Dr. Chris Oswald, chiropractor and muscle physiologist based in Toronto, suggests that, to get your muscles primed for the day's activities, it's ideal to take a few minutes each morning to perform a stretching routine.
"There's way more preparation that the body really needs before it goes out to shovel snow, lift the kids, do gardening, or bring out the garbage," Oswald says.
The importance of stretching lays in minimizing the risk of injury, he says, adding that if people commit to doing a regular morning stretch routine, they limit their risk of back pain by at least 80 per cent.
Make stretching your morning ritual
When you get out of bed in the morning, take a hot shower and use the warm water to loosen you up, Oswald advises. Then, making sure you have a nonslip surface in your shower or tub, do the following series of stretches.
Easy shower stretches
1. The neck tilt
Tilt your ear towards your shoulder and stretch the side muscles of your neck, letting the water run over them to loosen them up. Hold this position "until you feel things release," Oswald says. This stretch is necessary, he explains, because the neck muscles tighten up during sleep.
2. The side bend
Put your right arm up over your head and spread your legs so your feet are shoulder-width apart. Then, tilt your body to the left to flex the lateral muscles of your torso. Apply the same procedure using your left arm, tilting your body to the right.
3. The torso twist
Rotate your upper body to one side, then the other. "I always suggest bending over and touching your toes if you can," Oswald adds. Or, you can lean on the edge of your tub to stretch out your buttock muscles, hamstrings and calves.
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