If either becoming more active or getting into better shape are on your list of things to do or continue in 2020, this guest article about stretching will help set you on the right course. If you’re interested in writing a guest article about a specific topic, contact us. Here is the information we’ve posted on our advertising information page about these kinds of articles:
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The following guest article is written by Jilisa Ghareeb.
What is the one thing that all of us have in common? Something we do every day, multiple times and mostly without even thinking about it.
We sit!
We sit in our car, at a desk, on the couch and on the floor. For some sitting is an all-day activity. For many of us, sitting means we are hunched forward with rounded shoulders and heads bent down (hello smartphones!). Combine this with the long lengths of time and we’re putting a lot of strain on the thoracic region of our back.
The thoracic region is the portion of your back between the cervical (neck) region and the lumbar (lower back) region. More specifically it is the area from your shoulders to where your spine starts to curve inward. Over time, strain on this area can lead to decreased thoracic mobility, pain to the lumber region (and into the pelvic region) and eventually change our posture.
Sitting straight is not enough to alleviate pain and discomfort and will most likely cause even more pain, because we will over-correct our posture and transfer the strain to a different region. Whether you are a seasoned athlete, a beginner or maybe haven’t started your journey (yet), you need to include proper stretching into your routine. Stretching helps open the body back up and increases mobility. Specifically, stretching the thoracic region will improve the mobility in your reach. It will help to improve how high/far you can reach your arm above your shoulder such as when you are lifting an object to put on a high shelf.
Three simple but very effective stretches that you can easily add into your day are:
The Cat Cow – Start on your hands and knees, aligning your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. You will be in a supportive tabletop position. For the cow position, you will inhale and arch. Curl your toes under. Inhale as you tilt your pelvis back so that your tailbone sticks up. While keeping your abdominal muscles tight drop your belly down. Then slowly take your gaze up toward the ceiling (not just your eyes but your whole head) but don’t crank your neck. Now release your toes and tops of your feet to the floor. Exhale and tip your pelvis forward and tuck your tailbone, draw your navel in toward your spine, slowly drop your head and take your gaze to your navel. This is cat pose. Repeat this sequence for 1 minute. Focus on your breathing and the position of your body.
Thread the Needle – Still in that tabletop position with a neutral spine, take your left arm and thread it between your right arm and knee. Your left shoulder will drop toward the floor as your right arm moves forward. Go into the position as far as your body will let you. You should feel your upper back open and stretch the area under and in between your shoulder-blade(s). Slowly come back to tabletop position and repeat on the opposite side. Alternate sides left and right, for up to 1 minute.
Quadruped Rotation – In the same tabletop position with neutral spine, place the right hand on the back of the head, with the arm and torso facing the floor. Rotate your elbow up toward the ceiling. Then come back to starting position. Repeat for 30 seconds on one side, switch and repeat for 30 seconds on the other side.
Each of these stretches should be performed for up to 1 minute, depending on your level. These are stretches that you can do every day it only takes a few minutes, but it will help with your posture and your mobility in the thoracic region.
There are a few things to remember when stretching; if you are cold do not hold the stretch position for longer than 5 to 8 Seconds. Holding the position is called static stretching. Think of a rubber band, if it is cold and stretched out, it could snap. If you start to feel any type of pain, slowly bring yourself out of the stretch and back to a neutral position. If this is new for you will most likely feel some discomfort as you learn to find your sweet spot (the spot that is the farthest stretch for you). Remember to breathe and start to learn the difference between pain and soreness. Remember “pace, don’t race”.
Jilisa Ghareeb has been a Beachbody coach for 5 years. Her favorite part of being involved with fitness and nutrition is watching her clients change and open up a whole new world. As a coach she, is able to help others by introducing them to a change that is often scary, intimidating and full of “what ifs” to an encouraging and inspirational lifestyle full of “I cans”. She uses her own story to show others that everything is possible with hard work and determination. If you’re interested in reaching out to Jilisa for more information you can contact her via email ([email protected]), on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jilisa_ghareeb_cim) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/castironmama)
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