Before I share more of my work outs, I want to share my stretches, because I urgently need to stretch, and maybe you do too. Stretching is no longer the luxury I ignored when I was young. At my age (in my 50s) my body stiffens if I neglect stretching. For example, I use 50+ pound weights for my legs with a weight bench, (I’ll share more about this in another post.) My muscles tighten up. Years ago I was developing such bad pain, I thought I’d strained muscles, but my brother suggested I should try stretching. That cleared up ALL of the pain, within several days. I had not injured myself but had let my muscles contract with weight lifting, and I had stressed my fascia and had not stretched them.
Now I make sure I stretch my muscles and also loosen the fascia, the thin casing of connective tissue, around muscles. Fascia should be slippery and flexible. But it can develop adhesions (it crinkles up) if we do repetitive movements, or as fascia dries up or if the nerves in it are impacted. Sometimes the tightness in our body is due to fascia tightening, especially if we begin to feel better after movement and stretching. Our muscles and fascia feel better when we apply heat if we actually do over work them. So please listen to your body and move gently. If you feel pain, use that as a warning. Never force yourself.
As is true of all my work outs, I never do everything at one time. So I’ll share all of my stretches with you and explain how I break them up, based upon the exercise I do just before that stretch.
I can read while doing some of my standing stretches, so I’ll begin with these. Furthermore, I do all of these in the morning, before breakfast, and after both types of my floor exercises (one type done Sun/Tu/Thu, the other type done Mon/Wed/Fri). I also stretch on Saturday, even though I don’t exercise that day. I need daily stretching!
Weird note: we don’t heat the back bedrooms, and they may be in the 50s (Fahrenheit), so I am wearing 2 sweatshirts, with the outer one being oversized. I hope you can still see what I am doing, though I am wearing that huge sweatshirt. I also use my weight bench and inversion table outside (I built a shelter, and I’ll explain how I constructed it in the future). So when I use the inversion table, if it looks a bit dark and wet, this is because it was an overcast day and yes, it was raining so heavily, part of the “floor” area was wet. This is un-edited footage. I had just finished working out, and my hair was a mess, and I had no make up. I might even look a bit tired. I did not want to try to look fancy or “camera ready,” because I wanted to encourage you this can be done quickly and easily.
1)To stretch my side, I hold a long sock (you can use a towel or strip of cloth too). I hold the sock over my shoulder with one hand, and catch the lower end of the sock with my other hand. I pull as I lean as far as I can toward my side, pulling down along the outside leg. I do this on the left and then on right side twice. The harder I pull the better stretch I get in my side.
2)I spread my feet far apart. Then I cross the leg over the other (with feet as far apart as I can get them). I do this on each leg.
3)I stand on one leg and then pull my foot (in front of me) across the other leg above the knee and do this once on each leg.
4)I catch my foot and then pull it up behind me, as far as I can pull it (and bend, slightly at the waist) and do this once on each leg.
Next, I’ll introduce stretches I do on my extra thick exercise mat. I introduced it in my work out post, but here it is again, along with a link if you want to buy a thicker mat like mine.
Below this is a link for some Ebay thick mats for sale.
For these stretches, I can use my hard foam roller (which I also use all seven days per week, in the morning before breakfast). This is specifically for loosening the fascia, but it also helps to elongate tight muscles. When I first used this for my legs, I felt like I was covered with invisible bruises, because it hurt all over my legs. But I suspected it could be fascia, so I kept using it, and in less than a week, that all-over pain went away—I really did have tight fascia, and this really helped! This is why I recommend this, since it works for me.
Here is a link to a variety of Walmart Hard foam rollers https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dfoam%2Broller
Here is an Ebay link to a variety of foam rollers:
1)First I roll the tops of my legs (thighs only, since my shins are boney).
2)Next I flip over and roll from my buttocks, to my upper-most thigh to my calf, to my Achilles heel, and then I roll all the way back up again.
3)Then I gradually turn so more of the outside of one leg (and thus the inside of the other) is rolled.
4)Then I gradually turn so I do the opposite side. I roll all these areas twice.
5)Then I roll from my upper most back, all the way back down my legs (this causes a few crackling sounds, but it never hurts). Be careful to not get your hair under the roller. I have accidentally pulled out hair that way (ouch).
Two different people told me their doctors recommended lying down with the hard foam roller aligned vertically with their spine (yes lay down on it). I only do that for a few seconds.
While on the floor, I use a strip of cloth (long sock, or towel also works) and put it on my feet. This stretches my feet but also strengthens my ankles. I already introduced this in my post “Identifying Patterns in Injuries.” Here is that info again:
I use a cloth strip over the bottom of my feet and pull outwards.
Then I push my feet into the pointed-toe position, resisting the cloth as I pull it towards me.
Then I pull the cloth towards me while I resist with my feet in the flex position.
I sit up and then lean forward and touch my toes, holding for a few seconds.
Then I lie on my belly and push up my torso with my hands on the floor, arching my back and bending my knees. My daughter, Amy, taught me this one.
I must warn you, for doing upside down stretches (I am about to share), including the inversion table, please get your medical provider’s OK to do these 2 stretches (including your eye doctor’s OK). Being upside down can bring extra pressure, including to the eyes. I have an exercise ball.
First, Walmart link to the balls (I recommend you get one with the pump, because they do lose some air over the seasons): https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dexercise%2Bball
Here is a link to some exercise balls on Ebay:
I lay down on my ball, belly in the air. While I am belly up, I also move my arms to stretch my shoulders. I do this stretch in the morning with the floor stretches. I want to urge ALL women over age 35 to consider lightly moving their shoulders. “Frozen Shoulder Syndrome” is too common as women age. Adhesions develop there and this can be very painful. It turns out simply moving your shoulders (such as in circles) can help the body break down these adhesions so your shoulders do not freeze up.
These stretches go very fast (I don’t linger) and I am done in minutes.
Later in the day, after breakfast and some time with my girls, I end my heavier weight lifting (which lasts about 29 minutes, and uses a bench with 50+ pound weights) by hanging upside down for 10 minutes on the inversion table. I’ve attached a link to some Walmart tables; https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dinversion%2Btable
Here are Ebay inversion tables.
I mentioned restrictions about using the inversion table in my post “Identifying Patterns in Injury,” but the caveat is to check with your doctor before using this and see that post for some of my warnings about it. I hang upside down with my eyes shut. I discovered I cannot read while hanging upside down, because it causes my eyes to blur for quite a while afterwards.
The table can come with accessories called the “Gravity Boots” to ease the strain on your ankles.
Walmart link to the boots: https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Danti%2Bgravity%2Bboots
Here is an Ebay link to these boots:
But I found if I only use the boots I still have too much pressure on my ankles. I have my own invention for using this table. I bought a second weight lifter’s belt (just like the one I use for lifting weights) and attached ropes. Here is a Walmart link to the belts: https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dwomen%2527s%2Blifting%2Bbelt
and an Ebay link to some women’s lifting belts:
I wear it very low, right above where my swim suit ends (hip area). I attached ropes, and I got them tight.
I also take off my Teva sandals and instead wear hiking boots (again to ease the ankle strain). I tie the ropes through this metal link on the belt.
Then I loop the ropes (which have been tied into loops) over the foot holder at the bottom of the table.
I worked on this until I had it tight enough. I recommend tying the ropes (not too tightly at first), flipping upside and then deciding if the rope is right. I kept experimenting until I got the rope just tight enough (and not too tight). Then I could tie tight knots in the ropes.
Now when I flip over, the belt helps to hold more of my weight then just the boots (which you see me wearing here, with the ropes attached). I don’t need to tie the ropes anymore, either, since they stay just the right tightness.
This way I don’t mind the 10 minutes and my ankles no longer ache. I have met people who say they just cannot use this table, due to the ankle strain. The belt with ropes really helps!
If you have the money, a Christian man invented an entire belt system for the inversion table. Cedrick Noel patented a super supportive belt that works great for people who need more support than my economy method of a weight belt and ropes. I wanted to get this post up, and once I retrieve his contact info, I will update this post.
If you try an inversion table, please know it will feel very scary and weird at first. I did not use this alone. My daughters and I all tried this and we helped each other to push it partially upside down. We were all scared and felt so strange being even partially upside down. I did not know if I could ever flip upside down and stay that way. Even though these machines do enable a person to flip back up, I recommend you ONLY do this for the first times with someone nearby, either if you get scared, or if you forget how to right yourself, or if your machine is not adjusted for your height and it is too hard to flip back. The machine comes with directions and has markings for your height. Mine is set for my height, and when I am upside down I just fold my arms (so I don’t scrape the wall, since mine is right by the wall), and then I give a slight tug and I go flipping right back up. Be patient with yourself, and don’t force yourself. This is supposed to be good for you, but if it scares you, then it is not good.
If you are at all scared the table might lock and are trying it alone (after your friend has helped you get used to it), consider setting it up by a wall. Then if the table gets slightly stuck, you can push on the wall and get yourself back up. I am very, very careful with this, because I heard about a dad who got stuck upside down.
Another note many people don’t think to share: swallow and blow your nose before you flip upside down. I do this outside and even under my shelter, the winds whips in and my nose runs. I flipped one time when it was either my nose running or I had not swallowed, and this moisture ran right up into my nose (remember I was upside down). It was harmless, but if you ever swam and accidentally got water up your nose, you know this hurts.
I NEVER do abdominal exercises while stretching, and especially NOT while using the inversion table. I strained my back when I tried! But I do gently and slowly stretch my arms while upside down. Here are my little arm exercises
1)First (actually a massage), I massage my own shoulders and neck, because the lifting makes them stiff.
2)I also put one hand behind my neck, the other hand under my chin. I gently push up my chin and lightly push my neck forward (very gently) to encourage its natural curve.
3)I reach forward as far as I can. Because my arms are long, I can actually hold onto the base of the inversion table to pull.
4)I push my hand over my shoulder and then behind my back and with the opposite hand, push on my elbow. I do this with both arms.
5)I reach my hand behind my lower back and catch that hand (with the other hand) and pull it towards my middle back and further if I can.
6)I do the same shoulder roll I did when I was upside down on the exercise ball.
This way I have stretched my whole body (but spread out the stretches over time). They only take minutes to complete (with many I only do the stretch a few seconds once on each side), and I do not ache. Maybe the stretches are why I avoid pain, since I do not take any ibuprofen, Tylenol or other over the counter pain meds after my work outs. Likely the lack of pain is also because I limit what I do and my work-outs are low stress. I actually wrote about other ways I avoid pain (and avoid pain meds) in my post “Pain Free Living,” so be sure to check it out. If you need pain meds, please do not feel guilty! Some people need them, and this is the no-guilt, no-shame place. I know some people have some serious injuries, or their bodies might produce more pain sensations. We must never compare ourselves with others. We just don’t know what other people have been through, how their bodies are built and more. So please be gentle with yourself. I only recommend stretching, because I had pain when I did NOT stretch. And please, if you have Joint Hyper Mobility Syndrome, do work with your medical provider. I have this syndrome, and I have learned how to be gentle and listen to my body when I stretch. I discussed that complication in the post “Identifying Patterns in Injuries.”
God will guide you as you work out, stretch, eat, and do all your living. Your methods to be healthy are your own. I share what works for me, but it may not work for you. Please never feel shame or an obligation to follow what I do if it doesn’t work for you. God made you unique, and you get to have the pleasure (and at times the hard work) of discovering what works for you. That is how I learned what works for me. I tried what others did, and I found some things that worked, and some that failed for me. I did invent some things I had never heard of before, but that works for me.
Thanks for joining us in this post. May the Lord bless you, as you stretch, and as you live in Him!