Daily at home pain free stretching routine

This routine of posture exercises and stretches are designed for Clackamas County employees for their LifeBalance Wellness Challenge. Doing these stretches daily at home will help restore postural alignment, improve energy, decrease stress, prevent or reverse repetitive stress injuries, and eliminate back, neck, knee, and hip pain. Do these stretches in conjunction with your daily at work pain free stretching routine.

1. Static Back

• Lie on your back with your legs resting at 90 degrees on a chair or ottoman. 
  
• Rest your arms out to your sides at a 45 degree angle with your palms up.
  
• Relax your legs and upper body and breathe deeply. 
  
• Hold this position for 5 minutes.
  

2. Upper Spinal Floor Twist

• Lie on your side in the fetal position with your arms straight out in front of you and your knees and hips bent at 90 degrees.
  
• Stack your knees one directly atop the other, where they should remain throughout the exercise. 
  
• Lift the top arm up toward the ceiling and reach toward the floor. 
  
• Turn your head to look in that direction.
  
• Do NOT let your knees come apart while moving your arm to the other side. 
  
• Use your bottom hand to hold your knees together and keep them stacked on top of one another.
  
• Allow your upper body to open up as you breathe and relax your stomach. 
  
• Hold for 1 minute. 
  
• Repeat on the other side.
  

3. Cats and Dogs

• Start on your hands and knees with your fingers pointed straight ahead.
  
• Be sure your hips are directly above your knees and that your shoulders are directly above your hands. 
  
• For the Cat position: Pull your hips under, push your upper back toward the ceiling, and pull your chin toward your chest as your breathe out.
  
• For the Dog position: Roll your hips forward to put in arch in your lower back, collapse your shoulder blades together, and look up as your breathe in.
  
• Move slowly back and forth between the Cat and Dog positions 10 times. 
  

4. Downward Dog

• Start on your hands and knees with your fingers pointed straight ahead.
  
• Curl your toes under and lift your knees off the floor pushing your hips towards the ceiling. 
  
• Tighten your quads and keep your knees straight as your push your upper body through your arms toward your feet.
  
• Tilt your pelvis forward to create an arch in your lower back.
  
• Slowly lower your heels toward the floor without losing the arch in your lower back. 
  
• Hold for 1 minute.
  

Contact Matt at Oregon Exercise Therapy for personalized stretching or exercise routines to eliminate pain, recover from injury, avoid surgery, or improve performance.