I think we can all agree that sleep is extremely important for our health and quality of life, but sometimes it is challenging to get quality sleep. Taking time to stretch each night may help alleviate some of the restlessness that you feel when it’s time to hit the hay.
We are going to take you through 5 stretches to help improve sleep quality.
Stretching helps to take your mind off of all the stressors of the day and re-focuses your attention to your breath and your body. Stretching can also alleviate muscle tension that may be preventing you from finding a comfortable sleeping position. Overall, stretching can also increase your flexibility, range of motion, blood circulation and improve posture.
Quadruped T-Spine Rotation
Perfect stretch for those daily desk dwellers or those wanting to increase range of motion in the thoracic spine. Thoracic spine is important for postural support and movement of the torso. Tightness and low range of motion can lead to lower back pain as well
Complete 8-10 repetitions of this movement on each side.
Figure-4 Stretch
This is ideal for individuals who have tightness in the hips, glutes, hamstrings and lower back. The figure 4 will help to open up the hip girdle. You have complete control of how much you pull your knee into your chest.
Hold this stretch for 30-40 seconds each side.
Low Runner’s Lunge with Quad Stretch
This is a great stretch to open up the hip flexors and alleviate tightness. Adding in the quadricep stretch helps to get deeper into the hip flexors and also adds in an extra stretch for the quads. If you are new to this stretch start with just the low runner’s lunge and then work your way into being able to do the quad stretch.
Hold this stretch 30-40 seconds each side. If you are going to do both the lunge and the quad stretch hold each position for about 20 seconds each side.
Kneeling Hamstring Stretch
This is another important stretch for desk dwellers or those dealing with lower-back pain. In this stretch is important to take deep breathes to allow yourself to relax into the stretch. Try to avoid a rounded back. Keeping your back straight will help you get an effective stretch.
Hold this stretch for 30-40 seconds each side.
Leg-up-the-wall Pose
This pose is great for relaxation. The key in this pose is focusing on slowing your breath. This will lower heart rate and in turn helps to lower stress. Having the legs elevated promotes drainage of fluid build-up and increases circulation. This is great for individuals who are on their feet a lot throughout the day
Stay in this position until you can truly feel yourself relax and slow your breathing. Approx. 3-5 minutes
Quality sleep is essential for our immune system, hormone balance, heart health and overall quality of life. Adding these stretches to your night-time routine may be able to help improve your quality of sleep, release muscle tension, improve posture and increase range of motion.
Happy Stretching!
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