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Stretches

Stretches

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Here is a set of exercises that you can do on your break to ease stress. 
Even if you are not feeling any stress it is important that you take part in some physical activity during the  breaks that you have.  The exercises below are intended only as suggestions and you should take caution if you do feel any discomfort when conducting any of these exercises.  Please view the disclaimer before using these exercises. 
Here you can jump to the different stretches if you know them well enough to perform them without instruction.


Or if you don't yet know them well enough, you can press this button and it will take you directly to the first one.


Arm Circles
How To:
1.
 Stand with arms straight out from your body.  Circle your arms slowly clock-wise for 15 seconds.

2.

 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.

3.

 Stand with arms straight out from your body.  Circle your arms slowly counter clock-wise for 15 seconds.
4.
 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.
What does it do:
This helps relive muscle tension in the arms.

Tips:
Keep your arms as straight as possible and at shoulder height.

Arm Stretch
How To:
1.
 While standing, extend arms out in front of you with the backs of your hands touching.  Hold for 5 seconds.

2.

 Turn you hands so that your palms are facing up towards the ceiling.  Hold for   5 seconds.
What does it do:
This helps relive shoulder tension.

Tips:
None for now

Back Stretch
How To: !Warning!
1.
 While standing, lower your head so that it falls down in front of you and hold for    10 seconds.

2.

 Slowly stand tall again.
What does it do:
This is a good exercise that helps relive tension in the back 

Tips:
Do both parts of this exercise SLOWLY and only as far as you can go. 

Calf Stretch
How To:
1.
 Lean against a wall, bending your right leg with the left behind it.  Now plant your left heal on the ground so that you feel a stretch in you calf.  Hold this for             10 seconds.

2.

 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.

3.

 Now switch legs and do the same with your right calf.  Hold for 10 seconds as well.
4.
 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.
What does it do:
This is a good exercise if you do a lot of sitting and not too much walking.

Tips:
Wearing high heals may not be very effective because you are not fully stretching your calf when your heal is raised.

Elbow Press
How To:
1.
 Put your right hand over and behind your left shoulder.  Press gently on your right elbow with you left hand.  Hold for         20 seconds.

2.

 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.

3.

 Put your left hand over and behind your right shoulder.  Press gently on your left elbow with you right hand.  Hold for       20 seconds.
4.
 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.
What does it do:
This helps relive muscle tension that builds up in the shoulder region.

Tips:
None for now.

Finger Stretch
How To:
1.
 Stretch you fingers out as far as they will go and hold for 5 seconds.

2.

 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.

3.

 Make a tight fist with your hands and hold for 5 seconds.
4.
 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.
What does it do:
This helps relive muscle tension in the fingers that builds up after using a mouse and keyboard.

Tips:
None for now.

Front Wrist Stretch
How To:
1.
 Interlace your fingers and stretch your arms out in front of you.  Hold for           10 seconds.

2.

 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.
What does it do:
This is an important exercise for people who do a lot of work at the computer

Tips:
When doing this exercise you palms should be facing outward.

Head Tilt
How To: !Warning!
1.
 Gently move your head to the right so that your right ear is going towards your right shoulder.  Hold this for 5 seconds.

2.

 Relax your neck for 5 seconds.

3.

 Gently move your head to the left so that your left ear is going towards your left shoulder.  Hold this for 5 seconds.
4.
 Relax your neck for 5 seconds.
What does it do:
This is a good exercise if you do a lot of looking down at a monitor

Tips:
Do this exercise SLOWLY.  If you do this too fast you may strain your neck.  Also, don't try and touch you shoulder.  This may also cause you to strain your neck if done too hard.

Shoulder Shrug
How To:
1.
 Stand tall and slide your left hand down the left side of your body.  Raise your right shoulder as your left lowers.  Hold this for 10 seconds. 

2.

 Stand straight again.

3.

 Now slide your right hand down the right side of your body.  Raise your left shoulder as your right lowers.  Hold this for 10 seconds. 
4.
 Stand tall.
What does it do:
This is a good exercise if you get a lot of tension build up in your shoulders.

Tips:
Keep as straight as you can while doing this exercise.

Shoulder Stretch
How To:
1.
 Pull right arm across left shoulder and push with the left hand lightly on right elbow.  Hold this for 20 seconds. 

2.

 Relax for 5 seconds.

3.

 Now do the same for the left.  Pull Left arm across right shoulder and push with the right hand lightly on left elbow. Hold this for 20 seconds
4.
 Relax your for 5 seconds.
What does it do:
This exercise helps relive muscle tension in the shoulder region

Tips:
None for now.

Whole Arm Stretch
How To:
1.
 Interlace your fingers and stretch your arms out over your head.  Hold this for    5 seconds.

2.

 Relax your arms for 5 seconds.
What does it do:
This helps relive shoulder tension as well as and tightness in your arms.

Tips:
Point your hands so that your palms are facing the ceiling, this gets your arms into the proper position and will help to get the most stench out of this exercise.

Wrist Warm Up
How To:
1.
 Bend right hand backward.  With the left hand grab the fingers and gently pull down.  Hold for  5 seconds.

2.

 Relax your wrists for 5 seconds.

3.

 Bend right hand backward.  With the left hand grab the fingers and gently pull down.  Hold for  5 seconds.
4.
 Relax your wrists for 5 seconds.
What does it do:
Stretches the forearms and the fingers.

Tips:
Don't bend fingers back all the way, keep them as straight as you can.



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