Stretching Tips for your Holidays

STRETCHES & TIPS FOR YOUR HOLIDAYS

City Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic Adelaide

Long periods of standing at Christmas functions & parties, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, bent over wrapping presents or hours shopping for the perfect gift can all give you back pain, neck pain, headaches or sore muscles and joints. City Physiotherapy has a few easy tips and to help keep your body in check and ready to celebrate.

STRETCH BEFORE YOU COOK

If you have decided to cook a holiday feast then you ’ll probably be spending hours on your feet, leaning over the kitchen counter, chopping, peeling, stirring and giving your back, shoulders, neck and arms a workout.

Doing some stretching pre – and during your cooking time will help you. Stretching out your lower limbs – calves, hamstrings, quad ’s as well as your arms, neck and back will go a long way in preventing aches and pains. One of my favorites is the chest doorway stretch as well as shoulder rolls which can help relieve neck and upper body tightness and headaches.

FEET COME FIRST

A great way to help keep your feet from getting sore is to roll your feet with a ball. Stand and roll the ball back and forwards over your foot to loosen up your plantar fascia, foot joints and soft tissues. Rolling will stimulate & improve blood circulation in your feet.

We often make poor choices in footwear when it comes to party time. When you spend long hours on your feet either in the kitchen or at a celebration or function ensure you chose comfort as well as style or you ’re guaranteed to have sore feet and most likely back pain too.

STOP FOR SHORT BREAKS

Stopping to sit down for short breaks of even a minute or two can go a long way to relieve tension in your back, legs and arms. When you stand for long periods of time, your core muscles need to be switched on at all times. If your core muscles aren ’t working at full capacity at all times, your pelvis will tilt slightly forwards, giving you a sway back and putting a lot more tension on your spine and back muscles.

Letting them take a breather, even for a minute, can help offload any tension titling your pelvis backwards – your muscles will get oxygenated if they are allowed to rest and your spinal discs will have less constant load going through them – you will be good to go another round in the kitchen or party again. Even if there aren ’t any chairs to sit on, try and find a bar stool to perch on as this will work just as well.

STAY HYDRATED

Celebrations, cooking or cleaning your house ready for the holidays can all be dehydrating. If you are drinking alcohol try and alternate each drink with water. Becoming dehydrated is a guaranteed way of making you feel tired and run down.

Here are a few simple stretches to get through your holidays !

STANDING CALF – GASTROCNEMIUS

 Stand with your arms straight in

front of you

 Place one leg forward, foot flat

on the floor, knee bent.

 Extend the opposite leg straight

back, placing your heel flat on

the floor. Do not bend your back

knee.

 Lean forwards until you feel

the stretch in your calf of your

straight leg.

 Breathe and hold for 30 seconds

– change sides and repeat.

STANDING CALF STRETCH – SOLEUS

Now slightly bend your back knee and push your heel into the floor.

You should feel the stretch in your lower calf muscle around your Achilles tendon.

Breathe and hold for 30 seconds – change sides and repeat.