SLC-S22/W1 | Keeping fit / Stretching

Hi friends, after reading around I am interested in participating in an amazing challenge this week. The challenge is titled: "Keeping fit / Stretching" by sir @marvinvelasquez following the contest link.

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Previously I also invited other friends such as Mr. @irawandedy, Mr @kouba01, Mr @muzack1 , and Mr @pelon53.

Before going further into the exercises of this lesson, I would like to reiterate the meaning of stretching. We can think of stretching as some movements that are given to our limbs with the aim of stretching the muscles of the body. Generally, stretching is used to make the body more relaxed, flexible, and most importantly, to avoid injury. We often do stretching called warming up the muscles with the aim of not being surprised when our members are used to move more exercises. Not only that, the benefits of stretching are also very useful for improving blood flow and making the body feel better.

In the lesson given, there are 6 body stretching exercises, including Neck Stretch, Shoulder Stretch, Lower Back Stretch, Upper Back and Chest Stretch, Full Back and Back Leg Stretch, and Full Leg Stretch. So to practice these stretching exercises, I have prepared a video that complements the 6 stretching exercises and I also use training clothes in the form of t-shirts and sweatpants. Here is the video:

Neck Stretch

^{Neck Stretch}
In this stretch, we will tilt our head to the right for 10 seconds, to the left for 10 seconds, up for 10 seconds and down for 10 seconds. When tilting to the right or to the right, we need hand assistance to complete the movement and when we feel a little tense in the neck and shoulder area. When we lower our head forward and downward, the muscles at the back of the neck that may have been previously stiff begin to feel loose. The exercise is very useful because it can make the soreness disappear, especially for me when I often look down in front of laptop and smartphone screens.

Shoulder Stretches

^{Shoulder Stretches}
In doing shoulder stretching exercises, we first align our hands to the chest where the left hand is towards the right and the right hand holds the left hand with a slight pull, and vice versa, we simply hold each 10 seconds, either left or right. When we stretch our shoulders, then we will feel like releasing the burden on the shoulders. We need to know that some muscles that are tense because we often lift things or sit upright will become more flexible. Stretching like this will also make our shoulders feel more relaxed.

Lower Back Stretch

^{Lower Back Stretch}
This kind of stretching is also very easy to do, where we simply bend the left and right hands, then point straight to the chest. Next we simply rotate the body to the left and right for 10 seconds each. When doing this exercise, the lower back will be slightly pulled so here it is very useful, especially in our lower back which is often depressed due to prolonged sitting, then with this stretching it will feel more relieved. Not only that, doing a slow pull will make the blood flow around the back smoother.

Upper Back and Chest Stretch

^{Upper Back and Chest Stretch}
In this stretch we will open the chest wide, then bring our hands together while pushing the chest back, here the chest and upper back muscles feel open, as well as vice versa we open our hands wide, then bring them together backwards while pushing the chest forward a little, each exercise is done 10 seconds. In stretching exercises like this, of course, it is very helpful for our bodies to improve posture, especially for those who often slouch.

Full Back and Back Leg Stretch

^{Full Back and Back Leg Stretch}
In this stretch we simply bend over while reaching for the toes. When doing this, the body will feel the pull to the upper back, lower back, and back of the thighs so it is necessary to make the body feel more flexible as a whole. This exercise is done for 10 seconds each, either when bending to the right or to the left.

Complete Leg Stretch

^{Complete Leg Stretch}
In this type of stretching, we will focus more on the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles. First, our legs will be lifted backwards one by one by bending and assisted by the left hand when lifting the right leg, and assisted by the left hand when lifting the left leg backwards, then one other hand straight ahead. Each of these exercises will be done for 10 seconds. Next we lift the bent leg forward and bring it closer to the chest and are also assisted by both hands to make the movement perfect. Each when lifting the left or right leg forward has a duration of 10 seconds. So stretching like this is of great benefit to our feet to make the feet feel lighter, especially when often long standing or long walks.

Next I will give answers to the questions given starting from the question about Areas of body tension and experience, Stretching: Helpful or counterproductive?, and finally the technique I would choose for my personal routine.

Areas of body tension and experience
Well, when I have done 6 stretches, then there are some areas that I think feel a little tense especially in the neck, then in the shoulders also a little bit, and finally in the lower back. Maybe it's because some of the parts that I have mentioned are often working hard, or for that because lately I rarely exercise and even often sit poorly so that the muscles tighten. When I first started stretching, there was stiffness, but over time it slowly became easier to feel like it was loose, so I felt comfortable.

Stretching: Beneficial or counterproductive?
Of course I think stretching is 100% beneficial. So what's the reason? Well, it's because stretching not only makes your body more flexible, but it also helps your body reduce the risk of injury and is also very beneficial in improving your posture. Not only that, after doing this exercise, we will feel the breathing in our body becomes more relieved, it's all because we have loosened some tense muscles. Remember all of that is done slowly and should not be forced.

Technique chosen for personal routine
Here I will mention choose Lower Back Stretches and Neck Stretches to make my daily routine stretching exercises. There are several main reasons why I chose these exercises as my routine, including that these two areas (lower back and neck) most often feel tense, which could be due to activities such as sitting for a long time in front of a laptop or looking down while holding a Gadget. So by choosing these two stretching exercises, I hope to make the body feel more comfortable, and productivity will also increase.

Thus the practice that I do with this stretching exercise, hopefully it can be conveyed well and is also useful for others. Thank you for your attention and apologize if there are any mistakes.

Best Regard
@walictd