Five Minute Stretching Exercise

February 11, 2021

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A Five Minute Stretching Exercise once a day is an excellent stress management technique AND adds to your general fitness and well-being.

This stretching exercise is based on the yoga sequence called the Sun Salutation.

Start your exercise with five deep, slow breaths. Relax your shoulders, breathe into your stomach and lower ribs. Hold briefly and then exhale.

Don’t force anything!

If you feel pain, don’t stretch any further as you may cause injury!

Let us get started with our Five Minute Stretching Exercise…

Each movement is done on an inhalation or an exhalation.

1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart. Lift your arms above your ahead as you inhale deeply. Keep your shoulders down, arch your spine and stretch your arms up and back.
  You are stretching your thorax and belly!
  Exhale and place your hands on your shins or on the floor next to your feet. Keep your legs straight and your stomach pulled in. This stretches your hamstrings and lower back.

1. Inhale. Take a large step back with your right leg to form a lunge position. Keep your hands on the floor and your arms parallel with your left shin. Arch your head back. This stretches your right hip and the front of your throat.

1. Keep your hands on the floor and drop your head. Exhale and move your left leg back to join your right leg. Try to make an inverted triangle with your body: your hips should be pushed towards the ceiling, your arms and legs should be straight. Push your heels towards the floor in order to stretch your calves. Relax your head and pull the back surface of your body taught.

1. Inhale. Keep your hands and feet in the same positions and drop your hips until they are close to the floor. Keep your arms straight and arch your neck and upper back upwards to stretch the front of your throat, thorax and abdomen.

1. Exhale. Revert to the stretch as in step 3. Now take a step forward with your right leg. Your right foot must be next to your right hand. Move back into your starting position.