Stretches you’re not doing that you should incorporate- This is especially important for those who are in a same position for a good amount of time, such as sitting.
When I work with a client who has never tried a certain exercise before, when I follow up with them they common sentences used are; “man I felt it in places I never felt before or muscles I didn’t even know I had!” The reason being is because you keep a common training routine that only targets certain muscles.
The same thing can apply when it comes to stretching. You do the same stretches as a routine therefore if you ever try a new stretch you may feel it a totally different way as well as relieve some aches and discomfort you may have been feeling. Here are a few stretches that you may not be doing that you should incorporate.
Hip Flexors:
If you are one who sits at the desk majority of the day at your job, great chances are you hip flexors will become your worst enemy. Being in a seated position not only tightens up your hip flexors, but also begins to cause discomfort in your lower back and throughout other parts of your body.
Mid Back Stretch–
Again, a seated position for a prolonged time can begin to effect posture. Shoulders start to roll forward to compensate and when that happens the back becomes tight causing poor posture and even improper breathing patterns because when your posture is poor, your lungs can’t expand efficiently enough to receive air.
IT Band and Piriformis Stretch:
When your backside is tight it can also fatigue those muscles due to sitting on the backside so long. When those muscles fatigue they can cause those slow aches through the back hamstrings and glutes. Pressure from sitting too long can also cause shooting nerve pain down your leg also know as the sciatic, which is a nerve that goes through the piriformis.
Your IT runs from the outside of your hip down to the outside of your knee. If the IT is tight it could either being pulling from your hip causing imbalance in the hips or knee pain.