FitSugar

Open Your Heart: 10 Heart-Opening Stretches

Jenny Sugar — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:15:17 PST

I can hear Madonna in my head singing "Open Your Heart," and in my mind's eye see her doing her yoga moves on stage. Why not celebrate Valentine's Day and American Heart Month with a little bit of yogic love? Physically stretching the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and belly can create a deep emotional release helping you to appreciate and honor of yourself and your loved ones. These poses also bring a feeling of lightness and contentment. Try these 10 heart-opening stretches to make you feel positively blissful.

Source: Thinkstock

Essential Stretches For Tight Hips

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:05:31 PST

Tight hips seem to be a common problem for almost everybody - from runners to cyclists, from deskbound bloggers to triathletes. Give this area a little extra love with this sequence of nine hip-opening stretches to increase your flexibility, reduce discomfort, and prevent injury. Try the series in the order listed here, or pick your faves to incorporate into your workout routine.

From the Community: the Best Exercise You Aren't Doing

Fit Community — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:10:46 PST

FitSugar community member (and fitness instructor) livinginthin has shared a how-to on an overlooked exercise that everyone should be doing.

Running, cycling, squatting, jumping, curling, crunches, and lunging - you do it all, right? Well, the one move you aren’t doing is probably the one that can keep you doing all those things (and more), pain and injury-free for a lifetime.

What is it? Dorsiflexion. In layperson’s terms, dorsiflexion is the action of the foot that occurs when you pull your toes back toward your shin, engaging the foot and ankle muscles (the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus).

Weak muscles in this part of the leg can cause everything from muscular imbalances to an impaired gait and even tripping and falling (as we age, we lose even more strength in this area, which makes it harder to step properly), says Dr. Yoav Suprun, PT, Dip. MDT, a certified personal trainer, physical therapist, and owner of SOBE Spine in Miami Beach, FL.

Learn what exercises you should be doing to combat these muscle strains, after the break!

Wear High Heels? Do These Stretches

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:05:09 PST

Whether you wear heels solely on special occasions or rock them every day, here are some stretches to offer your tootsies a little relief from soreness or pain.

Source: Thinkstock

4 Desk Stretches to Relieve Neck and Shoulder Tension

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:25:41 PST

Sitting at a desk for hours on end, staring at your computer screen, and scrunching your shoulders as you type can create a stiff neck and tense shoulders, or even a headache. Take a break and do these four stretches at your desk to offer some stress relief.

Behind the Back Neck Stretch: offers a deep stretch in the sides of your neck

Sitting on the edge of a sturdy chair, reach both hands behind your pelvis, and hold onto your left wrist with your right hand. Use your right hand to gently straighten your left arm and pull it away from you slightly. To increase the stretch in your neck, slowly lower your right ear toward your shoulder.
Stay here for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

Keep reading to learn how to do three more tension-relieving stretches at your desk.

3 Must-Do Yoga Poses For Tight Hips

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 03:06:42 PDT

Whether you suffer from tight hips because you run, sit at a desk all day, are pregnant, or were just born with oh-so-tight hips, here are three yoga poses you can do every day to increase flexibility and reduce tension in this commonly stiff area. Mix up the sequence each time you do it to keep your muscles guessing.

One of my favorite stretches after a run, Lizard will target your hips and hip flexors.

Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Step your right foot forward between your palms keeping your hands on the floor. Lower your left knee to the mat, and release your elbows to the floor as well. Either rest your hands on the ground or bring your hands together in prayer position.
Continue to squeeze your right knee toward your body and gaze forward to encourage your hips to lower toward the floor. After five breaths come back onto your hands. Tuck your left toes and step your right leg back. Take a vinyasa (exhale as you lower to Four-Limbed Staff, inhale to Upward Dog, then exhale to Down Dog), step your left foot forward, and repeat this pose on the left side.

I'm just getting started so keep reading for two more effective hip opening yoga poses.

Hip Stretches to Reduce Tightness and Back Pain

FitSugar — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:46:31 PDT

When stretching out the lower body, the hips often get passed over in favor of the calves, quads, and hamstrings. Bad idea! Hip flexors are what help lift the legs while running, which means they are prone to tightness. Even if you don't run, but you sit a lot during the day, you're probably tight in your hips, so get a stretching! There's also an added bonus to incorporating some Pigeon Pose into your life: stretching out your hips also reduces back pain. Get yourself loose and limber by incorporating the following hip stretches into your daily routine.

Hit the Hay and Stretch

FitSugar — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 02:11:00 PDT

Stretching in bed relaxes your body before going to sleep, and it can also be a great way to gently wake you up in the morning. Here are seven stretches you can do in your pajamas. Do all seven if you have time, or just pick a few. They can relieve stress after a busy day, or give your brain some calm time before you have to get up and hit the ground running.

Quick Tip: Stay For the Stretch

Leta Shy — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:58:46 PDT

Any good fitness instructor will leave a few minutes at the end of a class for stretching. That's usually when a few rushed students quietly gather up their belongings and dash out the door. If this is you, here's a reminder to stay for the stretch. While you may be thinking about not having to wait in line for the showers or getting a head start on your locker room routine, those few last minutes are actually an integral part of the whole workout. Stretching warmed up muscles after exercise increases your flexibility, which helps reduce the risk of injury. So stay the extra minutes; your body will thank you!

Don't have time to stay till the end? Don't forget to do your own stretches during your next workout. Make sure you do these soon after you finish so you won't be stretching your muscles cold. Here are some great stretches to do after cycling or spin class or after a run.

Go Splits! 8 Stretches to Get You There

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:52:24 PDT

Doing the splits requires flexible hamstrings and open hips, so if you practice these eight stretches, you'll be on your way to doing full splits in no time. Doing splits regularly will keep your hamstrings and hip flexors limber - great if you're a runner, biker, or skier. Not to mention, it's also a great party trick to impress your friends.