A pulled hamstring is a pain in my ass- seriously. I knew it was getting tight and I didn’t step up my stretching. Wham Bam one little move the wrong way and I’m limping for a few weeks. The reason my normal daily stretching didn’t keep it stretched out is I teach 3 stretching/ resistance band classes in less than 12 hours. We’ve been doing a new (really awesome) lower body resistant band workout that should have a rest day between workouts. What I should have been doing and will start doing now is using a weaker band for 2 of the classes so as not to over work my muscles. Hindsight is always 20-20! You get the most benefit from a resistant workout (either with bands or weights) 2-3 times a week. The recommended times vary depending on age and fitness ability but you can get a decent upper body and core workout done in 15-20 minutes. What ever you do don’t forget to stretch!

Hamstring Stretch

My days are getting back to normal and slowing down a bit. I’ve moved my daughter Birchann out of upstate New York and as a Doctor of Chiropractic she has moved to Boulder Co. If you know anyone in Boulder looking for a GREAT Chiropractor spread the word. I’ve been busy moving my massage office out of my home and into my stretching studio. I have the perfect little room off the main exercise room. The move has mixed blessing, such as having to leave my house on a cold winter day to work instead of walking down the hall to my office. The biggest plus is getting my family room back, so I can move my treadmill out of my living room. I’ve also been busy organizing the new resistance band workout routines. I’m loving working with the bands, I’ll tell you more another day.

At the top of my October to do list is filming more stretching videos. Here’s a great little stretch (one of my favorites) to keep you going.

I’m gearing up for a 9 hour drive from Mi to upstate NY to attend my daughter’s graduation from chiropractic school (look out there’s a Doctor in the house!). As I’ve gotten older- change that to matured, I find it’s harder to sit for long hours without my hips bothering me. To the embarrassment of my children I have been know to stretch while traveling. I can always find a place to do it, a chair at McDonald’s, the grass outside of a restaurant, the top of a picnic table or to lean into a tennis ball against a wall. The best thing I can do for myself is to stretch while I’m driving. I try to do these stretches every 20 minutes or so. Here are the two best stretches to do while your driving. Remember, keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. Happy trails!

Hip stretch for the car

Pectoralis stretch for the car

You don’t have to be a pro to look like one. Standing pool or lakeside doing these 3 stretches will make you look like you know what your doing. It doesn’t matter if your a real swimmer or just dog paddling around, these stretches will keep your upper back and shoulders in good shape for the season.

Shoulder Stretch

Pectoralis Stretch

Rhomboid Stretch

If you have less than 5 minutes you can do the 3 most important stretches (of all time- in my opinion). These 3 stretches address the neck, upper back, lower back and hips. This is the first time these have been posted together!

Periformis Stretch

Doorway Pectoralis Stretch

Levator Neck Stretch

Finally it’s here! The wait is over! Number 3 of the all time best stretches! Three exclamation marks must mean this is important news. This is my personal favorite stretch, as a long time low back pain suffer I know a great stretch when I see (do) one. Low back, sciatic nerve, and hip pain are all addresses when doing
this stretch.

The Periformis muscle runs from the side of the tail bone (Sacrum) to the top of the femor (leg bone), these are deep to the gluteus maximus (Butt). Periformis is one of the “deep six” muscle that are responsible for lateral rotation of the hips, needed for walking, running and turning.

This is the levator scapula stretch. A physical therapist once told me if she could get everyone to do one stretch this would be the one. When you wake up with a stiff neck or have trouble looking behind you when your backing up your car, this is the stretch for you. This is one of the top three stretches everyone should do.

Interested in a 3 way? Here is a 3 way should stretch that stretches the Biceps, Deltoid, and Pectorails muscles. These are the muscle that you feel at the top of your shoulder/ arms. Give it a try after a hard day in the garden.

This stretch is for all you Memorial Day gardening mavens. Weeding is a killer for the low back, elbows and back of legs. Here is a trio to help you out at the end of the day.

Hamstrings

Tricepts

Side Rolls

Help! I’m free falling from a sugar and carb high. Family, friends, and a holiday means a bit to much indulging in the finer things in life. After a rough holiday or vacation I like to put myself on a mini cleanse to get the sweets and breads I’ve been consuming out of my system. I’ll spend a few days eating lots of salads, vegetables and protein; plus getting back on track with my workout routine. It doesn’t take much to get my best intentions derailed, so I do have to restart my exercise routines right away. Even when I feel I’m not up to 30 minutes of stretching or an hour walk to start my day, I can make myself do 10 minutes of stretching and 20 minutes of walking at an easy pace. The next day I can usually get back to my usual routine. What tricks do you use for sticking with your exercise routine?