Wellness Wednesday: Stretching

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Whether you’re stiff from sitting at your desk all day, a long drive or an intense workout, experts say stretching is key to maintaining a range of motion in your joints.

Michelle Gimbutis, owner of barre3 in East Lansing, taught me some easy, at-home stretches you can do to loosen up.

“We’re constantly moving, constantly putting our body through a good kind of stress,” Gimbutis said. “We’re making it stronger, but just to not give it an active recovery, not put it through its range of motion again, that’s where we can feel really stiff.”

First, we did a quad stretch.

“You can do [a quad stretch] in the middle of your room, or you can go up to the counter just for more support. We just take your left foot to your left hand, bring your knees together, square your hips and shoulders, roll your shoulders up and down,” Gimbutis explained. “You should feel a big stretch in your front quad.”

Then, we did the figure four stretch – something you can do with a stable surface or even on the ground.

“So, plant your left foot down, crisscross your right ankle over your left knee – and you can do this on a counter at home or [the back of] a really sturdy chair – and then just sit your hips back,” she explained. “If you don’t have a surface you love or if you want to take this to the ground in your house, you can just extend both your legs long, get nice and comfy on your sit bones, take your one ankle over your opposite knee, bring your hands back behind you and then just drag your one foot in. So, you’re going to get that same stretch in your outer hip.”

Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds. And, just like when exercising, listen to your body.

“There’s no range of motion you’re supposed to get to. It’s the range of motion that feels best for you. So, once you find it, just stay, breathe and know you’re doing really good work for your body,” Gimbutis said.

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