Stretching

totameafox

This thread will be related to stretching. i don't claim ownership of anything posted and will link the sites I get it from. This is just a place for me to keep track of the stretching I want to do. Feel free to add things that work for you. I cannot do yoga as my skeleton is deformed and my joints don't have full movement. But if you want to add yoga positions for yourself feel free.

and if something HURTS... STOP.

totameafox

NECK

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/fitness-neck-stretches

Forward and Backward Tilt

• Start with your head squarely over your shoulders and your back straight.
• Lower your chin toward your chest and hold for 15-30 seconds.
• Relax and slowly lift your head back up.
• Tilt your chin up toward the ceiling and bring the base of your skull toward your back. Hold for 10 seconds
• return to the start position.

Side Tilt

• Gently tilt your head toward your right shoulder and try to touch it with your ear. Stop when you feel the stretch. Don't raise your shoulder.
• Hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds, then return to the start position.
• Repeat on your left side.

For extra stretch, put the hand on the same side of your tilted head on top of your head, and press lightly with your fingertips.

Side Rotation

• Keep your head squarely over your shoulders and your back straight.
• Slowly turn your head to the right until you feel a stretch in the side of your neck and shoulder.
• Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, then slowly turn your head forward again.
• Repeat on your left side

Neck Retraction

• Look straight ahead, with your chin tucked down slightly
• Pull your head and chin backward slowly, as if you’re trying to create a double chin. Pull back as far as you can without straining.
• Try not to tilt your head forward or backward
• Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds.
• Move your head back to the starting position.

Towel Pull
For this stretch, you need a rolled-up towel

• Put the rolled-up towel around the back of your neck, holding both ends of the towel taut with your hands.
• Tilt your head back and look up as far as you can.
• As you look up, your hands should also move upward, so that the towel keeps supporting your head and neck as you move.
• bring it back down to the starting position.

Head Roll

• Tilt head forward, then roll it to the left, back, right and forward again
• Tilt head forward, then roll it to the right, back, left and forward again

totameafox

Shoulder

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324647
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/4-stretches-to-keep-your-shoulders-in-shape

Shoulder rolls

• Stand with the feet hip-width apart.
• Let the arms hang down at the sides of the body
• Breathe in and lift the shoulders up toward the ears.
• Move the shoulders back, squeezing the shoulder blades together.
• Exhale and drop the shoulders back.
• Move the elbows forward, feeling the stretch at the back of the shoulders

repeat going in the opposite direction

Cross-body shoulder stretch

• Stand with the feet hip-width apart
• Stretch the right arm out straight.
• Bring the right arm across the body so that the hand points to the floor on the other side of the left leg.
• Bend the left arm at the elbow.
• Hook the left forearm under the right arm, supporting the right arm above the elbow.
• Use the left forearm to pull the right arm further in and across the body, stretching the back of the right shoulder.
• Hold this for 20 seconds, then repeat the stretch on the other side.

Modified Child Pose (version 1)
Uses chair (I cannot get into the floor)

• stand behind chair
• place both hands on back of chair, keeping arms straight
• keeping back straight, bend forward at hips until torso parallel to the floor
• gently press torso toward the floor (motion perpendicular to the floor)

Modified Cow Face Pose
using wall (my arms are deformed and don't have the rotation ability to do this pose)

• Reach the right arm up straight toward the sky.
• Bend the right arm at the elbow.
• Keeping the elbow raised, reach the right hand over the head and down the back.
• Place right elbow against wall and readjust reach if necessary
• Press body toward the wall
• repeat for left side

alternatively, you can use a towel to connect your hands (see web link above) but I find I get a better stretch using the wall

Wall climb

• Stand up straight facing a wall
• Extend your right arm with your elbow soft (not locked) and place your hand on the wall at shoulder height
• Slowly walk your fingers upward, stepping in toward the wall as your hand climbs higher
• Stop when you feel mild tension in your shoulder
• Hold 10 to 30 seconds
• Slowly walk your fingers back down the wall and return to the starting position
• Switch arms and repeat.

Chest and shoulder stretch

• Stand alongside a doorway or wall
• Extend your right arm and put your right hand on the edge of the door frame slightly below shoulder level, palm facing forward and touching the door frame
• Keep your shoulders down and back
• Slowly turn your body to the left, away from the door frame, until you feel the stretch in your chest and shoulder.
• Hold 10 to 30 seconds.
• Return to the starting position
• repeat on the opposite side.

totameafox

Hand

• https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/ss/slideshow-hand-finger-exercises
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/exercises-for-pain-free-hands

Fist

• Make a fist, wrapping your thumb across your fingers
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
• Release and spread your fingers wide.
• Repeat with other hand

Finger Lift

• Place your hand flat, palm down, on a table
• Gently lift one finger at a time off of the table and then lower it.
• You can also lift all your fingers and thumb at once, and then lower
• repeat with the other hand

you can also use the other hand to help stretch the lifted fingers

Thumb Stretches

• Hold your hand out, palm facing you. Gently bend the tip of your thumb down toward the base of your index finger
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds
• Hold your hand out, palm facing you. Gently stretch your thumb across your palm using just your lower thumb joint
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds
• Repeat with other hand

Wrist extensor stretches

• Hold one hand at chest level with the elbow bent
• With the other hand, grasp the thumb side of the hand and bend your wrist downward.
• To increase the stretch, bend your wrist toward your little finger.
• Repeat the same exercise with a straight arm.
• Switch hands and repeat

Wrist flexor stretches

• Hold one hand at chest level with the elbow bent.
• Grasp the fingers of that hand with the other.
• Pull the hand back gently.
• Repeat the same exercise with a straight arm.
• Switch hands and repeat.

totameafox

Back

• https://www.hss.edu/article_exercises-for-lower-back-pain.asp
• https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/standing-forward-bend-2/

Modified Child Pose (version 2)
Uses chair (I cannot get into the floor)

• stand behind chair
• place both hands on back of chair, keeping arms straight
• keeping back straight, bend forward at hips until torso parallel to the floor
• gently pull hips back from the chair (motion parallel to the floor)

Seated Forward Bend

• Sit with your feet flat on the floor.
• Slowly bend forward at your hips, reaching as far you can towards the floor.
• Breathe normally and relax your head down. Hold for 5 seconds.

you can hold the bottom of your thighs to deepen the stretch

Standing Forward Bend

• Bend your knees slightly and fold your torso over your legs, hinging from the hips, not the lower back.
• Your hands may land next to your feet or on the ground in front of you. (I can only reach my shins)
• Inhale and extend your chest to lengthen your spine.
• Exhale and gently press both legs toward straight without overextending. Lift the kneecaps and gently spiral your upper, inner thighs back.
• On an exhalation, extend your torso down without rounding your back. Lengthen your neck, extending the crown of your head toward the ground, while you draw your shoulders down your back toward your hips.

totameafox

Side

• https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content?contenttypeid=1&contentid=4469

chair side bend

• Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor or stand with feet hip-width apart
• Keep your hips, shoulders, and ears in a straight up-and-down line.
• Raise your right arm overhead and bend your upper body to the left in a reaching motion. Keep your upper body facing straight ahead—don't twist it to the side as you bend.
• Hold the stretch for 20 seconds. Return to the starting position
• repeat with the left arm

totameafox

Hip

• https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/fitness-hip-flexor-stretches

Active Hip Flexor Stretch

• Stand on your left foot with your toes slightly turned inward.
• Put your right foot on the seat of a chair in front of you.
• Hold your arms straight out in front of you at chest level.
• Slowly raise your arms straight up as you squeeze your butt and gently push your pelvis forward. That will straighten your left leg and deepen the bend in your right knee. You'll feel the stretch in the front of your left hip.
• Return to the starting position
• repeat on the other leg.

Adductor stretch

• Stand perpendicular in front of a chair.
• Place the right foot on the chair
• Bend the left knee and lean the body toward the right foot without turning
• return to the starting position
• repeat with the other leg

totameafox

Leg

• https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/leg-stretches

Seated Calf and Hamstring
using stretching/yoga strap

• sit in a chair with one leg bent and the other stretched out resting on it's heal
• place center of strap along the balls of the extended foot
• gently pull strap toward you as you lean forward from hips
• Return to the starting position
• repeat on the other leg

Standing Quad Stretch
using stretching/yoga strap

• Stand hear wall for blance
• place foot in the end loop of the stretching strap
• lift the foot behind you and bring strap over the shoulder of the same side
• gently pull on strap until you feel the stretch
• Return to the starting position
• repeat on the other leg

Calf Stretch

• stand on the edge of a step with just the balls of the feet on the step.
• lower the heals until they are below the top of the step
• Return to the starting position

Top of the Foot Stretch

• Sit on the edge of a chair
• Bring your feet under you so that your toes are still on the floor but the rest of your foot is raised
• Push your heels forward
• Return to the starting position

Ankle Stretch

• Sit on the edge of a chair
• Extend one leg and rest your foot on your heal
• Lean your foot to the right
• Return to center
• Lean your foot to the left
• Return to center
• Switch legs and repeat

This is the end of my list. If someone else would like to document their stretching routine please feel free to add it to the thread. I do not have full movement of my body because some of my bones and joints are deformed so there were multitudes of stretches that I cannot do. I suppose anyone able bodied can just follow a yoga video. Still... this is here if you want to use it.