Once again, I hope you had a great weekend. I was actually able to get out in the yard and do some weeding and mulching in the flowerbeds. Did you know that gardening is an excellent form of exercise? Yup! Low impact, bending, stretching, and core involvement are all benefits of gardening. It enhances your mood and the sun helps with Vitamin D (also getting attention in pain prevention).
Just make sure that you listen to your body and take breaks when needed. Get help where needed as well. Yes! It's frustrating!!!!! But do it anyway. My joints can no longer sustain the jarring that comes with digging, transplanting, or rota-tilling. I feel like a 90 lb. weakling asking my husband or son to do these "simple" tasks for me, but I've also realized that I can do more, not only in the yard but afterwards as well, if I just let them do it.
Another important part of preventing and alleviating pain is warming up, cooling down, and stretching, and not just with a workout. I've found that when I warm up, cool down and then stretch, even after gardening or a walking down the lane, I have less pain and greater mobility throughout that day and the next. I usually warm up and cool down with those segments of a walking DVD.
Now, when it comes to stretching, most people think about hamstrings and calve stretches. Those are important because you've used them, but what usually gets left out is the Hip Connection; stretch those hip flexors!
I've had both a physical therapist and a chiropractor teach me about stretching the hip flexors because they're usually the culprits behind most low back, spine, and hip pain and stiffness. A friend of mine recently shared a link advertising the Unlock Your Hip Flexors stretching DVD program. Since this is where most of my pain and stiffness occurs, and knowing about the Hip Connection, I checked it out and ordered it. LOVE IT !!!
Even though the program is basic easy moves, I was not even able to perform the entire stretching program the first week because these muscles were so tight. But I kept doing what I could daily and my hips really did "unlock". I was able to move, stretch, and actually get up out of a chair without pain and having my hips "lock" half way through the motion! I was even able to get out of bed the next morning without the pain and stiffness as well.
Visit www.unlockyourhipflexors.com and check it out. It came to around $30.00 with shipping and handling and it has been one of the best additions to my daily routine to prevent and alleviate pain and stiffness. I can tell that night and the next morning when I haven't been able to fit these stretches in during the day.
Have you tried it? Let us know. Do you have any stretches for the hips that work for you? Share them with us in the comment section!
Hope you have a great day!
To your Health!
Deanna
No comments:
Post a Comment