Here are your twelve days of Christmas stretches to help over the festive period. We have put together some stretches from head to toe to help you combat the stresses of the busy Christmas period; whether that is sore legs from trekking up and down Oxford street or tense shoulders from worrying about your turkey!
Causes – stress from the festivities, carrying shopping, stiffness from watching Christmas TV
Key Points – Hold onto base of chair to prevent the shoulder lifting.Apply light pressure to feel a gentle stretch.
2 – Scapular Protraction (Between shoulder blades)
Causes – sleeping in a strange bed, carrying heavy shopping bags
Key Points – Hug knees and hold them as tightly as you can. Move the knees away from the chest.
3 – Thoracic Rotations (Upper Back)
Causes – Sleeping in the guest bed, carrying heavy shopping bags.
Key Points – Keep bent knee in contact with the floor at all times and follow the movement of the arm with your eyes.
4 – Lumbar Rotations (Lower Back)
Causes – sitting for long periods of time, bending to play with grandchildren!
Key Points – Arms out to the side for balance. Keep upper back flat on the floor and rotate legs side to side.
5 – QL Lean (Lower Back)
Causes – stiffness from sitting for long periods of time, sleeping in a different bed.
Key Points – cross the leg nearest the wall behind. Keep hip contact with the wall and reach up and over to create a lovely arch shape.
6 – Hip Flexor Muscles (Front of Pelvis)
Causes – sitting in the car for long periods of time.
Key Points – tuck tailbone under and lunge forwards.
7 – Sitting Glute
Causes – sitting with family for long periods of time.
Key Points – aim to pull the bent leg across the body and the shoulders in the other direction.
8 – Figure Four Glute
Causes – sitting with family for long periods of time.
Key Points – keep shoulders relaxed, and the crossed leg as flat against the other leg as possible. Pull the leg towards the chest.
9 – Hamstring Muscles (Backs of legs)
Causes – increased amounts of walking from shopping, Christmas day walks.
Key Points – nice, flat lower back. Bend from the hip and keep the leg straight.
10 – Quadricep Muscles (Fronts of legs)
Causes – walking and climbing stairs in the shopping centre.
Key Points – tuck tailbone under and pull your heel to your bottom. Keep knees together.
11 – Gastrocnemius Muscle (Calves)
Causes – standing in queues and climbing stairs in the shopping centre.
Key Points for Gastrocnemius – keep heel on the floor and knee straight.
12 – Soleus Muscle (Calves)
Causes – standing in queues and climbing stairs in the shopping centre.
Key Points for Soleus – Keep heel on the floor and knee bent.
By: Paula
Title: 12 Days of Christmas
Sourced From: www.healthandvitalitycentre.uk/2130-2/
Published Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2018 13:29:18 +0000
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