STRE

TCHES

General Stretching Guidelines

1. Range of Motion: Stretch as far as you can comfortably within your normal range of motion. Stretching shouldn’t produce any major discomforts. Muscles that are stiff and tight should be stretched the most

to help loosen them up (remember muscle imbalances!). Don’t push yourself too much.

2. Timing: Don’t rush or stretch in jerking motions as this can cause an injury. Slowly make your way though the range of motion and once you’re comfortably stretched, hold for 10-20 seconds

depending on the area.

3. Breathing: How you breathe has an effect on how far you can stretch the targeted muscle groups. Make sure you inhale and exhale completely. Breathe calmly and consciously.

Muscles work in pairs. Muscle imbalances occur when a muscle or group of muscles are used more frequently than

their opposing muscle pair. Stretching helps maintain strong, balanced muscle pairs. There are 3 basic guidelines

when stretching:

Set an alarm to help remind yourself to get up

and stretch every 45 minutes to an hour!

THE NECKStretch the neck in various positions as seen in the surrounding figures.

Rotating Side to Side

Flexing Down & Extending Upwards

Lateral Bending

Chin Retraction TR

APS Place hands on the back of the head, tuck

your chin into your chest and look down.

Rotate your left ear and elbow down towards the floor while maintaining slight pressure with your hands on the back of

your head. Repeat for the right side.

Sit erect in your chair with your feet flat on the ground and placed

widely apart. Slowly slide forward, moving your hands down your

thighs, knees, shins and feet until you reach the ground (or as far as you can go). Make sure to move slowly, keep a straight back and

lead with your head. Breathe into a deep stretch.

LOW BACK HIPSSit with your feet flat on

the floor. Place your right ankle across your left thigh, just above the

knee. While maintaining a straight back, bend

forward. You should feel the stretch within the

right hip. Repeat for the other side.

HAM

STRI

NG

S

While sitting, your hamstrings are in constant contraction. Sit on the edge of you chair with both feet flat on the ground. Extend one leg out until the

knee is straight. Point your toes up and pull them towards your

knee. While maintaining a straight back, reach forward with both hands towards your toes.

Repeat for the other leg.

THE EYES

The 20-20-20 Rule

The eyes are muscles too. Constantly looking at a screen

can take its toll on the eye muscles. Make sure to give them

a break too!

Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This will allow your eyes to focus to a

different depth.

SHOULDERS

Elbo

w

Pullo

ver Grab your right elbow with your left

hand behind your head, laterally bend towards the left until you reach the end of the range of motion. Hold.

Repeat with the other side.

Shoulder Pullover

Identical to the elbow pullover. However, there is no lateral bending.

Simply apply slight pressure to stretch.

Shou

lder

Ac

ross

Hold your left arm out in front of you at shoulder height. Grab your

left elbow with your right hand and adduct your left arm across to the

right side of your body. Repeat with the other side.

Bridge Stretch

Interlock your fingers and position them fully extended above your head, palms

towards the sky. Arch your back and reach towards the sky.

Shou

lder

Sh

rugs

While sitting erect, elevate your shoulder as high as possible. Try to get your shoulders to touch your ears just by elevating them (no additional neck

movement)

FIN

GER

S

Start with your hand and fingers straight up (palm facing out). Bring your thumb across your hand and touch the base of your pinky finger (or as far as you

can go). Return your hand to its starting position. Repeat 10 times. Next, roll your fingers into a hook fist and then return to a straight posture. Repeat 10 times. Finally, roll your fingers into a normal fist and then return to a straight posture. Repeat 10 times.

FOREARMSExtend your right arm in front of you at

shoulder height. Grab your right wrist while it’s extending up (fingers facing the sky) and pull your wrist towards your body. Drop your

right wrist so that your fingers are facing down (towards the ground) and grab it with the left hand and pull it towards your body.

Repeat with the left arm/wrist.

ReferencesBlahd, W. (Ed.). (n.d.). Slideshow 10 Ways to Exercise Hands and Fingers. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/ss/slideshow-hand-finger-exercises

Gould, J. (n.d.). Desk-based stretches for low back pain. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from http://pain-focus.com/pcpost/desk-based-stretches-lower-back-pain/

November, S. (n.d.). Sheri's November - Sport Exercise. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from https://sherisnovember.wordpress.com/tag/sports-exercises/