Top 4 Stretches Physiotherapists Recommend You Do…Every Day!
Do you find yourself sitting at your desk or on the sofa for long periods of time throughout the day? If you do, you’re not alone!
The pandemic has definitely made this problem worse. All that sitting and inactivity has many of us feeling tight all over… especially in the neck, hips and lower back. Even physiotherapists who are working virtually have to deal with this issue!
The good news is that there are a few simple stretches that physiotherapists know will help you get rid of that tightness…and the best thing is that it will only take you 10 minutes to do them!
Keep reading to learn the top 4 physiotherapy stretches you should do daily, why they’re important, and how they can help you.
Stretching has tons of benefits other than relieving tight and sore muscles. Physiotherapists believe stretching can help with:
- Relief from stiff or sore muscles
- Relief from achy joints
- Increased stamina
- Reduced risk of injuries
- Improved blood flow
- Decreased stress
- More flexibility
- Improved cholesterol levels
Keep reading to learn more about the top 4 stretches you should do daily, why they’re important, and how they can help.
Cat/Cow
The first stretch on this list is one of the most well-known stretches and it’s also one of the easiest stretches to do. This stretch has many benefits for your spine.
You’re most likely sitting at the desk in a slouched posture to do work or lying down on the sofa while watching TV for prolonged periods of time. This is not ideal, as our spines are meant to move in all different directions all the time! By doing this stretch, you can relieve the stiffness in your entire back by opening up your spine along with activating your core muscles which help support your spine.
How to do the cat-cow stretch:
- Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Curve the middle of your back towards the ground, as you bring your head and tailbone towards the ceiling. As you do this, keep the movement slow and controlled and take a slow and deep breath in. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds.
- Slowly reverse this movement, by bringing your mid back towards the ceiling and tucking your chin and tailbone down into your body. Again, do this slowly but this time exhale all the way air out. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds.
- Research by the famous Dr. Stuart McGill who has devoted his life to back pain suggests that repeating this movement for about 7-8 controlled cycles is most optimal for a healthy spine.
Kneeling Psoas Stretch
The daily movements you typically perform are like to be forwards and backwards. For example, you probably need to stretch up to reach the top cupboard or bend forward to pick something up off the floor.
However, it is highly likely that you rarely, if ever, participate in sideways movements and as you probably recall, your spine is meant to move in many different directions! This can result in the muscle on the side of your knee, thighs, hips, abs, and back to get both weak and tight.
For this reason, physiotherapists absolutely love this stretch, because it gets you moving in a direction completely different from what you’re usually doing.
How to do the kneeling psoas stretch:
- Kneel down with your left knee on a firm surface that won’t hurt your knee
- Have your right leg forward in front of you
- Raise your left arm straight up
- Tuck in your belly button by activating your core and shift your hips forward slightly until you feel a stretch at the front of your kneeling hip
- Once you feel the stretch, lean your upper body to the right, which should deepen the stretch – you can move back and forth 7-8 times
- While you are in this position, you can rotate your upper body in both directions7-8 times to also work on your spine and hip rotation
Butterfly Stretch
One of the most common locations that physiotherapists notice tightness is on the inside of the hips. This is again due to the fact that you’re probably sitting for long parts of the day. Additionally, it is very rare that your legs move sideways away from your body to stretch out the inside of your thigh.
That’s why this is another easy stretch that physiotherapists give to their patients all the time.
How to do the butterfly stretch:
- Sit on the floor with the bottoms of your feet touching each other
- Sit up nice and tall with your chest out and chin tucked in to make a double chin
- Move your feet closer to your hips to deepen the stretch to your liking
- Place your elbow on the inside of your knees to give a light downward push to deepen the stretch even further – you can push down and let go slowly to increase the stretch over time
- If you want to stretch even more, lean forward slightly while still staying tall – you can rock back and forth slowly to increase the stretch over time
Try to hold this position for about 30-40 seconds. You can make this stretch easier by doing it lying down, as you can see in the photo above!
Wall Angels
Now that you’ve stretched out your whole spine, your entire leg, and your shoulders, you can put all the extra wiggle room you have to work!
Wall angels are a great way to loosen up the tiny muscles in your back that help support your spine and shoulders. In fact, physiotherapists often use it in shoulder rehab. Given the amount of time we spend on our computers and phones these days, these muscles are bound to become both weak and tight.
Just as you worked on your core with the cat-cow stretch, this stretch helps work on the “core” that stabilizes your neck and shoulders. After all, physiotherapists believe that proper control of your shoulder blade means less shoulder pain and injury.
This exercise is essentially a stretch, coordination, and strengthening exercise all in one! Who doesn’t love getting the biggest bang for their buck? You can watch the video below to help you with this stretch.
How to do wall angels:
- Stand with your back on the wall in a wall squat position
- Tuck in your belly button and round your back so that there is no space between your lower back and the wall
- Tuck in your chin to make the space between your neck and the wall smaller
- Hold your hands in a “W” shape by your side with your elbows and wrists touching the wall – if this is too difficult, just keep them as close to the wall as you can!
- As you brace your core, slowly raise your arms up to make a big “V” against the wall before slowly lowering back into the “W” position
- Remember to keep your back and neck tucked into the wall throughout the entire exercise
To make this stretch easier, you can move your feet farther away from the wall and work on bringing them closer over time
Stretching Works!
Stretching is used by virtually all physiotherapists, chiropractors, and many other professionals to help relieve and rebalance muscles that become tight due to the demands of our lives.
As Michelle explains, “Stretching is often one of the most underrated forms of physical activity that not enough people do. Even those who regularly go to the gym to lift weights or work on their cardio tend to leave stretching out of their exercise routines.”
“Those who do stretch or come to us to get started with stretching can truly feel the difference in their body movement. I would recommend for everyone to incorporate stretching in their daily routines to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
Stiffness, aches, and pains are something you likely have to deal with every day because of the tendency to spend a lot of time on the phone and computer.
These stretches can be an amazing way to break up screen time throughout the day. You can also do these stretches to start your day with more fluidity and energy, or to relax yourself before bed to get a good night’s rest.
Stretching is NOT the end of the line
The stretches you learned about today are great for everyone to do, as they address the common issues we all face. However, it is important to remember that your specific needs warrant a customized treatment plan to address your personal goals. Stretching is a great starting point, but some form of strengthening is typically needed to address more complex problems.
Your physiotherapist can help you determine if there are any other specific stretches you should be doing. They can also help you with a customized treatment plan with both manual techniques as well as an exercise plan to get you back to doing what you love!
Be sure to book an appointment with a physiotherapist to get started.
This blog was written by Rostam Torki, a Physiotherapy student at the University of Toronto
FAQ
How long should I hold a stretch for?
Based on the latest research, physiotherapists believe that static stretches (stretches that you hold in one position and count) provide the most benefits if held a minimum of 30 seconds.
Dynamic stretches (stretches that you move through a range) provide the most benefits if done for at least 7-8 repetitions (which typically ends up being about 30-40 seconds as well!)
What muscles should I be stretching?
Determining the muscle that needs stretching can be tricky. Usually, you feel tightness or stiffness in the muscle, and this indicates that stretching can help. However, some muscles can be quite difficult to stretch out. Additionally, there are times when muscles are tight, but the ideal treatment for the tightness may not be stretching, but rather strengthening the muscle. This is why it’s important you contact your physiotherapist to determine the most optimal treatment plan for your needs.