Fetters - My Pocket Guide to Stretching : Anytime Stretches for Flexibility, Strength, and Full-Body Wellness

My Pocket Guide to Stretching

Anytime Stretches for Flexibility, Strength, and Full-Body Wellness

K. Aleisha Fetters

Adams Media

An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

100 Technology Center Drive

Stoughton, Massachusetts 02072

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 2022 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Adams Media Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Adams Media trade paperback edition March 2022

ADAMS MEDIA and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or .

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

Interior design by Michelle Kelly

Interior images by Eric Andrews; 123RF/Viktory

Cover design by Victor Watch

Cover images 123RF/Viktory

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

ISBN 978-1-5072-1795-5

ISBN 978-1-5072-1796-2 (ebook)

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Simon & Schuster, Inc., was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

The information in this book should not be used for diagnosing or treating any health problem. Not all diet and exercise plans suit everyone. You should always consult a trained medical professional before starting a diet, taking any form of medication, or embarking on any fitness or weight training program. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.

This book is intended as general information only, and should not be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. In light of the complex, individual, and specific nature of health problems, this book is not intended to replace professional medical advice. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions in this book are intended to supplement, not replace, the advice of a trained medical professional. Consult your physician before adopting any of the suggestions in this book, as well as about any condition that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.

Looking for an easy, portable collection of stretches you can do whenever and wherever? Look no further. Whether youre new to stretching or youve been practicing for years, My Pocket Guide to Stretching will help you loosen, relax, and elongate your muscles throughout the day. The moves, twists, and bends youll find in this guide will help you feel more balanced, centered, and refreshed in minutes. Stressed? Tight shoulders? Back pain? Cant sleep? Theres a stretchand even a full sequence of stretchesfor that.

Youve no doubt heard about the benefits of stretching before exercising. By readying your body for a greater range of motion during exercise, youre preparing yourself for a more effective exercise session and a lower chance of injury. But the benefits of stretching go far beyond productive exercise. Regular stretching can help you relieve tension and pain, open and strengthen your body, quiet and focus your mind, relieve tension, increase your body awareness, and vastly improve the quality of your life. By practicing stretches, you activate your bodys reset button. When day-to-day life causes wear and tear on your body, allow stretching to be your solution. Sitting for long periods of time shortens the muscles in the front of your hips, limiting your flexibility and worsening your posture. Looking down at your phone tightens your neck and shoulder muscles. Even healthy activities such as lifting weights can cause muscle imbalances, aches, and pains when done incorrectly. Only by stretching your body from head to toe can you switch back to your musculoskeletal systems default, and ideal, setting.

My Pocket Guide to Stretching also teaches you how to use stretching to not just benefit your body, but to also care for your emotional and mental health. Youll complete specific stretches for stress and anxiety relief, lowering blood pressure, getting better sleep, and more. Youll learn to incorporate mindfulness into your stretching practice, focusing on the present moment and letting go of all worries as you stretch.

The stretches in this book will help you become more flexible, calm, and restoredin body and mind. Lets get started.

B efore you attempt stretching, its important to have a full understanding of what exactly stretching is, how it works, and why its so important for your health. In this part, youll learn all of that, as well as the importance of knowing your limits, why you shouldnt overstretch, and how to avoid injury while stretching. Youll become familiar with the science behind stretching, and how it benefits not only your body but also your mind.

Most people start stretching because they want one very specific thing: flexibility. Thats all well and good. After all, a consistent stretching practice is one of the most beneficial (not to mention easiest) ways to improve your muscle flexibility and even your joint mobility. Your flexibility is the extent to which you can stretch your muscles. Your mobility is how easily your joints move through their full and healthy range of motion. In this book, some stretches will focus on lengthening muscles such as the glutes, quads, and back muscles, while others will increase mobility in joints like the shoulders, hips, and wrists.

But saying that stretching is all about flexibility or mobility sells stretching short. Here, youll learn some of the other important benefits of having a regular stretching habit.

Muscle tightness and joint restrictions are synonymous with poor posture. Fortunately, the tightness and restrictions caused by poor posture can be alleviated by proper stretching exercises.

Take your hip joint, for example. In your hip joint, youve got your pelvis and your femur (thigh bone) that connects to it. On one side of the joint, youve got all your hip flexors, which bend the joint. This includes your quadriceps (quads), iliopsoas, and other little muscles you may not know about. On the other side of the joint are your gluteal muscles (glutes) and hamstrings.