Best stretch for you…….
Is it a struggle to stretch?
The best stretch for you is……………………….actually DOING SOMETHING consistently. It could be ANYTHING, SOMETHING. Doesn’t necessarily have to be 10 stretches you have to do, it just has to be done daily. To start off with, stretching is something you HAVE to do on a regular basis to see results. We create tightness in our body everyday by working, driving, or anything that requires sitting. If you look at our activities, we spend majority of our day staring at a desk, watching TV, reading this blog (don’t worry, it doesn’t take that long to finish this. I hope), or eating (I hope you sit down when you eat). Let’s just compare the amount of hours we sit to the time we allocate for stretching. Definitely not even close to being even, right? That’s your answer for you being tight right there. However, you don’t have to spend 8+ hours of stretching because ain’t NOBODY got time for that. So here’s what you should do; pick a body part that you’re tight in and spend 5 minutes of your day stretching that particular area on a REGULAR BASIS.
Secondly, stretching is tedious and redundant. I get it, it’s not meant to be the world’s most exciting activity. However, the body will appreciate it and WILL OPEN a lot of doors to what you can accomplish. Usually if you have back/hip tightness, your ability to squat is compromised. Squats are something we do on a regular basis, from going to the restroom, getting in and out of the car, getting up from your bed, standing up from your work chair, etc. When people say, “I can’t squat,” I say how did you come out of your car? Then, I make the comparison and it clicks. They start realizing that squats is essential for everyday activity. The downfall of having a tight back or hip is that all those squats you do on a regular basis is incorrect. One very common compensation is the torso leaning forward too much. Picture doing a child’s pose as you stand up, that’s what it looks like. Most of the reason this happens is because the body wants to protect the back, so it decides to elongate the back muscles by leaning forward. This adds unnecessary pressure to the knees. This is one example of how people compromise a movement we do on a regular basis. If you work on your flexibility, then chances are, your squats are going to improve. This opens the door to, maybe back squats, kettlebell squats, etc.
In summary, your tightness depends on what you do on a regular basis. Hence, if you sit all day at work, then your back and hips are going to be tight. How do you get rid of it? STRETCH CONSISTENTLY. I cannot stress enough of the amount of time you need to allocate to stretching. I look at stretching as something we all can do more of because it doesn’t long before the body tightens up. Don’t seek for immediate results because it might take couple of months, if not years, of stretching on a regular basis to see drastic results. STAY CONSISTENT. Sounds familiar, right? Hope you liked this week’s blog, stay tuned for more next week………………..Kei