Easy Tips For Body Maintenance At Home
We are all spending more time at home lately. Our routines have changed and our bodies are doing their best to adjust!
We may still be trying to keep active, stick to a routine, have a workstation set up but still our bodies are sore and achy (well, mine certainly is!)
So here are my top stretches and releases you can do at home to try and rejuvenate your body!
What you will need:
Trigger ball or tennis ball. I prefer something soft so it doesn’t bruise! Some people do prefer using a golf or lacrosse ball!
A wall or flat surface to lean against
Enough space to lie down
Broomstick or mop
Trigger Ball
Key points to remember when using a trigger ball:
The trigger ball goes onto muscle, not bone!
We are not aiming to cause excruciating pain! If you find that you’re grimacing or would rate the pressure over 3/10, reduce the pressure and find a more comfortable level.
Glutes
We all know of the great Gluteus Maximus! But did you know there’s also a Medius and Minimus. We’ve got to give them a bit of love too!
Retrieved: http://ironoctopusfitness.com/blog/importance-glute-training-skaters/
If you’re finding that you’re sitting a lot and getting some discomfort through your glutes and lower back, this is one for you!
Place the ball on the side of your glutes - Roughly where gluteus medius or minimus would be.
Lean against a wall and let the good times roll!
You can move the ball to find a tighter area and adjust pressure as needed.
Tensor Fascia Latae - A.K.A: TFL
If you’ve ever had one of our Massage Therapists or Physios stick an elbow in the side of your hip with a big smile... Well this is the same release but on your own terms, so it may be a little nicer!
The TFL is a small but mighty muscle and will thank you after some release work! It can be tricky to get right at first - but when you do, it's worth it!
Firstly, lying on your back, find your hip bone that sticks out a little at the front of your hip. Google anterior superior iliac spine [ASIS] for help!
Then find the bone that's on the side of your leg. Google greater trochanter if you're having trouble.
You want to place the trigger ball in between those two points and roll onto the ball. I like to put one finger on my ASIS and the other on my greater trochanter to have a clear guide for where the trigger ball should go.
You can gently rock on and off the trigger ball and move it as needed to find the good spot!
Also, no need to worry - It’s normal to feel some referral pain in your hip or down your leg!
Rhomboids
We often feel sore and tight in the area between our shoulder blades and while we’re currently unable to get a massage, a trigger ball is a great way to get into the same spots!
Keep in mind the rhomboids and pectoral muscles go together like a good wine and cheese! I like to pair a rhomboid release with a pec stretch (coming up below in ‘Clocks’ stretch!), they complement and balance each other out!
If you’re releasing something on one side of your body we want to release the other side to create some balance!
Place the ball on the muscles between your shoulder blades. Not on your shoulder blade or your spine, the good spot in between.
Lean against the wall and let the ball gently roll up and down to help release those spots of tension.
Think of the bear dancing against a tree!
Stretches
Now here are a few stretches to cover a range of areas in your body! When stretching, aim to stretch for 20-30 seconds each side. Remember to keep breathing throughout the stretch and don't stretch if it's causing pain!
Glutes
Possibly a familiar stretch for you all, but a great one to have in your tool bag!
Start lying on your back with both knees bent.
Bring one leg up, bend your knee, and let your ankle/lower shin rest just above your knee.
Bring your legs up towards your chest by holding the back of your hamstring.
Thread The Needle
A great stretch to open up through your shoulders and mid back!
Start on all fours, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Slide one arm under the other with your palm facing up. Aim to have your shoulder, ear and cheek meet the floor.
Return the arm back to starting position
Thoracic Rotation - ‘clocks’
If you’re working from home and feel like your shoulders are rounding, this will be a great stretch to help open up your chest! In this stretch we are aiming to reverse that classic desk posture that we often find ourselves in.
Start lying on your back with one knee bent up and the other straight. Have your arms out to your sides.
Let the bent knee fall across your body towards the floor, to create a twist from your glutes up through your back.
If you started with your right knee bent up, follow the next steps with your right arm. Likewise, if you started with the left leg.
To increase the stretch in your pectoral muscles, slide your arm up towards the diagonal (Either 2 or 10 o’clock on a dial, depending on which side you’re doing). Have your palm facing the ceiling and you should feel a nice stretch through your chest.
Now with the same arm that is pointing to the diagonal, draw a big circle with the whole arm. Allow your torso and head to rotate as your arm moves. Don’t forget to draw circles in both directions!
If you find a nice stretch along the way, feel free to hold and ease into the stretch.
Repeat to the other side!
Top tips for this stretch:
Draw a circle as big as you can, reaching the same distance in each direction.
If you follow your hand with your eyes you will find your neck and torso will easily twist and open.
Check out the video to see how we do it!
Hip Flexor Stretch
If you’re finding yourself sitting a lot..whether that be at a desk, or watching Netflix (Que: Tiger King binge watch!), we need to give our hip flexors some relief!
Start in a half kneeling position. If your knees are uncomfortable put a towel or mat under them.
Keep your body upright and try to have a straight line through your knee, hip and shoulder.
Actively engage/contract your glutes. This should increase the stretching sensation through the front of your leg.
If you have a broom or mop free, use that to push down on to activate your core.
There’s a few tips to keep you moving and mobile while at home! If you’re struggling to find time between work, family commitments and ‘you-time’, try setting an alarm.
Whatever time you’ve chosen, go for a walk, stretch or release. Try to break up your day with movement and find some balance for yourself!
Happy stretching!