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Foam Roll Latissimus Dorsi

 

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Stretch Of The Week – Side-lying IT Band Stretch

 

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STRETCH OF THE WEEK:

Side-lying IT Band Stretch 

This stretch is amazing for any endurance athletes. The most common athletes with IT Band Syndrome or ITBS would be long distance runners, cyclists, and hikers. However, the foot, ankle, outer knee, and glute pains of ITBS can also manifest strongly in pregnant and post natal women.

🛑 Perform the following four steps while fully lying on your side, and not letting your hips open up toward the ceiling.

  1. Pull the heel of your top leg toward the upper and outer part of your butt without bringing your knee to far forward in front of you.
  2. While holding that heel at your butt, lift that knee as high and then as far back as it can go.
  3. Then lower that knee forcefully straight down towards the ground till you feel a pull on the outer part of the knee, and down the side of your leg.
  4. Finally with the bottom leg, place the foot on top of the stretched knee and push down even more. 🔹Hold here for 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other leg
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Stretch Of The Week – Child’s Pose With Lean

STRETCH OF THE WEEK:

Child’s Pose With Lean

This is another great Latissimus Dorsi Stretch! This is an easy comfortable stretch to get into and hold for an extended period of time. This #stretch is particularly perfect for golfers and swimmers. The leaning rotation once in child’s pose will get a significant pull on each individual side and allow the athlete to identify any flexibility imbalances they may have. With the extra flexibility a golfer will be able to rotate more comfortably and produce more power on drives and iron shots! Again, anyone can benefit from this stretch for rounded shoulders, and thoracic postural purposes as well.

DO THIS STRETCH!

  1. Start on hands and knees on the floor
  2. Knees are hip width apart and the arms parallel to each other
  3. Move the hip towards the heels and push the hands forward a bit to reach an effective stretching
  4. Let the upper body sink down to the floor
  5. Using your finger tips, walk your hands out as far as they can go, to achieve a deep stretch. * Then, again using finger tips, walk your hands off to one side while keeping your upper body and hips level to the floor
  6. Hold stretch for 30+ seconds then repeat on other side
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Stretch Of The Week – Fire Log Pose With Torso Twist

STRETCH OF THE WEEK:

Fire Log Pose With Torso Twist

This is an amazing full body #stretch! The Fire Log Pose provides a deep stretch to the hips, opening the outer hips and buttocks. It also stretches and strengthens the groins, thighs, calves, and abdominal muscles. This pose also gently stimulates the abdominal organs, which helps to regulate digestion and metabolism. Adding in the Torso Twist is a great way to stretch the lumbar and thoracic spine as well. This stretch is PERFECT for pregnant and postnatal women. In addition however, the flexibility, mobility, and core benefits from this stretch are advantageous for all sorts of athletes and athletic activities involving torso rotation and hip stability, including baseball, volleyball, golf, tennis, rock climbing, MMA, dancing, gymnastics….well…everyone! 😀

DO THIS STRETCH!

  1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended, spine straight, and arms resting at your sides. * Bend your right knee and hug it to your chest. Then bring your right ankle to rest just above your left kneecap.
  2. Bend your left knee. Slide your left shin beneath your right shin, bringing your left ankle directly underneath your right knee.
  3. Work toward bringing your shins parallel to the top edge of your mat, keeping your right shin stacked directly above your left shin.
  4. Press your groins toward the floor and sit up straight. Keep your back strong and chest up – This is the Fire Log Pose
  5. Now to add the Torso Twist
  6. Place your right hand in front of your legs, fingers pointing forward, and your left hand directly behind you, fingers pointing backward.
  7. While maintaining a strong upright torso and keeping your knees and ankles down, gently twist to point your chest to the left.
  8. Hold for five seconds and repeat the twist to the other side. * Keep switching side to side for up to one minute.
  9. Release the pose slowly.
  10. Repeat for the same amount of time with the opposite leg on top
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Stretch Of The Week – Seated Lean Back Stretch

STRETCH OF THE WEEK:

Seated Lean Back Stretch

When we sit hunched over a desk or tablet all day our anterior deltoids shorten (and get tight) along with our pectoral muscles. This is generally the cause of most adults poor posture and it’s associated pain. The seated lean back (an anterior deltoid and pectoral stretch) is an excellent #stretch for relieving neck, shoulder, and upper back pain caused by this poor posture and rounded shoulders. This is also staple for all athletes, involved in sports or activities with a high usage of their shoulder cuff. Examples include baseball, tennis, and volleyball players, along with rock climbers and powerlifters. In addition, this is amazing for postnatal moms 🤰🏻👶🏻🙌🏻 especially when breastfeeding due to hunching your shoulders over while feeding your pride and joy. Take time to take care of yourselves too moms! 👍🏻💯

How To Do It!

  1. Sit upright on the floor or a yoga mat, with your feet flat on the ground and legs bent comfortably.
  2. Place your hands palms down, behind you slightly wider than shoulder width apart, with your fingers pointed backward.
  3. Slowly scoot your butt and hips forward, or walk your hands backwards until you feel a gentle stretch in the front of your shoulders and across your chest.
  4. From there, inhale as you lift your chest toward the ceiling allowing the shoulders to open even more. (Hold for 3s)
  5. Then exhale and allow your body to sink deeper into the stretch (Hold for 5s)
  6. Repeat the stretching and breathing 5 times trying to stretch deeper each time.
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Stretch Of The Week – Three Way Neck Stretch

STRETCH OF THE WEEK:

Three Way Neck Stretch

The three way neck #stretch will focus on the seven main muscles responsible for movement of the neck in all directions. .The neck houses the most joint and muscle receptors in our body relative to its size. These receptors send messages to our brain that include not only pain but also the awareness of our position in space as well as our balance. They control postural sense regarding head position, lumbar curve, pelvic tilt and even foot strike. Correct flexibility of the neck is essential for optimal functioning in all of these areas. All rather important things for ALL ATHLETES, as well as ANYBODY in everyday life!

🔈DO THIS STRETCH‼

  1. While standing upright Place your right hand gently on top of your head. .
  2. Pull straight down, gently from the top of your head. (Hold for 10s)
  3. Then look over your left shoulder and pull straight down again gently. (Hold for 15s) .
  4. Now pull straight over to the side, gently pulling your right ear toward your right shoulder. (Hold for 15s)
  5. Repeat twice through with your right hand on top of your head.
  6. Repeat twice through again with your left hand on top of your head switching to look over your right shoulder, and pull your left ear toward your left shoulder as well.

⚠ Don’t over stretch!!! You should feel a gentle comfortable stretch in your neck.

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Stretch Of The Week – Wrist Extension Cobra Pose

STRETCH OF THE WEEK:

Wrist Extension Cobra Pose

The wrist extension cobra pose, is a #stretch that will give you all the benefits of the cobra pose (which I have already gone over in a past post) and it will focus on relieving muscle tension throughout your wrist flexors. This will give you more range of motion in the extension function of the wrist. .

This is important because if we lack motion at the wrist, we’ll try to make the motion up at the shoulder and elbow, causing more pain in more places. Conversely, if we lack shoulder mobility, we’ll try to make it up at the elbow and wrists. Therefore, just as it was important to focus on scapular and shoulder mobility a couple months back, it is also important to focus on the wrist, as the two are interconnected and focusing on one may not alleviate the problem for the other.

🔈DO THIS STRETCH‼

  1. Start getting in your hands and knees, with your knees directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders. .
  2. Now turn your hands outwards and around as much as you can trying to point your fingers back at you. .
  3. Keep your palms down to give a good stretch in the flexor muscles in your forearm. ⚠ For some you may stop here and hold for 30-60 seconds. .
  4. If possible now, while keeping your palms down and arms locked out, straighten your legs out behind you, pull your shoulder blades down and back (like you are putting them in your back pockets) and press your belly to the ground. (Hold for 30-60 seconds)

⚠From either holding spot you can rock forward to decrease the stretch, or backward, to increase the stretch.

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Stretch Of The Week – Wrist Extension And Flexion Stretch

STRETCH OF THE WEEK:

Wrist Extension And Flexion Stretch

The wrist extension and flexion #stretch is an amazingly simple but effective stretch that will relieve tension throughout the the main muscles in your forearms responsible for flexing and extending your wrists. This will give you more range of motion in both commonly used wrist positions as well as help to relax tight and painful hands, elbows, and shoulders.

This is important because if we lack motion at the wrist, we’ll try to make the motion up at the shoulder and elbow, causing more pain in more places. Conversely, if we lack shoulder mobility, we’ll try to make it up at the elbow and wrists. Therefore, just as it was important to focus on scapular and shoulder mobility a couple months back, it is also important to focus on the wrist, as the two are interconnected and focusing on one may not alleviate the problem for the other.

🔈DO THIS STRETCH‼

  1. Start standing or seated upright with your right arm straight out in front of you facing your palm forward. .
  2. Grab the fingers of your right hand with your left and firmly pull them back and slightly down toward the back of your forearm, to stretch your wrist flexors. (Hold for 15-20s)
  3. Now point your right hands fingers down toward the ground, facing your palm back at you. .
  4. Grab the back of your right hand at your knuckles with your left and pull firmly back toward your body again providing a stretch in your wrist extensors. (Hold for 15-20s)
  5. Repeat both stretches twice, and then repeat all steps on your left arm.
Gallery

Stretch Of The Week – Side Laying Half Windmill Stretch

 

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STRETCH OF THE WEEK:

Side Laying Half Windmill Stretch

The Side Laying Half Windmill #stretch will focus on relieving muscle tension throughout your lats as well as your middle and upper traps as as you reach forward, then your pecs and shoulders as your windmill around, and it will replenish your thoracic spine throughout the entire stretch. This will allow your shoulder and neck to relax and become more mobile, and improve your neck posture, removing that forward leaning head that many people have. 😬

The neck houses the most joint and muscle receptors in our body relative to its size. These receptors send messages to our brain that include not only pain but also the awareness of our position in space as well as our balance. They control postural sense regarding head position, lumbar curve, pelvic tilt and even foot strike. Correct flexibility of the neck is essential for optimal functioning in all of these areas. All rather important things for ALL ATHLETES, as well as ANYBODY in everyday life!

🔈DO THIS STRETCH‼

  1. Start laying on the ground on your left side with both arms out in front of your palms together. .
  2. Straighten your left leg, and bend your right knee in front of you (prop it up on a foam roller/towel to keep your hips level) and rest your right foot on the side of your left knee. .
  3. While maintaining your level hips and legs locked in position, begin to reach your right arm out past your left hand until you feel a gentle stretch on your right lat.
  4. Then begin to drag your hand along the ground around over your head all the way to the other side with a straight arm, allowing your hand to roll from palm down to palm up and your shoulders to roll flat to the floor.
  5. Then slowly bring your hand palm down across your chest and left arm until you are back in the starting position .
  6. Repeat 6-10 times through the whole motion.
  7. Repeat all steps again while laying on your right side.

 

⚠ Don’t over stretch!!! You should feel a gentle comfortable bend in your spine as you lay back and open up your chest.