Follow Healthline   |   Healthline on TwitterTwitter   |   Healthline on FacebookFacebook
Symptom Search   |   Treatment Search   |   Doctor Search   |   Drug Search
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWMExercise and Fitness
Advertisement

Fast Fitness - Hip Stretch and Spine Stability Training When Stretching Legs

Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM
Here is Fast Friday Fitness - Retrain your standing leg stretches to hold your spine and hip in healthful position, get more stretch to the front of the hip, use your back muscles, practice balance, and learn functional stretching - the way your body needs to move in real life in a healthy way.

When you raise one leg to stretch when standing:
  1. Keep your standing leg straight. Don't bend at the knee and hip, as pictured.
  2. Don't round your back or let your pelvis and hip round under you, as pictured.
  3. Stand straight. Relaxed. Don't force or strain. Breathe.

When stretching, remember function. Why practice a position that is rounded, tight, and detrimental to how you move in real life when you lift your legs. It would look silly and unhealthy to stand up that way. Why stretch that way?

Get functional stretch by lengthening your body enough to be able to straighten out. That is the purpose of the stretch.

Use the new length and your brain to stand straight. Transfer the positioning to real life when you are standing and lift one leg to take stairs, kick, dance, play sports, climb over things, and other life activities. Standing without being so tight that you round your body forward, or just round from habit, is healthier, better looking, burns more calories, and stops many sources of chronic aches and pains.

Send me your photos of fixing this stretch. Doing is the best learning. I will post the photos in a reader success story.


See how to retrain this same stretch lying down:


See photos of fixing this same stretch for kicking and stairs:


Related posts:


---
Questions come in by the hundreds. I make posts from selected ones. See if your answers are already here by clicking labels below posts, and links and archives. Read success stories of these methods and send your own.

Have The Fitness Fixer e-mailed to you, free.
Click "updates via e-mail" - Health Expert Updates (trumpet icon) upper right column.

Find fun topics on the Fitness Fixer Index.
---

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Permalink | Email Post

2 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home

The Healthline Site, its content, such as text, graphics, images, search results, HealthMaps, Trust Marks, and other material contained on the Healthline Site ("Content"), its services, and any information or material posted on the Healthline Site by third parties are provided for informational purposes only. None of the foregoing is a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Healthline Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. Please read the Terms of Service for more information regarding use of the Healthline Site.