At the end of the day my shoulders were all tense, I was tired and achy all over. It's stormy and super windy outside ... yes, a bit wimpy, but I didn't feel like working out. Then I remembered I had an hour long stretch workout on DVD. Wow - I just finished the P90X "X-Stretch" DVD workout and feel refreshed, invigorated, relaxed ... and as you can see - focused and creative enough to write this blog entry tonight.
Why don't we stretch more often? We know it's great for our health; it helps us prevent injuries or even heal them. Stretching also incorporates breathing - a form of dynamic/static meditation that calms us and erases stress from the day. Some folks complain of having limited time. Well, I recommend short 5 - 10 minute stretch breaks sprinkled throughout your day - how nice is that? Hey, smokers take breaks, why can't us healthy people too?
And, here's the kicker ... I know you don't want to hear this, but it's pure wisdom/truth ... whatever muscle/tendon you don't like to stretch ... which one(s) are the ones for you? You know the ones! Yes, those are the ones that will help you the most, so just stretch those suckers ... relax, breath and soon your body will be in balance, those nagging injuries will disappear and you'll write in to this blog to thank me :) Have a great day everyone!
One of the reasons smoke breaks are relaxing is the focus on breathing. Think about what smoking is, controlled breathing without doing much else. Too bad what smokers are breathing is bad, but the relaxation of the activity is similar to what you are saying.
ReplyDeleteDo you know of any good links for stretches one can do in their office or cube???