Stretch it Out!

If you could only do one stretch for the rest of your life, what would it be? This question really doesn’t make sense for a Physiotherapist to answer! Any aspects of our health, not just those associated with pain and injury, require a planned, holistic approach. We all know there is no magic bullet or solution, and we certainly don’t promise that to our patients!

But this is fun, right?

I want to share with you the one stretch I think everyone should do if you could only do one stretch for the rest of your life.

To really answer this question, I had to consider a few things. Firstly I had to ask myself – what is the one thing human beings are doing too much of at the moment from a movement perspective.

And it’s actually, a lack of movement... too much sitting!

When we sit for prolonged periods, our hips tighten up, our spine stiffens, our shoulders get sore, and we lose global strength in our body.

A great stretch that is almost the “anti-sitting” position is highlighted above. So yes, because of how much we all sit in this crazy, modern world this would be it, “the one”!

This position is excellent because it not only stretches the hip flexor muscles but if you squeeze your bottom, brace your core and pull shoulders down it becomes an activation exercise to wake up those dormant muscles that fall asleep with prolonged sitting.

Hold the position for two sets of 30-60 seconds on each side, making sure you stay nice and tall and tuck your pelvis underneath.

Try it every day and as always, if the position is painful, see your physio or give us a call on 4965 5712 to make an appointment or visit www.nextgenphysio.com.au