A new way to stretch for active agers - Deep stretches without getting on the floor



This is the fifth week of a six week blog series teaching active agers how to use foam rollers and hard balls to get deep stretches.  Most of the foam roller stretches are done on the floor so I wanted to cover some ways to deeply stretch and get knots out of your muscles without having to go down to the floor.  In the videos below I use a small hard ball (tennis or lacrosse ball) against the wall to release the often tight muscles of the upper back and hips.

Our Vintage Fitness personal trainers, who are experts in 50+ fitness find that many clients are hesitant to use these kinds of stretching aids because they are not sure how to use them or they can be tricky to get on and off.

This 6 week series includes:

• The benefits of stretching aids like balls and foam rollers- Friday May 19th
• Back stretches using stretching aids- Friday May 26
• Hip stretches using stretching aids (great if you have hip pain)- Friday June 2
• Leg stretches using stretching aids (will give ways to stretch your hamstrings even if you have bad arthritis in your knees)- Friday June 9
• Modified stretches using stretching aids if you can’t easily stretch on the floor-Friday June 16
• Modified stretches using stretching aids if you have weak wrists- Friday June 23

Deep stretches without getting on the floor

Upper back release

Benefits of this exercise:

• Stretch muscles in the upper back that get tight due to poor posture and can cause neck and shoulder pain.

Tips:

• Roll the ball around your upper back till you find the tights spots and hold until they release

Video:

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Deep hip stretch

Benefits of this exercise:

• Loosen muscles on the side of the hip that often relate to low back pain.

Tips:

• Can also stretch out muscles deep in the glutes with the ball

Video:

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Posture exercise

Benefits of this exercise:

• Reduces the tension in shoulders and chest

Tips:

• Keep your core muscles contracted to protect your lower back and keep a natural curve in your lower back

Video:

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Drop me a note erin@vintagefitness.ca if you have any questions about these stretches or you would like a Vintage Fitness personal trainer to give you a personalized consultation.

Good Luck!

Erin

Vintage Fitness

Click to Call    416-951-7978

Vintage Fitness is an in home personal training company in Toronto, Canada.  We specialize in energizing the lives of people over 50 with exercise.