Stretch & Strengthen Guide Provided by Origins Wellness Tenerife If you are using the handbook as a daily health and wellness routine, follow the instuctions within and hold the stretches for a mínimum count of 10 seconds each one. If you are using this handbook as part of a prescribed programme, please follow your specific prescription and use your handbook as a guide. This handbook has been developed to help clients that need specific areas, stretched or strengthened. It is by no means exhaustive and will develop and grow, based on the needs of you, the clients. Remember if you are not sure, just ask!
Throughout the stetches in this booklet it is noted to hold the stretch for a count of ten, follow these instructions to start with, but increase the length of time as your flexiblitiy improves. During the stretch, breathe and relax. Resist the temptaion to hold the muscles, allow the stretch to take place and you will feel the benefits much quicker! 1 Keeping your spine long, drop your chin towards your chest. To get more stretch plavce your hands and put a small amount of pressure downwards. Hold for a count of 10 and breathe. 39 40 Glute/Butt Push x8. Keep your spine long as you draw the knee in and push back. Ab crunch. Keep spine long on the floor, don t let your lower back push into the mat and exhale as you curl up ribs to hips. Pulling your belly button in gently as your exhale. Drop your head to the side, to increase the stretch reach your hand behind your back as shown in the second image and if you need more still, use your free hand to add a little pressure. Hold for a count of 10 and breathe. 2 Tennis Ball Therapy!!!!!! Use a normal tennis ball and find your sore spots. Wonderful used inside a sock to get to your shoulders, to release the hips, lower back and thigh muscles. It really is simple, lie on the floor or stand against a wall and use the tennis ball to massage the sore spots. Also use under the feet which will have a huge impact in your overall posture your feet are your natural shock absorbers, if they are supple and able to move the way they were meant to, they can support your body effectively. Tight feet means minimal shock absorption which then gets taken to other parts of the body, knees,hips, back which causes imbalance and pain..
36 Inner thigh raise.x8 Rest your top leg on a pillow if needed. Relax your foot and tighten your pelvic floor as you lift the lower leg. Bend your bottom leg for balance and keep your hips stacked tighten your pelvic floor as you exale and lift the top leg. Inhale and return to the start. 37 Keep your hips stacked and your feet together. Open your knees as far as you can without your top hip rolling fwd or back. 3 As with the previous stretch turn the head first, add more stretch by wrapping the hand behind your back. Add more with your free hand if needed. Hold for a count of 10 and breathe. The strange picture to the right is showing the custard pie stretch! Just imagine the movement you would make if someone was pushing a custard pie in your face. And that is your stretch movement. Hold for a count of 10 and breathe. 5 38 Flexion: Stand upright and hold a stick in both hands, palms down. Stretch your arms by lifting them over your head, keeping your elbows straight. Hold for 5 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times. 4 Shoulder abduction and adduction: Stand upright and hold a stick with both hands, palms down. Rest the stick against the front of your thighs. While keeping your elbows straight, use your good arm to push your injured arm out to the side and up as high as possible. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. 6
External rotation: Lie on your back and hold a stick in both hands, palms up. Your upper arms should be resting on the floor, your elbows at your sides and bent 90. Using your good arm, push your injured arm out away from your body while keeping the elbow of the injured arm at your side. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. 7 Tuck chin into chest, hold elbows out to the side and round back as much as posible, 31 feeling a stretch down the spine. Aim to keep the back straight and take the chest towards the thighs.nice lower back stretch. Internal rotation: Stand upright holding a stick with both hands behind your back. Place the hand on your uninjured side behind your head grasping the stick, and the hand on your injured side behind your back at your waist. Move the stick up and down your back by bending your elbows. Hold the bent position for 5 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times. 8 Pectoralis stretch: Stand in a doorway or corner with both arms on the wall slightly above your head. Slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulders. Hold 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times. 10 32 33 9 Biceps stretch: Stand facing a wall (about 6 inches away from the wall). Raise your arm out to your side and place the thumb side of your hand against the wall (palm down). Keep your elbow straight. Rotate your body in the opposite direction of the raised arm until you feel a stretch in your biceps. Hold 15 seconds, repeat 3 times 33 is the startig point for 34. Wonderful pose for hips, back ankles and knees. Persevere!!! 34 35 Pull knees into chest and hold, also gently rocking from side to side is great for the digestive system.
11 26 Extension: Stand upright and hold a stick in both hands behind your back. Move the stick away from your back. Hold the end position for 5 seconds. Relax and return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times. 27 Do each of these stretches (numbers 2629) Hold the position to get as much of a stretch as you can, hold for a count of 15 seconds. Really Important for hips and back pain relief and prevention. 12 28 Standing in a doorway, anchor your hand on the frame and move your body forwards, stretching the chest and fron tof shoulder. Interlink your fingers, round your arms, feeling a stretch in your back, keep a slight bend in the elbows and push away. Hold at top of range for 10 seconds, move to 2nd height and holf for 10, move to final position and hold for 10. 29 14 Keep your sitting bones firmly on the floor or mat and cross your legs, lean forwards, keeping your spine straight. 30 13 Scapular range of motion: Stand and shrug your shoulders up and hold for 5 seconds. Then squeeze your shoulder blades back and together and hold 5 seconds. Next, pull your shoulder blades downward as if putting them in your back pocket. Relax. Repeat this sequence 10 times.
Calf Stretch, using a belt as in first image, bend leg at knee and pull toes back, hold for a count of ten. Stretch leg out, as in image 2 and again pull toes back. Hold for a count of ten. 15 16 20 The first image (left) shows a full body stretch called downward facing dog, practice this strech alone, starting from your knees and pushing up to the position shown, hold then return to knees. 21 Hamstring, back of leg stretch. Keep your hips and back on the floor and take your leg as straight as you can, using the belt to help you maintain the position.. Hold for a count of ten and release. Sitting on the floor, take both legs to a 90/90 degree angle, as shown in image on left. Roll the top hip forward to stretch out. Hold and breathe. Below right are images to show more advanced stretch, with the one leg strecthed behind and the other tucked in front. Keep your weight high and aim to get pelvis level. Quad, front of thigh stretch. Can be done, lying or standing! Keep your knees close together and pull back on the foot. If you need help with balance when lying down, bend the leg that is on the floor. Push hips forward to accentuate the stretch. Hold for ten breaths. 18 17 23 Place ankle on knee and hold, to add more stretch place hand on knee as shown in image to the left and press lightly. Hold for a count of ten and release. Maintain the previous position and reach through to hold behind the thigh, (in the image it is the left leg that we reach for. ) Pull towards the chest and hold. Breathe! Use your hand to add a little pressure to the twist, keep your spine straight, if you struggle with this sit on a cushion or phone book to raise up your pelvis. On your knees, take a step forward, knee remains on the floor of the side you wish to stretch.. Reach up and over with your arm and tuck your tailbone under. Breathe. 24 25 19 With the foot of the side you are aiming to stretch, placed in front. Reach sideways, ensure that it is a reach and stretch up, rather than allowing your body to collapse. Hold and breathe. Stay close to a wall for balance if needed.