Is it a struggle to stretch?
The best stretch for you is……………………….actually DOING SOMETHING consistently. It could be ANYTHING, SOMETHING. It doesn’t have to be 10 stretches, you just have to do it daily especially if you want to see results. We create tightness in our body everyday by working, driving, or anything that requires a lot of sitting. If you look at our activities, we spend majority of our day staring at a desk, watching TV, reading a blog (don’t worry, it doesn’t take that long to finish this), or eating. 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 being tight. However, you don’t have to spend 8+ hours of stretching because NOBODY has time for that. So here’s what you should do; pick a body part that you’re tight and spend 5 minutes a day stretching that particular area on a REGULAR BASIS.
Secondly, stretching is tedious and redundant. I get it, and 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 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 are 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, your squats are going to improve. This will allow you to progress your exercises.
In summary, your tightness depends on what you do on a regular basis. Hence, if you sit all day, 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 take 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 month’s blog, stay tuned for more………………..Kei