We recently drove out to Colorado and like most road trips, we stop every two to three hours for a bathroom break. After the second stop I noticed something different.
Normally, when I get out of the car after three hours, my body feels like an over-starched pair of jeans trying to unfold. I wasn't feeling that way on this trip. Also, after hiking all morning, then getting in the car and driving back to our place I didn't have the aches and pains that come after hiking then sitting.
I attribute this to a routine I began early this past summer. I was experiencing some knee pain and saw a physical therapist. After his assessment he had a lot of advice, but the thing that really hit home with me was the tightness he noticed in my hips. He gave me a few stretches. I then created a routine (including some other stretches) that I have been doing since June.
I set a timer to go off every 30 seconds for eight minutes for this whole body stretch routine, but it focuses mostly on hips, quads and hamstrings. I do it everyday. Sometimes after I exercise, sometimes right before dinner and sometimes right before bed. I put it on my list of "things to do" for the day and I do it. It's only eight minutes. I still have occasional knee pain, but the other benefits make this routine very worthwhile to me.
I start with Child’s Pose, then Down Dog, Cat/Cow. I spend the most time on my hips, quads and hamstrings and finish with T-Spines.
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