Hip Stretch

Hips are hurting? Here’s a good stretch for them.

Sit with your legs extended. Bend and bring your left foot towards the right hip and place it underneath your right leg. The outer portion of your left foot (thigh area) should rest on the ground.

Next, lift your right foot and cross it over your left foot, so that your right knee is bent directly above the left knee.

Feel a good stretch in your hips at this point. If you can’t balance yourself, place your hands on the floor for support.

Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, switch sides and repeat it thrice on each side.

For a deeper stretch, lean your torso forward over your legs.

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.

Walk-jog

For regular walkers, who are looking for some variation or add a “bit” more to their daily brisk walk, can add jogging to their fitness pursuit. If a full-fledged jog intimidates you, you can start by jogging a stretch a day in between your walk. Like I do, after a round of brisk walk, which serves as a warm up, add a stretch of light jogging. Stop when you feel like it but continue with your brisk walk pace. Doing this intermittently will spice up your walk routine. Choose your pace, find out the pace that suits you best and stay with it for a while before increasing it. Lengthen the jog stretches gradually and soon you will find yourself able to jog more and more distance without tiring out soon and feeling breathless.

 A walk-jog gives you a complete cardio workout without tiring out your muscles unduly. It also improves your stamina and overall cardiovascular fitness. For those interested in making the shift from brisk walking to jogging, this is the way to go. Brisk walk-Walk-jog-Jogging. Make sure you cool down well and give your calves and hamstrings a good stretch after your walk-jog session. Expect a bit of pain in the shin on the first couple of days, your leg muscles will soon get used to the impact of carrying your weight in the new activity and the pain will disappear.

Lift your hips

Before you tuck yourself in, lie on your back on the floor with your legs up on the edge of the bed or a chair. Slowly bend your knees, lifting your hips off the floor. Hold for 10-sec and relax. Repeat 15 times. This workout strengthens your hamstrings and core.