All of a sudden, stretching is considered as important as exercise. Even if one does not exercise, the recommendation to stretch each day and start and end the day with stretching is at the forefront. This Grandma is a twenty year yogi and always recommends yoga for adults and children, or to do with grandchildren, but only about 15% of us sustain the yoga practice on a consistent basis. See the ideas and benefits at this post, “Yoga For Grandchildren Should Start Young With Benefits Forever.”
We can start stretching young. When I was a young mother, when I woke my baby or then child, I immediately said, ‘stretch and grow.” If you think about it, stretching is something we automatically do when we awake. I would stretch the baby’s arms and legs, not knowing if I was doing this right or wrong, and as my baby grew, she would stretch her arms over her head and point her toes and stretch. Touching with loving arms is always welcome, and there are specific stretches one can do with newborns and babies. See this link.
The United Kingdom baby center site has combination massage and stretching exercises for babies at this site.
Family yoga classes abound and grandma can take a yoga class with a grandchild. But stretching has become a benefit unto itself. A daily short stretching practice not only improves health and vitality with little time outlay, but now this Grandma has learned also brings POWER.
This Grandma is convinced that stretching keeps us young and “forever young” is a primary goal of this Boomer Grandma. There are many internet lists of the benefits of stretching. This first list we may have heard before, but is worth emphasizing. From Health Fitness Revolution we learn their list of top ten benefits of daily stretching:
STRETCHING PROMOTES OPTIMISM AND CALM IN YOUR DAY
Stretching in the morning loosens muscles, relaxes muscles and increases blood flow. Stretching at night relieves the stress of the day, releases endorphins, helping you to sleep.
STRETCHING IMPROVES POSTURE AND RELIEVES ACHES AND PAINS
When we stretch our bodies, arms long above our heads and legs elongated from our bodies, not only are we lengthening our bodies, we are loosening muscles and keeping our spine in a better alignment to relieve aches and pains.
STRETCHING IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY AND RANGE OF MOTION
With greater flexibility and range of motion, we have better balance and we lessen our chances of injury.
STRETCHING INCREASES STAMINA
With increased blood flow and oxygen to our bodies while stretching, we benefit with increased stamina and endurance.
STRETCHING DECREASES RISK OF INJURY
With increased blood flow and oxygen to our bodies while stretching, and better balance, we benefit with decreased risk of injury.
STRETCHING BRINGS HIGHER LEVELS OF ENERGY
Even taking a stretch break during the day brings increased blood flow and oxygen to our bodies and makes us more alert.
STRETCHING PROMOTES CIRCULATION
Yes, increased blood flow and oxygen to our bodies improves bodily function.
STRETCHING IMPROVES EXERCISE
We are always told to stretch before and after exercise to help our muscles.
STRETCHING REDUCES SORENESS
That same increased blood flow and oxygen helps our muscles recover after activity and exercise.
STRETCHING REDUCES CHOLESTEROL
The caveat here is that stretching must accompany a healthy diet for this benefit of reducing cholesterol.
See the entire article at this link.
How long should this stretching last?
This Grandma’s stretch routine takes about five minutes in the morning and five minutes before bed. Although I know I should probably do these on the floor for a flat surface, I consider my bed hard so I do this in bed. Here is this Grandma’s routine:
Full body stretch. On my back, hands over head and legs stretched out below. Point and flex feet. I add a loud sigh if it won’t wake Grandpa.
Individual leg raises. Remaining on my back, with my knees bent, I raise my legs on at a time. I hold the leg up in the air, make leg circles in both directions (toward my body and away). I move the extended leg toward the other knee for an IT band stretch and out wide (like a bow and arrow with bent knee out to opposite side of other outstretched leg),
Hip stretches. Still on my back, with my knees bent and together, I windshield wipe my bent legs from one side to the other. Then I do a hip stretch on each side, which looks like a number four, knees bent, with one foot leaning on the other knee and threading hands under the knee the foot is leaning on. Always do both legs.
Stomach, back, and ankle joint massage. On my back, with my legs stretched out, I draw one knee toward my chest and wrap my hands around the knee, hugging one knee at a time, I make a circle with my ankles 4 times in each direction. In the air, I lower the hugged knee slowly to the bed. Finally hugging both knees toward the chest for a stomach massage, I rock side to side for a back massage.
Side Stretch and forward bend. Standing up, I raise my hands, holding them together, above my head. I move them slowly to the left and then to the right to stretch my side waist. I come back to center and reach tall, and from the hips, now palms apart and facing each other, I first look for a spot on the ceiling just behind me and try to back bend just a little; even after 20 years, I cannot go but a few inches in a back bend. Finally, I bend forward to try to touch my toes. I now can put my hands flat on the floor, but if you cannot, fold forward, and bend your knees a little and rest your hands on your legs. Eventually, you will reach your toes and ultimately be able to place your hands on the floor. Slowly I raise up, and am ready to start my day.
At night, I start with the standing poses and end with the poses in bed. There are many morning and bedtime routines on You Tube. Here is an energizing morning routine.
Here is a gentle morning routine.
Try a few and see what you like. My yoga teacher says we tend to do stretches that we like and not that we need. The morning routine I have developed tries to include both. The best is to do some stretching with your grandchildren when visiting and encourage them to do some stretching every day.
NOW TO THE POWER STRETCH!
This Grandma had never heard of this power stretch before. It was mentioned on a television program and I went to the internet. It is also called power posing and only takes two minutes, and supposedly works miracles. I intend to add it to my morning routine.
In bed, on your back, stretch your arms and legs out as far as you can. Yes, you must ask anyone else in the bed to leave first as you are to make yourself as large as you can. This boosts confidence and makes one feel more powerful. Take a look at this post on TedBlog and watch the video.
Yes, as a play on words, it is powerful. . . .and most important in our busy lives, and especially our grandchildren’s lives, if it can increase their confidence, their grades, their success, by even just doing this before going into a testing situation, as it touted to do.
According to the speaker, Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist at Harvard Business School, important to do before any big event in your life, such as “heading into a job interview, giving a big speech or attempting an athletic feat,” is to “spend two minutes power posing.
What, you ask, is power posing? It is adopting the stances associated with confidence, power and achievement – chest lifted, head held high, arms either up or propped on the hips,” or spread wide. And yes, there is a scientific basis for hormonal change in the body which actually increases your sense of power. So, adding a power pose stretch every morning, in bed, in the shower, or before walking out the door can only be good.
As one of the comments to her TedBlog post said, this is like the song, “I Whistle A Happy Tune “ from the musical, The King and I. So when your grandchild is afraid of a test or anything, show him or her the YouTube video.
And tell the grandchild about the power pose and march around in the power pose.
Stretch five minutes every morning and night. Power pose two minutes in the morning before the day begins and as needed.
Sounds like a powerful prescription for health and happiness. . . .and youth.
Joy,
Mema
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