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Stretching is one of the ways your
body naturally discharges excess bodily tension. You may notice that you
automatically feel the need to stretch after waking up in the morning or just
before retiring at night. But a good stretch can drain away much of your body’s
tension at other times, too. You may be desk-bound or otherwise required to sit
for long periods of time during the day, causing your muscles to tense and
tighten. Consider adopting one or more basic stretches and taking a stretch
break at various points throughout the day. Cats do, dogs do, why not you?
Following
are two tension-relieving stretches that I find to be wonderful ways of
draining off a lot of excess tension. They are simple and shouldn’t evoke much
comment or ridicule from friends or coworkers.
The Twist. This stretch is great for
your upper body. Sitting or standing, put both your hands behind the back of
your head, locking your fingers together. Move your elbows toward each other
until you feel some moderate tension. Now twist your body slightly, first to
the right for a few seconds and then slowly to the left. When you finish, let
your arms fall to your sides.
The Leg-lift. This stretch is good for
your lower body. Sitting in your chair, raise both your legs until you feel a
comfortable level of tightness in them. Maintaining that tension, flex and
point your toes toward your head. Hold that tension for about ten seconds and
then let your legs fall to the floor. If doing this with both legs together is
a wee bit uncomfortable, try it one leg at a time.
Copyright © Allen Elkin Phd – Originally appeared in Stress Management for Dummies 2nd edition by Allen Elkin
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