Stretching is an important part of any exercise program, but stretches for the waist often get overlooked. Waist stretches promote blood circulation to your muscles and joints and increase their mobility and elasticity. They also improve your body's functional performance and help you become more flexible and less prone to injuries.
Cat Curl
Anne-Marie Millard, author of "Firm Arms, Flat Stomach," writes that stretching, when practiced regularly, results in improved muscled flexibility and a general feeling of well-being. Millard recommends the Cat Curl stretch. When properly executed, the Cat Curl helps to increase the range of motion in your waist region. Kneel on your hands and knees, arms extended, hands directly under your shoulders. Raise your head and simultaneously hollow your back. While lowering your head, slowly arch your back one vertebra at a time.
Palm Tree
The Palm Tree is a gentle, beginner-level stretch specially designed for people age 50 and older, but yields benefits for all ages. The stretch helps loosen the muscles around your waist, aiding in the safe performance of daily tasks that involve twisting, bending and flexibility. To execute the Palm Tree, sit in a stable chair with your arms extended straight up to the ceiling. Exhale and slowly lean to your left. Hold the position for five seconds, feeling the stretch along your right side. Repeat on the opposite side.
Twister
The Twister is a simple waist stretch for the older crowd or people with physical limitations. Lynn Robinson, author of "The Pilates Bible," notes that this stretch encourages mobility of the spine with a "balanced rotation of the head, neck and torso." You can either stand or sit in a sturdy, wooden chair. Cross your forearms in front of you at shoulder-level. Exhale and slowly twist to your right. Hold the position until you feel the stretch in your torso. Inhale and return to the starting position. Exhale, then twist your torso to the left and hold.
Golf Stretch
The obliques, located at the sides of your waist, help you twist and bend your torso. Strengthening your obliques also helps slim your waistline and shrinks love handles. According to MayoClinic.com, the Golf Stretch increases flexibility in your waist and, as an added bonus, improves your golf swing.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms crossed at your chest. With knees slightly bent and head lowered, tilt forward. Lift the right heel of your foot, and rotate your torso to the left, mimicking a golf swing.
References
- "Stretching For 50+"; Karl Knopf, M.D.; 2004
- "Firm Abs, Flat Stomach"; Anne-Marie MIllard; 2004
- American Council on Exercise: ACE Lists Top Ten Reasons to Stretch
- MayoClinic.com: Golf Stretches For a More Fluid Swing
- "The Pilates Bible"; Lynn Robinson; 2009
