Low impact workouts are often the way to go for those persons who suffer from back or limb pain. Doing so allows one to benefit from exercise without putting their bodies through an excessive amount of strain that can do more harm than good. In fact, sometimes an individual can promote their own healthy lifestyle by simply stretching in a way that limbers up their body and gets their body ready for other, more high-stress workouts.
In a report out of Connecticut, a physical rehabilitation director explains some of the stretches that can help reduce the risk of a back or lower body injury. Keep in mind as you review this advice that stretching should be protracted rather than sudden, with all movements being deliberate and held for up to ten seconds. This allows you to get more out of the workout.
First, let’s look at what you can do to get your back stretched out. Some actions don’t even require you to get off the ground. The next time you stretch before a workout, sit down and point your legs forward, keeping your feet touching each other and your toes pointed to the sky. Then, reach forward as far as you can, bringing your chin as close to your legs as possible. If you’re doing things right, you should feel tension in both your back and your lower legs. From there, you can splay your legs apart from one another and do the same stretch, although this time you’ll be leaning toward either foot.
Other activities, however, will in fact require you to stand up to stretch your back. One valuable stretch will see you standing as straight as possible, spreading your legs apart but keeping your back straight. Then, take one toe and point it to the side. Once you’ve done this, take your opposing arm and windmill it sideways over your head to bring it down toward the pointed foot. If you’re doing things right, your head should be pointed sideways or down at the foot while buried in the crook of the elbow that’s been raised over your head. Once you’re in position, you should switch to the same stretch on the other side in one swift movement.
Of course, not everything is about back health. It’s also important to stretch out your lower extremities, especially if your stretching is going to be followed by a spirited run. For more tips focused on how to stretch in the proper manner, be sure to follow the link above or speak with a trainer about a regimen that’s a good fit for you.
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