silly stretch routine

wanted to put this here because it will make you feel brand new. not kididng. i have crazy aches and pains all the time from a life of doing ballet and other things that are hard on your joints and back so without further ado!

ez doable all-ages-accessible stretch routine:

10x of everything, if you have trouble counting L/R i usually count 1 for both sides so i'm not uneven and you're actually doing 10 on both sides instead of 5. you can count to 20 also if that works for your brain.

1. neck roll - be gentle, don't collapse your head in the back, sit up tall and being cross-legged/half-lotus is usually comfiest

2. body rocks - come up from cross legged to all fours, move through to gentle cobra arch, and then come back to childs pose = 1 rep. try not to sit too long in any pose, make sure your stretching is dynamic and don't worry if it's not your biggest stretch yet you're just getting your whole body powered on.

3. cat/cow - google if you don't know the positions. make sure the motion is coming from you tilting your pelvis more than anything, and not just your head. great stretch to practice head-tail connection and scooping your stomach up.

4. arm reach and twist - in childs pose, feed your left arm under your right and twist as much as comfortable. you should feel a stretch on the back of your shoulder and along the left side of your back. switch arms and repeat, try to stay low to the ground throughout.

5. hip openers - sit in a seated stag. keeping your feet where they are as much as possible, lift your knees and thighs to twist and face the opposite direction. the leg in front should change, so if you have your right leg front, when you turn, your left leg will be bent in the front. twist back, keep your arms up (don't help yourself to sit up straight) and don't collapse in your waist. should feel it in your hip flexors

6. straddle forward bends - sit in as big of a straddle split as is comfortable for YOU PERSONALLY and reach forward on a high diagonal, then come back to neutral. key is keeping your spine straight, you should feel this in your hamstrings and back. flex or point your feet, but don't keep them floppy

7. cross over knee twists - lie on your back and bring your left knee across your body, you can guide it with your right hand to increase the stretch. great 4 cracking your back, try to keep it fluid.

8. shoulder openers - grab a scarf or any long piece of material that is not super stretchy (i use a pair of cotton pants) and hold it so there is tension between your arms, then bring your arms over your head so they are behind you still holding the fabric. may take some adjusting - shouldn't feel burning or tearing, becarefulwithyourrotatorcuffs!!!! if you need to make your hands wider apart do that. keep your arms as straight as possible.

9. finish with a deep squat for as long as you'd like and say something you love about yourself.