Feeling Sluggish ? These simple stretches each day can help

 Right now, many of us are feeling a sense of lethargy and exhaustion as we ride the roller coaster that is the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introducing some simple stretching each morning, or when you're feeling particularly unmotivated, is a great way to gently move your body, release some stress and give yourself a bit of a lift . 

One of the things that can feel good about stretching in particulars is, for example, if you've been sitting in one spot for a period of time , your joints and muscles and your body have habituated into that position.

Stretching helps muscles with flexibility and strength and maintains a range of motion in the joints. As many of us are sitting more and moving less, our muscles may be tighter and shorter , resulting in a sensation of stiffness.

Many people have changed their routines and it's likely that it's less physically active, as this can have a negative impact on our physical and mental wellbeing and that stretching along with any physical activity will be beneficial.

To claim the health benefits of exercise, you don't necessarily need to go on along run or take part in strenuous activity. It's about just moving your body and getting the blood flowing.

Stretching also allows you to pause, think about your body and tap into how you're feeling.

Take that 10 minutes out of your day to tune in and do something positive in this time we're in where we're ......stressed and perhaps anxious.

There are different types of stretching including static, which is sustained holding, dynamic, which is a swing motion, and ballistic , which involves bouncing.

The ballistic stretching can more easily lead to muscle injury, so it might be best to stick with the first two.

The different stretches are going to suit different people better, so it's best to determine what works for you.

Following stretches to be done at home : 

Hip Flexor Stretch :

Kneel on the floor and place one foot in a large stride in front of you. Push the hips forwards evenly while keeping your buttock tucked under until you feel the stretch in the front of the hip on your back leg.

This is an important stretch to help counteract the effects of sitting, whereby the hip flexors are in shortened position.

Side lying thoracic rotation :

Lie on your side with your head supported on a pillow and your knees bent to 90 degrees. Reach your arms out in front of you with your hands together. Rotate the upper arm upwards and outwards from your trunk. Try to rotate as far as you can , without forcing the shoulder.

With the transition to working from home and reduced activity , most spines have probably been starved of rotation, which is an important movement for the maintenance of spinal health.

Levator Scapulae (neck) Stretch : 

For this , start in a seated position . Then, to stretch the left side, place your left hand behind your back so that your elbow is over the top of your head. take the right hand and pull your head towards your right armpit until you feel a stretch from the base of your skull down into your shoulder blade on the left side. Repeat on the opposite side.

 

The levator scapulae muscle is one of the most likely muscles to become shortened as a result of suboptimal sitting postures and stretching it can feel most relieving for any neck extension felt at the back of the neck.