Happy Stretching

I’m sure you all must have heard that it is good to stretch before and after your workouts. Do you know why? Simply because stretching reduces the risk of injuries, keeps our body supple and more resilient in the long run. It helps in improving blood circulation, reduces wear and tear, relieves tension allowing you to relax and hold your body in a more balanced way.

Stretching exercises are not meant to strain muscles. There are various stretching exercises targeted at major muscle groups. Focus should be on arms, legs, abs, back and neck. A light body warm-up is a must.  Start your stretch by taking a deep breath, continuing as far as you can without pain (for 20 seconds or a minute) and then slowly breathe out. Be sure never to bounce while stretching!

Stretching exercises are ideally performed in sets of three for 30 seconds to one minute. Eventually, you should listen to your body. It’s best to include a variety of stretches, holding them for as long as you can and releasing yourself from the position when you feel the pain.

If you exercise regularly, perform stretching exercises daily. Having a diary with a list of stretching exercises targeted at major muscle group ensures that you stretch all the muscles in your body.

Tummy trimmer

Hold your abdominal muscles in (this does not mean holding your breath, breathing should be as usual, its only the muscles that are pulled in) while walking, this helps in toning your tummy and lessen the flab eventually. However, this can be done throughout the day irrespective of the activity you are engaged in! Watch your tyres disappear and enjoy a shapelier waist as you make this a habit!

Crunch for your remote control

Reaching for the remote control during the breaks? Make reaching for the remote worth it by doing crunches. Place it out of reach on the coffee table or stand, if you’re lying down on the opposite arm of the couch. So every time an ad appears, you reach for the remote, do crunches until the show starts again. You should be able to do 50-100 crunches during the ad-time. Crunching tones the abs.

Good Morning Workout

When you open your eyes in the morning, sit up slowly without using your hands. Stretch your legs out and place your hands on your thighs. Lean forward until you feel a gentle stretch in your back, abs and hamstring. Trying reaching for your toes with your hands. Hold for a 30-sec. Come back in the start position and do 2 sets of 10 each.