Here are some stretches I incorporate into my days.

A few notes about stretching:

• Trust your body and don’t stretch if it’s painful. Will stretching be uncomfortable? Sure, sometimes. Probably. But should it create pain? No.
• Take it slow. Breathe as you stretch. Focus on the muscles you’re stretching. Not sure what those are? Hopefully this post will help with that.
• Perfection is not the goal when it comes to stretching, in my opinion. Only paid athletes have the privilege of consistent stretching (because someone is telling them to do it). Honestly, making time to stretch can feel annoying (“There’s always something more important to do”) or confusing (“What am I even doing?”). I get it. This is a conversation I have often with my clients. Instead of perfection, I focus on awareness. When I’m standing at the counter making coffee, I usually have a minute or two when nothing is happening. What am I feeling in my body? Or, how am I feeling after giving a massage? Typing a newsletter? What areas of my body need some movement and attention? Awareness to incorporating stretches into our lives is the first step.
• If the muscle you’re stretching has some active trigger points, stretching is likely not going to help. Releasing trigger points before stretching can be key to a good stretch and pain relief. (Think you have some trigger points? Contact your massage therapist.)
• Remember: awareness. When you notice your rounding toward your phone, lift your sternum. When the space between your shoulder blades feels tight, use the thoracic stretch for a few seconds. Something is most definitely better than nothing at all. 

The following stretches are some movements I do while making coffee, cleaning the kitchen, after finishing a massage, gardening, strength training: pretty much any activity. Most of these movements come from my experience in yoga teacher training or Katy Bowman’s book Rethink Your Position, which I highly recommend for anyone interested in stretching and movement.

#1: The Thoracic Stretch

Place feet about hip width apart, or further — whatever feels stable for you. Bend your knees slightly, push your hips back (like you’re going to sit down), and place your hands on a counter, table, or even a wall. The height depends of the surface depends on your shoulder’s range of emotion. Focus on feeling the stretch in your spine in between your shoulder blades. And, if you’re feeling like an additional stretch, straighten your knees for a hamstring stretch.

#2: The Door Jam Pec Stretch

Stand in a door jam or at a wall with an angle. Place your elbow as level with your shoulder as your range of motion allows, and then turn away from your arm, opening your chest. Focus on feeling a stretch somewhere between your sternum and your shoulder, beneath your collar bone. You may want to explore moving your arm up and down, noticing how the stretch is different with your elbow higher and/or lower than your shoulder. 

#3 Sternum Lift

This movement helps to reposition your shoulders and improve our posture without actively pulling your shoulders back.

First, pay attention to your posture: Are your shoulders slumped forward? Head and chin down or forward?

Next, locate your sternum. It’s the bone in the center of your chest where your ribs connect.

After you’ve located it, imagine there’s a string in the center of your sternum and gently lift the string (and your sternum) straight up to the ceiling. Notice what happens to your shoulder blades, and perhaps pull your chin back a little. Pay attention to how your spine and posture feel just by lifting your sternum.