But what are the best everyday stretches for anyone looking to avoid sore muscles, get more flexible, and protect his or her muscles from injuries?
We turned to Marilyn Moffat, a professor of physical therapy at New York University and author of “Age Defying Fitness,” to go over some of the best basic stretches for everyone.
Remember: Don’t do these stretches if they make you uncomfortable or if you have existing muscle problems. Instead, consult a physical therapist.
First things first: Get seated with good posture. Having that will help you do these stretches correctly.
![](https://static.businessinsider.sg/sites/2/2017/10/59ef58ce9099241f008b6b05.jpg)
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
Start with some neck rotations. Be sure to hold each side for 30 to 60 seconds. This applies to all stretches.
![](https://static.businessinsider.sg/sites/2/2017/10/59ef544d90992439008b6a49.jpg)
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
For the neck tilt, be sure to pull your left arm down toward the floor, either holding onto the chair or just pulling down.
![](https://static.businessinsider.sg/sites/2/2017/10/59ef545addd0631d008b6e5c.jpg)
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
Keeping your posture solid, move through your trunk rotations, again holding 30 to 60 seconds.
![](https://static.businessinsider.sg/sites/2/2017/10/59ef5465ddd0634e008b6f2e.jpg)
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
For this pose, a little bend is all you need. It’s just enough to stretch out your spine without going too far.
![](https://static.businessinsider.sg/sites/2/2017/10/59ef581dddd0632d008b6ef9.jpg)
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
The trunk lateral flexion will give the sides of your torso a great stretch.
![](https://static.businessinsider.sg/sites/2/2017/10/59ef547a909924b3208b65cc.jpg)
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
Now, it’s time for a simple spine-stretching fold.
![](https://static.businessinsider.sg/sites/2/2017/10/59ef58dcddd063d34a8b64c4.jpg)
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
For the back-scratch stretch, be sure the top palm is facing toward the body while the bottom palm faces out.
![](https://static.businessinsider.sg/sites/2/2017/10/59ef549390992439008b6a4c.jpg)
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
Staying vertical, go into the classic quad stretch.
![](https://static.businessinsider.sg/sites/2/2017/10/59ef58e9ddd063441b8b5c40.jpg)
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
No comments:
Post a Comment