We all know that maintaining flexibility is vital, but if the thought of working hard at it at a yoga class three days a week for forever puts you off even bothering, then you’ll love this article I wrote for The Daily Express and Daily Mirror. It lets you know how to ditch the downward dog and get flexi in your downtime.
I talked to Rosaria Barreto, Exercise Trainer and Director at vitalityhub.co.uk and she gave advice on how you can stretch and elongate muscles while doing everything from reading to sitting in the bath.
There are a couple of tips from the feature below to get you started:
KEEP YOUR UPPER BODY SUPPLE WHILE READING
“Spending a lot of our time hunched over a screen or book can cause stresses and strains on our chest, neck, shoulders and upper back,” says Rosaria. “Our bodies aren’t designed to look down for prolonged periods so try placing a pillow under your arms to position your book so it’s aligned with your eyeline. This will encourage better posture overall. Every ten minutes, try lying on your back on the floor or bed with a rolled-up towel or blanket along your spine (in-between your shoulder-blades from the base of your neck to mid back). Read in this position, with arms straight and eye-level for a minimum of one minute. This reduces strain and tension around your shoulders and neck, and stretches your chest, front of shoulders and your upper back.”
PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD
“It’s the classic ‘I’m relaxing’ position I like to call ‘the sunbather’ and has the opposite effect on muscles that are in a contracted position for 95% of your day – especially if you work at a computer,” says Rosaria. “Simply putting your hands behind your head stretches muscles at the side and top of your back and the back of your upper arms which can help improve upper back posture and reduce inflammation within the shoulders. It can help prevent activities like raising your arms to get dressed or reaching into a high cupboard from being painful in the long run.”
STRETCH YOUR HAMSTRINGS IN THE BATH
Flexible hamstrings – the muscles that run along the back of your thigh from hip to knee – can improve posture and prevent back, knee and hip pain, too. “They can be a challenging area to stretch, unless you’re in the bath!” says Rosaria. “Try sitting upright with your legs straight, cross one leg over the other (maintaining a straight leg) and reach towards your ankles. Hold it there for 30 seconds and do the same on the other side. This stretch also targets your lower back, so overall, it’s a super effective stretch.”