Best at Home Stretches

By: Dr. Kristin Pham, PT, DPT

Have you noticed that you have been sitting more lately, either trying to look for the next good binge on your streaming services or that recent update on your social media? Or if you work from home, you most likely spend an additional 8 hours of your day just glue onto a chair, a recliner, or some comfortable couch. Did you know more pressure placed on the disc of lumbar spine in seated position than standing upright position? If you notice yourself slouching on your chair reading this post, it’s time to get up, get stretching, and get upright.

Sunrise salute

• Start with your arms in front of you with your palms together.

• Keeping your palms together, raise your hands above your head while inhaling slowly through your nose.

• Pause at the top while you rotate your palms to face the ceiling.

• Lower your arms to your sides while exhaling slowly through your mouth. Keep palms facing away from you during this lowering phase.

Open book stretch

• Position by laying on your side with hip and knee at 90/90

• Begin lying on your back with your face up. Spread your arms out to the side forming a T position. You should feel a stretch on the front of your chest and shoulders.

• Hold the position for about 15-30s and perform 2-3 times

• Repeat on both sides.

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Standing hip flexion stretch

• Place one foot in front of the other, with the stretching leg in the back.

• Slightly lunge onto the front foot and squeeze the buttock of the back leg until a stretch is felt in the front of your hip/thigh of the back leg.

• Hold the position for about 15-30s and perform 2-3 times

• Repeat on both side.

Quad rock back

• Start in neutral quadruped position: arms under shoulders, knees under hips, chin tucked for neutral cervical spine, flat lumbar/thoracic spine (engage abdominals)

• Shift weight to rock back, keeping head and trunk in neutral position

• Hold the position for about 15-30s and perform 2-3 times

Seated low back stretch

• While sitting in a chair, slowly bend forward and reach your hands for the floor. Bend your trunk and head forward and down.

• Hold the position for about 15-30s and perform 2-3 times.

Upper trap stretch – Anchor hand to chair

• While sitting in a chair, hold the seat with one hand and place your other hand on your head to assist in bending your head to the side as shown.

• Bend your head towards the opposite side of the hand that is holding the chair seat. You should feel a stretch to the side of your neck.

• Hold the position for about 15-30s and perform 2-3 times

• Repeat on both sides.