Deep breathing exercise

The purpose of this simple breathing exercise is to focus on your breathing so when you actually do start stretching, you relax and your muscles are tension free. If you close your eyes during this exercise you may have more luck clearing your mind of other thoughts. Now is not the time to think about what you’re having for lunch or whom you may have forgotten to call. This time is for thinking only about your body, your breathing, and your movement.
To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Take a moment to feel neutral spine — the natural curve of your back as you lie on the floor.
2. Place your hands on your lower abdomen (see Figure 8-1), and inhale deeply through your nose and feel your rib cage expand as you fill your lungs with air.
3. As you exhale, push the air out through your nose or mouth. Feel your rib cage shrink back to its original size.
4. Repeat this exercise five times.

A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise:

• Do keep your lower back on the floor during this exercise.
• Do keep your body relaxed and free of tension.
• Don’t forget to feel your rib cage with your hands as it expands and shrinks.

Getting to Your Whole Body in Just Ten Minutes

The total-body routine in this section progresses through three stages:

• Breathing is the most fundamental of all stretching techniques. Breathing helps your muscles relax, which makes your stretches more effective. If your body has any tension, then your muscles won’t stretch to their full potential.
• Correct body alignment is important for good posture and to prevent injury. The totalbody routine helps you find and maintain a neutral spine (keeping your hips, buttocks, and back all in one straight line) to assist in proper alignment. This stretching routine also helps you strengthen your shoulders and upper back so you can stand up tall and proud.
• Stretching all the major muscle groups leads to whole-body wellness, and this routine helps you slowly progress through a sequence of stretches designed to concentrate on all those major muscle groups — from your top to the bottom. Just start at the beginning of this routine and work your way through each stretch as prescribed below.

Each stage above is a building block. For instance, after you master the proper technique for breathing, you then use your breath to relax so you can focus on enhanced body awareness throughout the following stretches.
In addition, this total-body routine is full of ACD stretches — Anyone-Can-Do stretches (or at least that’s what I call them). This sequence of stretches gently allows you to increase your awareness of your body and the way it feels, while helping you get more comfortable with the basic stretches.

In case you always wanted to do the splits

Two kinds of splits — forward splits and straddle or side splits — are both considered advanced stretches because they require extreme flexibility in your hamstrings, hip flexors, quads, and adductors. Keep in mind that doing the splits isn’t necessary for everyday life. Gymnasts, cheerleaders, dancers, and advanced athletes in martial arts or figure skating are really the only ones who need that much flexibility. If your goal is to feel better and move more freely, then just stick to the exercises in this section.

Is trying to do a split a good idea or a bad idea? For generations, many have regarded achieving a perfect split as the height of flexibility, but because of its allure, it has enticed many people unprepared for the demands of the stretch into an uncomfortable and possibly harmful position. Perhaps the real question isn’t whether to attempt the stretch, but why? To do the splits properly requires a real investment of time and discipline, and if you’re not performing in Cirque du Soleil, it might not be worth the payoff. Nevertheless, if doing the splits is something you’ve always wanted to do, follow these guidelines:

1. Warm up!
2. Perform individual stretches for your hamstrings, quads, and inner thighs (see examples in this chapter). Make sure these areas are warm and limber before you make your first attempt.
3. Begin kneeling on one leg and place your opposite foot out in front of you flat on the floor.
4. Slowly slide the knee beneath you backward as far as you can. Notice that your front leg gradually extends. Find your comfort zone and stay there for a few deep breaths.
5. Inhale and as you exhale, see if you can move the knee back a little farther and take the stretch a little deeper.
6. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and then release the stretch by coming back to the starting position.
7. Try the stretch again and repeat two or three times —each time trying to go a little deeper and getting your legs straighter.

Don’t expect to be able to do a perfect split right away. It will take weeks of slowly and progressively increasing your range of motion in the split position. As with any stretch, perform this one slowly and carefully and pay attention to form. In a perfect split, both legs must be straight, both hips must face forward, and the buttock of your front leg should be on the floor. You probably won’t get it the first time you try, but you can gradually get a little farther every day. Don’t be discouraged. It’s really fun to do something you thought was impossible, and many of you may think it’s impossible to do a perfect split. But you never know until you try.

Lying ankle circles

This exercise is designed to loosen up the muscles around your ankles and to increase circulation in your feet and lower legs. To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Lie on your back with your left leg straight out in front of you and your right knee lifted toward your chest.
2. Inhale, and as you exhale, circle your right ankle clockwise four to eight times.
3. Reverse the circle counterclockwise for four to eight rotations.

If it’s more comfortable, bend your opposite knee while you circle your ankle.
A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise:

• Do keep your upper back, neck, and shoulders relaxed and tension free while you focus on your ankle.
• Do make your ankle circles slow and mindful.
• Don’t grip your feet or crunch your toes.

Bottom of foot stretch

Flexible and limber feet and ankles can absorb the pounding of walking, running, and jumping more efficiently than if your feet and ankles are tight and rigid. This stretch targets the muscles that run along the entire bottom of your feet. It doesn’t beat a foot massage, but if you’re prone to cramping in your feet you should do this stretch every day.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Begin with your hands and knees on the floor (all-fours position).
2. Flex your feet so your toes are moving toward your knees.
3. Inhale and gently move your hips back and down toward your heels and move your heels up, toward your hips. You should feel this stretch on the bottom of your feet.
4. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds by using deep breathing to help you sink gradually deeper into the stretch.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do move your hips back toward your heels.
• Do focus on lifting your heels as you gently press the balls of your feet toward the floor.
• Do lift your bellybutton toward your spine.
• Don’t hold your breath.

Kneeling shin stretch

Probably the most common injury to your shin area is called shin splints. Shin splints happen for many reasons: overuse, working out on a hard surface, fallen arches in your feet, and even lack of flexibility. Try this next stretch to keep this area lengthened and flexible. Skip this stretch if you have bad knees because the exercise may be uncomfortable for you.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Kneel on a carpeted floor or mat with your toes pointed backward.
2. Lower your hips and sit on top of your heels.
3. Inhale and as you exhale grab the top of your left foot and gently pull it toward your buttocks.
4. You should feel this stretch in your left shin.
5. Hold the stretch for a few seconds and release.
6. Repeat this stretch a few more times on your left side and then switch sides, repeating the stretch an equal number of times on the right.

If this position is uncomfortable or creates pain in your knees because of lack of range of motion, try rolling a towel and placing it behind your knees and under your buttocks. Also, make sure you’re on a comfortable mat or carpet while performing this stretch.
A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do sit on your heels.
• Do lift your abdominals while you lift your foot and maintain the natural curve of your spine.
• Don’t allow your buttocks to sit on the floor between your heels — it creates stress on your knees.

Achilles tendon stretch on one knee

One of the more common severe injuries of the weekend warrior is a torn or ruptured Achilles tendon. This type of injury can only be treated with surgery and/or prolonged immobilization in a cast. Trust me; neither option is any fun at all. Keeping this area flexible and strong is a good preventive approach to keep the injuries and the doctors away. (Who needs apples? Just stretch!)
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Kneel on one knee with your hips back on your heel and your other foot flat on the floor next to your.
2. Place your hands on the floor in front of you and inhale; as you exhale shift your body weight forward, keeping your heel on the floor as you lean. You should feel the stretch in your Achilles tendon in your front leg.
3. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths.
4. Repeat this stretch on your other leg.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your eyes looking down toward your fingers.
• Do keep your weight moving forward past your toes.
• Do keep your hips over your back foot.
• Don’t lift your back heel off the floor.
• Don’t force or bounce the stretch.

Standing calf stretch

Wearing high heels and standing for long periods of time can tighten and shorten your calf muscles, which over time can actually cause lower back pain. This stretch helps keep you limber if you’re one of the many who wear heels regularly or stand all day. Try to find a moment several times during the day to stretch your calves (if you’re wearing heels, take them off first!).
To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Face a wall or sturdy surface and stand one foot away with your feet together.
2. Lean forward and place your hands directly on the wall in front of you.
3. Move your left foot back as far as you can while still keeping your heel on the floor.
4. Bend the right knee slightly but keep the left knee straight. Try to keep your toes pointing directly forward in line with your heel. The more you turn your toes outward, the less effective the stretch for your calf.
5. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, gently press your hips forward, keeping your left heel on the ground.
6. Hold the stretch for several deep breaths and then slightly bend your left knee without lifting your heel off the floor. By bending your knee you stretch an additional muscle in your calf, which is important for ankle flexibility.
7. Repeat this stretch with your right leg.

A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise:

• Do keep your toes and heel in line.
• Do keep your heel on the floor.
• Do breathe deeply and rhythmically throughout the stretch.
• Don’t round your back — keep your neck, shoulders, back, hips, and rear leg in one line.

Seated straddle stretch

Even though this is a common stretch, because of the complexity of all the muscles
involved it’s not an easy stretch to do properly. Your hamstrings, back, and inner thighs must all work together to perform this stretch with good form. If any of these areas are tight the effectiveness of the stretch can be compromised.

To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight and your feet as far apart as possible.
2. Place your hands behind your hips and sit up very tall. Keeping your hands behind your hips helps you keep your spine lifted and straight, allowing you to stretch your back, inner thighs, and hamstrings without creating tension in your shoulders and upper back.
3. Move your hips forward an inch or two until you feel the stretch along both inner thighs.
4. Inhale, and as you exhale, lean slightly forward, tilting your pelvis back.

If keeping your back straight and your hips tilted back is difficult, try performing this stretch while sitting on a pillow or folded towel or blanket. By raising your hips off the floor, some stress on your hamstrings will ease, allowing you to focus on your inner thighs.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your knees and toes facing upward toward the ceiling.
• Do tilt your pelvis back as you lift your chest.
• Do breathe deeply through the entire stretch.
• Don’t place your hands in front of you unless you can keep them there without rounding your spine or tucking your pelvis under.
• Don’t bounce this stretch.

Standing groin stretch

Your adductors are the muscles that run along your inner thighs and groin. Although there are many different ways to stretch your adductors, this stretch is probably the easiest way to stretch your entire groin area without tensing your neck, shoulders, and back. Grab a chair for this exercise — and make sure that the chair is sturdy and stable. No rolling office chairs for this stretch!
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Stand next to a chair and raise your leg that’s closest to the chair to place your foot on the seat of the chair. Make sure to keep your hips and shoulders facing forward.
2. Exhale slowly as you bend forward and lower your hands toward the floor. Let gravity do the work —you shouldn’t have to. If you feel too much strain, place one hand on the seat of the chair to give you a little more control over the stretch.
3. Gradually deepen the stretch with every exhale as you hold this stretch for 30 seconds. Shake your head “no” to make sure that you aren’t holding tension in your neck.
4. Roll up slowly and repeat the stretch with your other leg.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do tilt your pelvis back so you feel the stretch a little deeper in your groin.
• Don’t rush!
• Don’t bounce or force the stretch because those motions can cause the muscles to tighten up rather than relax and lengthen.

Heel to buttocks, facedown

If your quads are stiff or sore after a workout, try this stretch as a cool-down to further stretch and relax your muscles.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Lie on the floor, facedown with both legs straight out behind your body and your left hand at your side.
2. Make a fist with your right hand and rest your forehead on your fist.
3. Bend your left knee and raise your heel toward your buttocks.
4. Reach back with your left hand and grab the top of your left foot and hold the foot in place . If you have difficulty reaching the top of your foot, grab the back of your heel, ankle, or even the hem of your pant leg. But don’t pull down on your foot. Instead, just rest your foot in your hand as you focus on pressing your hip to the floor. This should keep the stretch in your quads, not in your knee joint.
5. Inhale and as you exhale squeeze your buttocks and gently press your hip toward the floor. Avoid letting your left knee move out to the side as you reach for it with your left hand. Try to keep your knees as close together as you can; this position avoids misalignment, which can cause stress to your knee joint.
6. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths.
7. Repeat Steps 1 through 6 with your right leg.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your head down and resting on your fist.
• Do breathe to relax into the stretch.
• Do keep your knees together and squeeze your buttocks.
• Do focus on pressing your hip toward the floor.
• Don’t focus on bringing your foot to your buttocks.