Healthy Habit #6--Stretch It Out!!

Hello from Germany!

 Time to tackle Healthy Habit #6, which is to stretch every single day!  You will feel loose, limber, prep your body for your workouts and prevent injury.  Between my back going out (I was a bad girl and hadn't stretched in a week, then jumped into a workout without warming up--I should know better!) and my travel planning, it has been a minute since I've posted a video.  So I decided to do a quick stretch while waiting for my plane and record it for you.  This is a routine I do regularly and it focuses a lot on stretching the back.  It includes a lot of stretches you have probably seen before and also incorporates some yoga.

 You can use this routine as a starting point, but know that every body is different, with special needs.  If you have muscles that cause you aches and pains, then I encourage you to do your homework and find the stretches that will help those muscles.  If a certain muscle is causing pain or is very tight, it is also good to know that working the muscles around that muscle will also help to loosen it up.  Everything is connected!  The same goes for opposite sides of your body.  For example, if a muscle in your upper back hurts, then working out your pecs, directly opposite of that point, will help alleviate the pain.

 I really want you to tackle this challenge because next week I will be challenging you to start your workouts.  Stretching, like exercising, is not usually fun the first couple of weeks.  It kind of hurts.  But after you get over that hurdle and the discomfort is gone, both stretching and working out will feel so incredibly good to you!  And if you start stretching this week, exercising next week will be that much easier.

 If you have any specific questions, go ahead and ask me on my facebook or twitter and I will try to help you out! See you next week when I'm back in America!

  Mon