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Expert Q&A
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| By Catherine Cram, M.S. Postpartum Fitness Expert Exercise Physiologist | ||
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The older I get, the stiffer I feel. I know I need to stretch, but where can I fit it into my busy day?
The shower is a great place to do some gentle stretches. Your muscles are at their optimal temperature for stretching because of the warm water. Place your hands against a wall at shoulder height and press forward until you feel a stretch in your upper body and shoulders.
Instead of leaning down to reach shampoo or soap, do some gentle squats and hold for several seconds until you feel the stretch.
Raise your hands up over your head, and place them against a wall and lean forward. You should feel the stretch in your upper shoulders and chest.
Stand so that the shower is hitting your upper shoulders and neck and do some slow side-to-side neck rolls.
While towel-drying off your body, use the towel to stretch by placing it behind your back and grasping each end and pressing your arms forward. You can also twist side to side.
Do some hamstring stretches as you lean forward to dry yourself. Hold several seconds until you feel the muscles release.
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