Stretch and Strengthen Hamstrings

Stretch and Strengthen

Hamstrings: Strech Since we sit all day, these muscles stay shortened, so they always seem to need a nice stretch. Strech: You can sit on the floor or use 2 chairs in the picture.  Straighten your legs and lean forward at the waist. You can lay on the floor, using a towel or your hand, bring your straight leg towards the ceiling and if you can further towards your head.  You can either bend your other leg or keep it straight. You can also target 1 hamstring at a time by sitting in a split V and leaning over one leg, then switching and leaning over the other leg bending at the waist.  Try to keep your back as straight as you can for the 1st half of the stretch, then curl over the leg.  Strengthen:  Strengthening can be done in various ways, a very easy way is to use a wall for support and lift the straight leg behind you (pictured), if this is ok, try to curl the leg behind you, meaning to bend your knee and bring the foot up (not pictured).  Try to keep your hips under you, instead of allowing them to go way behind you or rotate to one side. You can also get on all 4s and lift the right leg parallel to the floor, then bend the knee in and out, keeping the leg in the air.  Try to keep your hips pointing the ground.  You can look up. You can also use the stability ball to work the hamstrings, Lay on the ground.  Place the heels of your feet into the ball, keep your knees about 90* the entire time, and lift your glutes off the floor.  Use your arms to help stabilize you. (sorry no pic)

Stretch and Strengthen Lower Leg:

Stretch and Strengthen

Lower Leg: Lets cut the lower leg into front and back. The front of the leg has the main muscle called Tibialis Anterior. Usually the right side is tighter from the gas pedal, yet the left side could be if you drive  stick shift or motorcycle. To stretch the tibialis anterior= roll your toes under and stand on the front of your foot- well put weight on it. To stretch the back of your calf= put your toe pad on a step or curb, than slowly allow your heel to drop.  Or a wide lunge sometimes helps to stretch it.    To strengthen the back of your calf muscle= stand on that step or curb and slowly raise and lower your heel.  So you look like you are standing on your tip toes, than stretching your calf.

Strengthen Abs & Stretch Low Back

Strengthen Abs & Stretch Low Back

Strengthen the abdominals There are many ab exercises.  The basic crunch has you lay on your back.  Your feet should be on the floor with the knees bent; this should help to rotate your pelvis so the low back 'gap' disappears into the floor.  The hands can touch (not grasp) behind the neck.  Contract the abs to bring the shoulders off the floor focusing on the abs working.  Look up as you do this, not at your knees.  Stretch the Low Back This is a stretch done well on the floor, facing up.  You start with bringing one knee into the chest; place your hands under the knee joint (not on top of it).  After about 10 seconds switch legs, than 10 more seconds bring both legs into the chest.  If you would like to increase the stretch further into the entire spine; bring your head up to tuck into your knees.

Stretch and Strengthen forearm

Stretch and Strengthen forearm

Stretch your forearm Your forearms are unbalanced.  The pronator and flexors and are strong so they need to be stretched .- With wrist/ arm/ elbow straight out in front of you.  Allow your fingers to drop towards the floor keeping the palm up.  Use your free hand to add a slight pull on the fingers to help bring them toward the ground and towards the body. - This is how you stretch the other side (extensors) Strengthen your forearms - Strengthening can be done with a weight.  You should not need to strengthen your forearms, unless there is a physical rehab/ existing problem. - With the forearm on your knees with the palm down.  Start with the wrist/ hand relaxed down, then grab a small weight and slowly raise the top of the hands/ knuckles toward the ceiling. This works the top part (extensors).  You can also work the bottom/ flexors by having the palms up.

Stretch and Strengthen Glutes

Stretch and Strengthen Glutes

Glutes These musles are traditionally weak.  They do not get much work but are needed for the body to stabailze, so they get tight quickly and cause sciatic type problems.  Glutes need to be stretched and strengthened. Glute Stretch --- leg out, put other foot over leg- hug knee - BACK STRAIGHT ---Can do this with a bent bottom leg.   Glute and some outer thigh stretch---Can do on back or in chair ----- cross ankle to knee - hug leg with straight back.   Low Back and Glute stretngthening - keep torso straight and lift the straight leg back.  You can advance this by lifting the opposite arm at the same time.  Look up.

Stretch and Strengthen Hips / Low Back

Stretch and Strengthen Hips / Low Back

Lets Move your Hips / Low Back Lets face it-- you do ALOT of sitting in 1 day.  Sitting keeps your hips in 1 place, creating soreness and "tightness" in your hips and low back.  Sitting also helps to compress your spine so you actually become shorter after work!   When you do sit: Do not sit on your wallet or foot. Do not cross your legs at your knees. Do not lean to one side. This action keeps your pelvis twisted and pulled in an uneven way the whole time you sit like that. To loosen your hips:  Walk with super large steps for at least 20 minutes.   Do some glute stretches throughout the day.   Get up and move about every hour ------------ Here are 3 movements you can do. 1. Glute Stretch- can be done in a chair of on the floor.       -Keep your foot flexed during the entire stretch (helps the knee).      -Place your R ankle on L knee and gently push the R knee away from body.     -switch legs   2. This is a specific movement to use the sacro-illiac ligaments.  Hip-hiker -- Lay on your back with your legs straight -- Slowly bring one hip up towards your shoulder while the other is neutral or slightly lowered towards your foot. -- Than swap sides -- It should take about 5 seconds for you to completely raise 1 hip and release it before switching sides.     3. This is another specific movement for your SI joint/ ligaments. -- Lay on your side with your knees bent -- Allowing the weight of your top leg to rest on the bottom leg (this is important as to not include other muscles not needed) slowly bring your top knee further forward than the bottom knee. -- (The thighs always stay on top of each other) -- Switch sides by laying on your other side and bring your top knee forward

Stretch pecs and Strengthen upper back

Stretch pecs and Strengthen upper back

Strengthen your upper back

The upper back is weak/ tight since you have rounded shoulders the back gets totally stretched out.  To strengthen them you could backstroke swim, or you move the shoulder blades into eachother, like a row.  Starting with the arms straight in front of you than bringing the arms by the side squeezing your shoulderblades tog.

 

Stretch your pecs

Your chest is always strong/ tight since your arms are always in front of the body.  You need to hold this stretch in a doorway for 10-20 seconds.  The elbows can be at shoulder level with arms bent, and/or your arms straight with the elbows at ear level.

Stretch SCM & Strengthen Rhomboids

Stretch and Strengthen

We are looking at these 2 muscles together because usually when people look at the computer or drive they have rounded shoulders, thus perpetuating weak rhomboids.  The head usually follows suit by falling slightly forward and down, giving the weak upper back and strong SCM and front neck and pec muscles.  This will help relieve headaches as well as upper neck, shoulder pain.    Stretch: SCM or the Sternocleigomastoid    This muscle is used to rotate your head to the right and left as well as to bring your chin to your chest.  You can feel it pop out in the front of your neck when you look to the extreme right and left. To Stretch this muscle: 1. Look to the extreme right 2. Tilt your head back, so you are looking at the ceiling keeping your head turned to the right - Do the same on the other side.   You can also work on this muscle yourself if you develop a headache, as this is one of the main culprits. 1. Put your thumb in the middle at the bottom of your neck, that chock-y point 2. Turn your head to the extreme right 3. The SCM will fall onto your thumb, use your fingers to completely wrap around it 4. Put you head back in alignment- looking straight forward 5. Use your thumb and fingers to work as much of the muscle as you can reach going up and down. - Do the same for the other side Strengthen: Rhomboids This can be done with any exercise that squeezes the shoulder blades together. For instance the "row" action- there are variations on these machines at the gym but the end action for all of them is to squeeze the shoulder blades together and poke out the chest. If you do not have access to the gym you can use a resistance band.  Hold on to both ends and hook the middle around a door knob, face the door, bring both elbows along side your side and squeeze your shoulder blades together in the back to finish the move.

Stretch and Strengthen Bicep:

Stretch and Strengthen

Bicep: Stretch: Straighten your arms, keep thumbs up than rotate the entire arm/ thumbs backwards. Strengthen   Use full range of motion, meaning staighten your arm almost completely and curl your arm up almost completely. If you do half curls, this works just gives you a more bump look of a bicep verses an entire strengthening of the bicep giving it a nice "hill" shape You can do this holding your hands either palm up or thumb up, or you can combine the two starting with palm up and when the weight is curled ending with the thumb up. You can also do this with your elbow at your waist and keeping your forearms straight in front of you as well as your elbows at your side and forearms winged out further away from your body.

Stretch and Strengthen Calf:

Stretch and Strengthen

Calf: Stretch: You an use a step- and drop your heel.  If you lean forward at the waist, you will stretch your calf and hamstring with some glute also, just make sure to keep your hips parallel.   Or do a lunge and feel the stretch on your back leg/ calf Strengthen: Start with your feet flat on the floor, or half on a step... ...Than raise up onto your toes.

Stretch and Strengthen Side/ Obliques:

Stretch and Strengthen

Side/ Obliques: Stretch: Feet under hips and bend over at the side than raise your arm overhead. Strengthen: First lay over the ball on your side, than crunch up on each side.  Arms can go at head or chest level.  Legs off to side, twist at spine, crunch up and look up at the ceiling, not at chest.

Stretch and Strengthen Outer Thigh:

Stretch and Strengthen

Outer Thigh: This gets worked when you sit, stand, walk, run, and more.  You have to get a little creative with stretching your outer thigh. This should also be done before your glute stretch. Stretch:  Sit on your feet than lean to the side almost putting your glute on the floor. Hold yourself up with arms. Keep your feet away from the wall and lean your side into the wall. This helps if you cannot bend your knees. Strengthen  Start with you on your side and raise your top leg parallel to the floor....  Raise your foot to the ceiling, than slowly lower it and begin again.

Use a theraband- place it so the tension comes from the opposite direction (from left side).  Attach it to you shoe, move your right leg straight out sideways away from your body, keeping your body upright.

On all 4s. Lift the knee parallel to the floor, keeping the foot tucked, then back down to the other knee without touching the floor, then back up parallel.  If you bring your knee slightly behind you, you will also work your glutes and hams a bit.  Not the best pic, sorry.