Flexibility exercises and stretches are crucial for improving mobility, preventing muscle tightness, and optimizing fitness performance. Experts recommend incorporating stretching routines into daily regimens to increase flexibility and reduce the risk of injury. Stretching before and after workouts is important, with dynamic stretches recommended before and static stretches after. Consistency is key, with full-body stretch sessions ideally performed every day for at least 60 seconds per stretch. Experts suggest various flexibility exercises, including standing calf and Achilles' tendon stretch, staggered hamstring stretch, figure-four stretch, seated quad stretch, child's pose, wall slide, sleeper stretch shoulder rotation, 90/90 hip stretch, cat-cow, lunged lower back and glutes stretch, deep squat stretch, and standing straddle stretch.
Sitting for long hours during a road trip can cause muscle cramps and stiffness. To alleviate this, certified yoga instructors recommend doing car yoga poses that target the muscles affected by being in a seated position. These poses include forward fold, neck rolls, tree pose, seated cat-cow, yoga squat, eagle arm pose, wrist rotations, supported wrist stretch, warrior I, warrior II, and seated pigeon. Doing these poses every two hours can help stretch and loosen up muscles, improve posture, and promote relaxation during a long car ride.
Neck pain is a common problem caused by strains and sprains to the muscles and ligaments. Aging and lack of movement lead the muscles covering connective tissue, called fascia, to tighten throughout the body, creating sensitive areas called trigger points. Movement and stretching can hydrate and loosen fascia and muscles. Spine experts recommend trying exercises like box breathing, head retraction, thoracic spine extensions, shoulder rolls, and seated reverse shoulder fly to prevent and ease neck pain.
Plantar fasciitis is a common condition that causes pain on the bottom of the foot, making it difficult to walk, run, and stand. Physical therapist Andy Wang recommends four stretches to help relieve the pain and increase mobility, including the plantar fascia stretch, dynamic lunge, gastrocnemius stretch, and soleus stretch. These stretches can help loosen up the inflamed area and provide much-needed blood flow to the plantar fascia. It's important to not push past the point of pain when doing these stretches and to seek medical attention if symptoms worsen.
