Have you been having trouble sleeping due to back or other body pains? The simple solution may be to perform some critical stretches to loosen your muscles before bed. Our daily lives put a lot of pressure on our bodies, specifically our muscles. For this reason, many professionals suggest regular stretching to help our bodies heal from this daily wear and tear, and help us get the essential rest we need.
When doing your nightly stretching for your back-pain, consider the following stretches recommended by us here at Stretch Station.
Happy Baby
This stretch is definitely the cutest – and most fun – of the stretches in this list. You start by laying flat on your back. Begin by bending your knees so that your upper and lower leg meet at a 90-degree angle, and your lower leg is perpendicular to the ground; then, reach with your arms to grab the arches of your feet. As you pull on your arches and hold, you should be able to feel a long stretch from your lower back to your hamstrings.
Bear Hug
This stretch is intended to stretch your trapezius and rear deltoids to relax your upper back and neck before bed. Start by taking a big breath in and stretching your arms apart. Next, while exhaling, give yourself a hug by wrapping your arms around your torso and grabbing your shoulder blades. Lastly, take a final breath in and pull your shoulder blades apart to get a stretch in your middle-upper back.
Low-Lunge
This final pose is very simple and great for stretching all the muscles in your upper leg. Start in a “kneeled” stance with one leg’s knee on the ground and the other leg’s foot flat on the ground, both with 90-degree angles. Then, push your hips forward to feel a stretch in the hamstring and glutes of the up-leg, and a stretch in the quadriceps of your kneeled-knee.
Seated Forward Fold
This stretch is by far the easiest to understand on this list! Start by sitting flat on the ground with your legs extended directly in front of you and flat on the ground. Next, extend your arms directly above your head, and bend your entire torso towards your knees ahead of you. If you are doing this stretch correctly, you should feel a good stretch in your middle back and latissimus dorsi. Stretching these muscles will bring more blood into them, causing them to not feel so tight as you lay down for bed.
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Stretch Station
Stretch Station is an assisted stretching studio based out of San Diego, CA. They provide their customers with a trainer and stretching pro to get full-body or specialized stretches. If you or someone you know is in need of our services, don’t hesitate to contact us for an inquiry.