a bit)
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Bring it back to neutral
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Repeat with other hand on other arm
That’s it for today. Tomorrow we pull it all together into a routine that will take less than a minute of your time.
To Gumbie…
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Expert
Continuing on our variation on a theme: hand and wrist stretches…
You’re almost there …
Adding to what you have already learned this week:
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Start with the stretch from Monday (making a fist and letting go)
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Followed by yesterday (stretching each finger individually)
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Followed by stretching all your fingers toward your wrist at one time
Now, add (pay attention here … there is only one minor variable from yesterday but it is important to do it correcty):
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Extend your left arm
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Tilt your hand DOWN 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
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Using your right hand, gently pull all the fingers on your left hand toward your wrist
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Hold for a second but do not over-extend. You should feel a stretch but no pain.
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Release
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Switch hands and repeat
Again, that’s it. Simple.
You’re almost through the routine …
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Expert
Continuing on our variation on a theme: hand and wrist stretches…
Today we add in another portion of the series
Start with the stretch from Monday (making a fist and letting go)
Followed by yesterday (stretching each finger individually)
Now, add:
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Extend your left arm
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Tilt your hand up 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
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Using your right hand, gently pull all the fingers on your left hand toward your wrist
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Hold for a second but do not over-extend. You should feel a stretch but no pain.
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Release
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Switch hands and repeat
Again, that’s it. Simple.
You’re halfway through the week and the series…
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Coach
Continuing on our variation on a theme: hand and wrist stretches…
Today we add in another portion of the series
Start with the stretch from Monday (making a fist and letting go)
Followed by yesterday (stretching each finger individually)
Now, add:
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Extend your left arm
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Tilt your hand up 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
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Using your right hand, gently pull all the fingers on your left hand toward your wrist
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Hold for a second but do not over-extend. You should feel a stretch but no pain.
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Release
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Switch hands and repeat
Again, that’s it. Simple.
You’re halfway through the week and the series…
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Coach
Next section of the routine (baby steps to accomplishment) to be completed by Friday.
Start with the exercise you learned yesterday.
Then, add:
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Extend your left arm in front of you without locking your elbow
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Tilt hand up 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
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With your right hand, gently pull the index finger of your left hand toward you
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Follow through, pulling back each finger in sequence.
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Switch hands
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Repeat with opposite hand
That’s it. Such easy stretches but so helpful.
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Coach
Everyone appears to have enjoyed and incorporated the neck and shoulder stretches from last week. This week we will focus on a series of simple hand, wrist and finger stretches that will be very helpful due to all the time we spend on our computers.
These stretches may be done as often as you think of them – preferably at least once an hour while at the computer. More frequently is better. Doing them once a day is still better than not doing any at all so do not get frustrated if you don’t always remember. In time, with practice, they will simply become part of your typing routine.
Stretch one hand at a time or, to save time, stretch both simultaneously:
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Ball your hand into a fist
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Squeeze tightly
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Open wide, splaying fingers as far open and apart as you can
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Ball back into a fist
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Repeat 3 times
That’s it for today. It’s a tough one. Tomorrow we add another one and start on the routine that will be finished by Friday.
To your self-care….
Sue Crutcher, Personal Trainer
This week we learned several stretches to incorporate while slaving in front of our computers. Most of them also work well for the road warriors among us – do them when you stop for a break which, I hope, is at least every two hours.
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Shoulders down
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Stretch and relax
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Trapped traps
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Rotate your head
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Rotate your head more
The above grouping of stretches, if done on a regular basis, will go a long way toward relieving neck and shoulder stress, allowing you the pleasure of less pain and tension. Incorporate them whenever you remember in the week ahead and notice the difference they make.
Right now – are your shoulders almost up to your ears again? I bet they are. Mine were. And I’ve only been out of bed less than 2 hours. Have you been doing the shoulder drops?
Last week we covered:
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Thinking how we could be better organized. Did you come up with any ideas? Have you implemented them?
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Keys always in the same location
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Collecting spare change at the end of each day
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Refrain from picking up the phone when possible
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The wonderful and evil email inbox
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Coping with old emails
Have a pleasant week…
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success
Life Empowerment Mentor, Success Coach
After completing the neck stretches section from yesterday’s post, add in a variation of this. You have the movement down. Today, let each movement flow from one to the next. So, in fact, you are doing head circles as opposed to head rotations (those are advanced techniques best done with the help of a chiropractor … or a priest depending on what is going on in your life!)
Put it all together:
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Do your drop shoulder exercise
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Followed by the shoulder blade pinch
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Followed by the warmup described yesterday for your neck
Now … add in:
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Starting with face and eyes forward, chin level
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Drop chin to chest
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Now rotate head toward left shoulder,
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Follow through with your head back as far as you can and looking up
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Now down to your right shoulder
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And back to chin on chest
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Repeat once more.
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Repeat twice in opposite direction
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Do another drop shoulder to relax
It doesn’t take more than about one minute longer but it will feel much better and more complete than the one yesterday.
Not to worry – no horror movie stuff here.
Before you start, there are two VERY important rules:
1) Bring your movement to a complete stop before doing the next movement
2) Be very gentle, take it slow and easy
Today, a simple stretching exercise for your neck:
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Do your shoulder drop exercise first to relax the area a little
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Looking straight ahead, with shoulders dropped. This is your ‘start position’
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Drop your head forward so that your chin rests on your chest (or as close as it goes comfortably); return to start position
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Lean your head toward your left shoulder as far as you can comfortably. Hold. Return to start.
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Lean your head toward your right shoulder as far as you can comfortably. Hold. Return to start.
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Tilt your head backwards and look toward the ceiling. Do not cheat and lean your whole body backward – just your head is moving here Hold. Return to start.
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Do another shoulder drop
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Followed by a shoulder blade pinch
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Go over to the door and do a pec stretch
Phew! Glad that’s over.
Get back to work.
Tomorrow we’ll take the series to another level.
To a more relaxed you…
Sue Crutcher, Personal Trainer
Life Empowerment Mentor & Success Coach
