As Chiropractors in Salt Lake City Utah, we feel that everyone should be living their lives pain-free. You all are constantly outside enjoying the various activities and adventures our beautiful town has to offer. It’s our job to make sure your body can sustain all those activities. Whether it be skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing or hiking, we want to make sure you can enjoy yourself and not have to deal with the perils of an achy body.
What makes your body ache is the misalignment of your joints. You see, when you work a 9-5 job, you’re probably doing repetitive movements over and over again. A gardener who’s constantly stooped in the dirt will have back problems. A teacher who stands on her feet all day will probably have hip problems. You get the idea.
It’s for this very reason we’ve provided you with a few stretches you can do on a daily basis that will help combat misalignment and get your body ache-free and ready for adventure.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Whether you sit too much or walk too much, the hip flexor is an easy target for tightening up, which will pull on your lower back and cause pain. It’s an easy fix though. Simply kneel on one knee, tuck your pelvis under while engaging your lower abdomen, and gently lean forward. You should feel a stretch at the front of your hip.
TFL Stretch (Tensor Fascia Latae)
Yes, it’s a mouthful, but this muscle can be a big problem when it gets too tight. Because it connects to the IT Band, the TFL plays a roll in both hip flexing and knee stabilization. To stretch this muscle, stand in a lunge position. Raise your arms overhead and grab the elbow of the arm on the same side as the back leg. Gently lean towards the front leg and you will feel a stretch along the outside of the back leg hip.
Hamstring Stretch
The hamstrings do a lot of your grunt work and you don’t even realize it. Tight hamstrings can lead to all sorts of problems, including but not limited to lower back problems. And it’s such a simple stretch. Simple sit with your feet together and your knees straight. Bending from the waist, gently lean forward and try to grab your toes or ankles. You will also feel a nice stretch in your lower back.
Spinal Flexion and Extension
A happy, mobil spine will make a huge difference on how well you move. On both hands and knees, simply curl your spine up towards the ceiling as you look down towards your belly button. Then drop the belly towards the floor and look up to the ceiling. It’s a simple stretch but your spine will love you for it.
With just these few stretches, your body will start to feel a whole lot better. Perform each stretch for at least a minute, three times a day.
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