Stretching

Anyone have links to, or know where I can find information and pics on different stretching routines? I am primarily interested in the neck, back and shoulder areas.

Thanks,
Alex

 

I'd like to know more info on this as well.

My mom see's a physical therapist on occassion when she experiences certain pains. She massages certain areas of one part of the body to eleviate pain in another. She taugh my mom a stretch for her neck.

Basically put both your hands behind neck, around the base of your skull and push your head down. Do it slowly so you know your limits. When your head is forward, breathe in and out slowly for 10 seconds (longer if you'd like, i like 15-20 although it's tougher). Do the same leaning your head toward one shoulder, and the other. As well as looking upward.

 

I'm a little busy right now but I will find some links to appropriate stretches of the c-spine for you later today.

 

Alex,

Here a few I found. They are not exactly perfect in the form that I would like to see but they are some of the better ones I found.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/flexibility/l/blstretch.htm

http://www.halhigdon.com/15Ktraining/Stretch.htm

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1026

 

Thanks for the links. Seemed like most of them were focused on the lower body though. While that will come in handy, I am more interested in finding stretches for the my back and upper body.

 

My Folks had a cat which I named "Stretch" - it got annoyed when I used it's middle name "Mark", though.

Nevertheless, just watch a cat stretch.

Along with cats stretching, here are some Humans doing imitations.
http://images.google.com/images?q=cat+stretch&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

 

I would recommend the martial arts equiptment of rollers ropes and splitting torture devices but a nice medicine ball is a great tool.

You can use all variations on it. Hanging from a bar stretchs the lower back and doing hanging hail marry's with no weight just your body. Try leaning over grap a bar and pull yourself in feel the strech in your back rotate your grip and alternate.

 

I learned all my stretching exercises while involved in martial arts. I still use them today. I suggest you google martial arts stretching as it is very effective at keeping you flexible.