PORTLAND, Maine — Our local chiropractor and wellness expert, Dr. Allyson Coffin stopped by the 207 studio to teach us a few stretches to add to our morning routine.
Dr. Coffin says you can do a majority of them before you even get out of bed.
The first involves tilting your head from side to side, then backward to stretch your neck muscles. Dr. Coffin says you can skip looking down because most of us do that all day at work.
The second stretch involves cupping your hands in front of you and making a basket shape with your arms. Then, lift your arms up above your head and lean from side to side. Dr. Coffin says this opens up your side muscles.
The third stretch is called a pelvic tilt. With your back flat against your bed or the ground, place your feet in front of you with your knees pointed toward the ceiling. Dr. Coffin says to push your belly button down for 10-15 seconds to engage your lower back and sacrum muscle. She says a lot of people who have lower back pain will feel relief from this stretch.
The last stretch consists of bringing your knees to your chest while on your back. This will stretch the front of your leg and your lower back.
If at any point you experience a shooting or grabbing pain, Dr. Coffin says to stop. That is a sign your muscle is not ready to be stretched that far.
In addition to stretching, Dr. Coffin suggests drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning and rolling, instead of sitting up straight, to get out of bed.