Status: Tags: Links: Stretching
Pomodoro Stretches
I’ll try to incorporate these stretches after every other pomodoro session ^^
Steps
Neck Stretches
1. Slow nod: Bend your neck forward, touching your chin to your chest for a second, then reverse the movement, bending your neck backward as far as you can as you look up to the ceiling. Hold for a second. Perform this slow nod five times.
2. Slow shake: Twist your neck as far as you can to the left, looking over your left shoulder, then hold for a second. Twist your neck as far as you can to the right, looking over your right shoulder. Hold for a second. Perform the head shake five times.
3. Half neck rolls: Lean your head back, your eyes to the ceiling, and roll your head slowly from shoulder to shoulder, holding for a second at each shoulder. Repeat five times. Tilt your head forward, chin to chest, then roll your head from shoulder to shoulder, holding for a second at each shoulder. Repeat five times.
Benefits
- Helps counteract poor posture and muscular tightening associated
Shoulder Stretches
Steps
1. Shoulder shrugs: Sit tall and shrug your shoulders as high as you can up toward your ears and hold for two to three seconds, then release, completely relaxing your shoulders. Repeat five times.
2. Backward shoulder rolls: Sit tall and roll your shoulders backward in a slow and exaggerated movement, really focusing on tightening your shoulder blades and drawing them toward each other to help pull your shoulders back.
Benefits
- Helps reset posture
Upper Body Stretches
1. Chest stretch: Stand tall and clasp your hands behind your back, your palms pressed together, your arms fully extended. Take a deep breath in, look up toward the ceiling, then as you exhale, press your hands down as far as you can as you draw your shoulders backward to widen the chest. Hold for 10 seconds, release and repeat two more times.
Benefits
- Stretches shoulders and chest
2. Spinal Twists: Sit tall in your office chair, your feet flat on the ground about hip-distance apart, knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Maintaining good posture, twist your spine to the right as far as you can, grasping the back of your chair with your right hand and the right armrest with your left hand. Hold for five seconds, then release to center before repeating to the opposite side. Perform three sets per side.
Benefits
- Stretches shoulders and chest
Lower Body Stretches
Hip Flexor and Quad Stretches:
- 1. Standing hip flexor stretch: Stand with your feet staggered, one about a foot in front of the other, roughly hip-distance apart. Keeping both feet planted on the ground with your hands on your hips, bend both knees slightly and press your hips forward until you feel a stretch through the front of your hip of your back leg. Hold for 15 seconds, release and repeat two more times, then switch legs. 2. Standing quadriceps stretch: Stand tall, feet about hip distance apart directly under your hips. Shift your weight to the left and lift your right foot from the ground, bending your right knee behind you as you grasp the top of your right foot with your right hand. Use your hand to draw your heel toward your glutes. Hold for 20 seconds, release, and repeat before switching legs.
Benefits
- Promotes muscular health and helps with lower back pain
Foot Stretches
Calf Stretches: Find a wall and stand facing the wall, feet hip-distance apart. Flex your right foot and place the ball of your foot against the wall, your heel on the ground. Press your heel down to deepen the stretch and lean slightly forward, hands light against the wall, if you need even more. Hold for 15 seconds, release and repeat before switching legs.
Benefits
- Calves are rarely engaged when we sit, so it’s important to stretch these babies :p
References: Thrillist