Stretches are meant to be done when you need them the most. These brief activities will release tension and tightness, as well as soothe aching muscles from whatever activity you’re doing. Parts like back, chest, neck, shoulders, hip flexors, and hamstrings should all be stretched. A long automobile drive may help you avoid the chaos and stress of an airport, but it does have one possible drawback: extended car excursions can be stressful on your health.
Your joints, in particular, might stiffen as a result of being stuck in the same posture for so long, as can your chest, back, neck, and shoulders. We don’t get as much lubricant to the muscles and joints when we sit in the car for an extended amount of time. Yet a lack of lubrication might cause our bodies to feel stiff overall.
Getting out of your car for a few minutes to stretch dynamically can help you feel better. You’re simply allowing the muscle to lengthen back out and remembering that you could be in a different posture. And by focusing on mobility-based stretches. That is, stretches in which you move in and out of a pose rather than retaining one position—you can assist hydrate tissues and increase blood flow.
That is one rep. Repeat for a total of ten reps. This stretch stretches your upper back, chest, hip flexors, and the front of your shoulders, all of which can become stiff from sitting.
This is one repetition. Repeat for a total of 5 reps. This stretch stretches your chest, upper back, and hip flexors on both sides. Harding adds that when you rotate to the right, you stretch the left part of your upper back and your left hip flexor, and vice versa when you rotate to the left.
That is one rep. Repeat for a total of 15 repetitions. This stretch, which is simply an upright variation of the traditional cat-cow stance you may have done in yoga class, improves low back mobility.
Return to your squat by exhaling and bending your knees, then standing up straight. That is one rep. Repeat for a total of ten reps. This stretch targets your hamstrings, which are a muscle that goes down the back of your legs and crosses your knees and hips. The squat and bend positions also provide a dynamic exercise to get your blood pumping.