You live in a rush everyday, from home to work, from work to training, without even time to breathe. How about stopping for stretching and preventing muscle pain, cramps, and even micro-injuries?
Stretching
Physical Education and Yoga Teacher, Adriana Camargo, (CrefRJ 038516) explains that stretching can minimize post-training pain, and she listed five exercises that are quick and easy to do before your day starts.
For best results, mentally count up to twenty in each of the exercises. When it is bilateral, remember to repeat it on the other side for the same time.
To do at home
1-Stand up, bend one of your legs by bending your knee back and hold your ankle with your hands. Press the heel against the butt by stretching the front of the thigh. If you want to stretch more intensely, incline the torso ahead, still pressing the heel against the gluteus. Repeat the movement with the other leg.
2 - Sit on the floor. While one leg is stretched, the other is flexed with the knee. Support the leg into the inner thigh of the extended leg. Then raise your arms and flex the trunk ahead with your hands toward the foot of the outstretched leg. If you can, hold the foot. Feel all your posterior chain being stretched. Repeat on the other side.
3 - Lie down with your belly up and both legs straight. Bend one of them and bring the knee toward the chest with both hands. Stand in this position counting to 20 and then extend the leg upwards, holding the foot or calf and bringing the leg now extended towards the torso. These movements are good for stretching posterior thigh, calves and feet.
4 - Lie on your stomach with your back to the floor, and pass one of the flexed legs to the opposite side of the torso, twisting the spine. The arms should be supported along the body, on the floor, stretching can be potentiated by pushing the knee flexed toward the floor with the hand on that side.
5- This last move is for everyone, especially for those who use high heels. It is possible to do it even in the street: Standing, outside or indoors, put the front of your foot on a step (or curb), with the opposite leg extended, take one step back. Bend the torso forward and feel the calf of the supported leg being stretched. Repeat with the other leg.
