Feel Young by Stretching those shortened soft tissues-

As we get older, often we lose the natural curvature of our spine.  Gravity pulls us downward and often we end up out of alignment anteriorly and posteriorly as well. Our doctors often recommend exercise which is a great beginning. Massage and other forms of Bodywork can be very helpful too. But there is something you can do to feel young that is easy to do right at home in just about 5-10 minutes a day that will help you quite a bit.  

How about spending a little time with the Cobra Pose to self-correct your posture and open up your energy flow!

Begin by lying down on your stomach with the legs extended. Place your hands fairly close to your body parallel and slowly lift your body off the ground. Continue to lift higher, but only in comfort with a light stretch.Hold the stretch as long as you feel release for up to 30 seconds. If anything feels like it is too much, move back to the ground and relax and try again when you feel rested. 

Stretching

Many of my clients come in with painful necks and lower backs.  Those two areas especially seem to shorten in many people and end up being the weakest link in posture.  Part of that can due to a shortened psoas muscle but usually include anterior fascia being too short from the feet to the top of the head.  If you take the time to do the Cobra Pose routinely, you will begin to see great change in how you stand and feel each day.  This is accomplished by lengthening the front of your body with the stretch and relaxing all the above back muscles. This pose is counter to many of the activities we do each day which jet us forward.  The Cobra Pose allows us to move into a backward curved space which restores better balance.

In Yoga,  often the class leads us into pushing the stretch.  I’d like to invite people who are in discomfort not to go all the way, but to simply go into the stretch gently, listen to your body to what feels good and stay there.  I have found that when the body is not overtaxed, the defense mechanisms relax and more tissue will relax and spread throughout the whole body.

As with all physical activity, it is helpful to check with your physician what is good for you to do, especially while dealing with spinal issues.

As we age, we don’t have to limit our movements.  We have a choice to move freely but we need to take advantage of our range of motion.  Want to feel young?  Then live young!

Sharon Hartnett LMT

740 966-5153