Stretch and move your way to less stress.

Stress not only impacts your mental and emotional wellbeing, but also your physical body. One way stress shows up in the body is with aches, pain and recurring or immediate injury. Another way is lack of mobility of the joints, and/or stiffness of the muscles.

None of these signs should be dismissed and can oftentimes be prevented with some regular stretching and mobility training. In this article, we’ll review three common areas of stress in the upper and mid-body. We’ll also cover how to stretch and mobilize each. Remember that these exercises and stretches aren’t meant to treat your health concerns. And you should always consult with your doctor for serious or long-term healthcare ailments before trying any type of exercise program.

Stretch: The doorway stretch is one of the most effective chest-opening stretches to improve breathing, posture, and rounded shoulder. Play around with the placement of your hands on the door (high or low) to feel what gives you the best stretch.

Mobilize: Roll shoulders backward to allow the chest to open, the shoulders to relax, and the back muscles to engage in order to help pull back and prevent forward rolling of your shoulders.

Side Body 

Stretch: One of the most common concerns is the lower back which connects to the side body. This side body exercise stretches the entire upper, middle, and lower back along with the psoas, hip, and upper leg muscles. These muscles connect to back muscles and often cause additional pain and restrictions.

Mobilize: Standing crossover toe touches help lengthen the back muscles in movement and create a great back-body stretch.

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