There are more than a few reasons why people get leg cramps. One common reason is too much salt in the diet. Yep, I know you hate to hear that but salt, lovely salt, can work against you in your leg muscles.

The rule of thumb I follow is to overdo my water drinking whenever I eat something salty – which is often. If I am going to enjoy my popcorn but also have good sleep without leg cramps, I have learned that I must double up, triple up on drinking water. Keeping the muscles hydrated can compensate for too much salt circulating through your system.

Of course if it’s easier for you to cut back on the amount of daily salt you are consuming, you are a better person than I am.

One more major cause of leg cramps is lack of stretching. It should be a hard fast rule for you to do good leg stretches before and after any kind of exercise. Stretching exercises to prevent leg cramps are too darn easy. Before I even get out of bed in the morning, I draw circles with my ankles. That warms up my legs. After the ankle circles, I can gently begin pointing my toes and flexing them alternatively. As if I am waving at the air with my feet. Then I’m ready to get out of bed and begin the day.

During the day, I periodically do calf stretches and shin stretches. I face a wall and place my heel on the ground as close to the wall as possible then take one step with that foot as if I am trying to climb up the wall. I don’t allow my shoe to leave the ground. (see image above) If I hold that position and lean in with the rest of my body towards the wall, I get a really good calf muscle stretch. This helps me avoid leg cramps throughout the day and night.

After that calf stretch, I bend the knee backwards and lean back with my hand to grasp my shoe giving my shin a great stretch as well.

If you give these suggestions a lot of respect and still get leg cramps, you might consider taking in more magnesium, either through supplements or through that miracle powder called Calm (sold at health food stores).

Leg cramps are annoying but if you limit your salt intake and stretch before and after you do any sort of exercising you will be okay.

Back Stretching Like Cats Do

Ouch. I pulled a muscle in my back last weekend. I was skeet shooting for the first time and that shotgun was entirely too heavy for me. Besides, I don’t have skeet shooting muscles already developed anywhere in my body. If I were a cussing person, you’d hear me complaining all the way to Vermont.

A muscle, or muscles, between my spine and my right shoulder blade cramped up so much I had to bow out of all the fun. Then the pain started to really settle in. That was last Sunday. I spent Sunday night in my bed, on the couch, pacing around the kitchen…..in severe pain! I couldn’t take a deep breath and ibuprofen didn’t seem to do a thing.

My reflexes were to call my chiropractor. Afterall, he’s saved me many times before and I knew he’d fix me right up again. This time, I wanted to take care of the problem all by myself with no doctor intervention.

It’s now Tuesday and in only two days I am remarkably better. Why? For one, I worked real hard to do all the right things. Although I did not have access to ice while on the skeet shooting place, I did put ice bags on my sore back the minute I got home. I lay down on the ice for nearly twenty minutes at a time throughout the rest of the day. In the evening, I took an anti inflammatory pill and soaked my whole body in a tub of hot water. That felt soooooo good!

On Monday, I immediately put heat on my sore back muscle and began some back stretches. I was easy on my back stretches at first. I would lie down on the floor and gently pull my knees to my chest and then raise my chin. Hold for a count of 20. Then I would take my arm across my chest and gently tug at my elbow to get a good shoulder stretch.

I saw my cat waking up from a nap and remembered that cats don’t get pulled muscles because they stretch all the time (well, maybe there are other reasons too). I got on all fours and did lots of cat stretches. I applied heat to my sore back all day and alternated with ice. Monday night, again, a hot soaking bath.

This morning, I did the same back stretching exercises to loosen up. At this point, I am not out of the water, but I can function just fine. I have a small “catch” in my back but I am essentially out of pain and in a completely different state than I was in last Sunday.

Gentle back stretching exercises can really get you out of a jam and save on medical bills, if that’s of value to you.

By our logic, stretching exercises are the best exercise to do because it’s absolutely necessary for any type of physical activity to succeed. And that’s what we believe. Yoga is essentially a sophisticated form of stretching although it includes muscle toning and other excellent health benefits. I’ve been a practitioner of Yoga for decades and cannot imagine going through the day without doing some kind of Yogan stretch.

Stretching exercises alone will invigorate even the stiffest body and will enlighten even the most negative soul. We talk about all sorts of exercises on this site yet we keep coming back to a simple ingredient – “easy.” The reason we say that the best stretching exercises must be easy is because the person undertaking the exercises must believe the exercises to be easy, possible and of benefit. If the stretching exercises are difficult, they are not correct! If the stretching exercises are used for warming up a body before a rigorous workout, the stretches must be easy.

Let’s say you are doing stretching exercises for golf. You want to improve your golf game and hope to be limber, flexible and focused. And you don’t want to ruin the fun by pulling any muscles. The exercises you select for your warm up and warm down stretches should be easy. They are not your main game. The stretching exercises complement your main endeavor. You must think the stretches are easy or you won’t do them. In addition, if they are not easy to do, you are at risk for over extending your muscles.

We could describe hundreds of different stretching exercises on this website yet the best exercises for you are the ones you will do. That’s a fact. If you don’t do them, they won’t do you any good. If you don’t buy a lottery ticket, you can’t win the lottery! I digress.

I’ve talked in circles here but I’d like to sum up again that if stretching exercises aren’t completed properly, they can harm you. If they aren’t acceptable to be included in your warm ups for more athletic challenges, they won’t help you. They must be easy. Simple.

At whatever age your “senior” is – and we don’t care what age they are – stretching exercises will be beneficial.  There are a few things seniors should know about stretching that is different than when they were not so senior.

For one, the muscles of the body will in general be smaller.  Muscles atrophy during the aging process but it’s definitely more difficult to build muscle after the approximate age of 50.  With that in mind, seniors must do simple stretches and do them more often.

To make life comfortable – and stretching exercises do that – seniors should concentrate on their legs and feet and back.  It’s not that the upper body doesn’t need attention, it’s just not the priority area of a senior body.

If the senior has had leg cramps, he/she will benefit from regular stretches to the feet and calves.  These exercises can be done in the kitchen.  With good flexible shoes on (such as walking or other athletic types of shoes), place the heel on the floor and raise just the toe upwards to lean on the front of the refrigerator or a wall.  Keep the heel on the floor!  Gently lean forward and you’ll feel the foot and calf stretch beautifully.  Then do this stretching exercise for the other foot, of course.  It’s an easy stretching exercise to do and should be done at least twice a day to keep the legs and feet limber.

Every senior should also lean forward (using side support if needed) as far as safely possible to touch the floor while keeping knees straight.  I realize many seniors can’t touch the floor any more but when the body can’t stretch any futher it will let you know.  The point is to hold that stretch position to a count of 10 or more.  Slowly stand up again and repeat until, well, until you get bored.  If you need a number on how many times to repeat this particular stretch, do it 5 times, three times daily.

Seniors will benefit greatly by these simple stretches if performed regularly.  They are easy and really add a lot to the quality of life.

There are more than a few reasons why people get leg cramps. One common reason is too much salt in the diet. Yep, I know you hate to hear that but salt, lovely salt, can work against you in your leg muscles.

The rule of thumb I follow is to overdo my water drinking whenever I eat something salty – which is often. If I am going to enjoy my popcorn but also have good sleep without leg cramps, I have learned that I must double up, triple up on drinking water. Keeping the muscles hydrated can compensate for too much salt circulating through your system.

Of course if it’s easier for you to cut back on the amount of daily salt you are consuming, you are a better person than I am.

One more major cause of leg cramps is lack of stretching. It should be a hard fast rule for you to do good leg stretches before and after any kind of exercise.  Stretching exercises to prevent leg cramps are too darn easy. Before I even get out of bed in the morning, I draw circles with my ankles. That warms up my legs. After the ankle circles, I can gently begin pointing my toes and flexing them alternatively. As if I am waving at the air with my feet. Then I’m ready to get out of bed and begin the day.

During the day, I periodically do calf stretches and shin stretches. I face a wall and place my heel on the ground as close to the wall as possible then take one step with that foot as if I am trying to climb up the wall. I don’t allow my shoe to leave the ground. (see image above) If I hold that position and lean in with the rest of my body towards the wall, I get a really good calf muscle stretch. This helps me avoid leg cramps throughout the day and night.

After that calf stretch, I bend the knee backwards and lean back with my hand to grasp my shoe giving my shin a great stretch as well.

If you give these suggestions a lot of respect and still get leg cramps, you might consider taking in more magnesium, either through supplements or through that miracle powder called Calm (sold at health food stores).

Leg cramps are annoying but if you limit your salt intake and stretch before and after you do any sort of exercising you will be okay.

The debate continues. Do stretching exercises really add height to someone’s body? The answer is, well, sort of. The hesitation is because it all depends on how much stretching is involved, where the stretching is actually at play and how old the person’s body is. Unlike pasta noodles, our bodies are much more complex and loaded up with structural parts that are simply not designed to stretch like a noodle.

Let’s address the age thing first. If a body has already matured, it’s more difficult to achieve added height through stretching. Not impossible, just more difficult. At a young age, the body can be stretched and contorted a bit more easily. Too much stretching can cause some serious structural problems.

As many of you may have seen, there are certain cultures that insert discs into ear lobes or lips for the purpose of stretching. The discs are placed into these body parts in a person’s youth. There are also cultures that place rings around the necks of young people in order to help them stretch their necks to make them much taller. It works, however, the result leaves the individuals with structurally unsound body parts. And much discomfort.

Back to trying to grow taller. If you are trying to grow taller just by stretching, here is our advice.

Ballet. Yoga. Pilates. These three exercising platforms are the very best at ensuring your body will be stretched, toned and strengthened. All three of these stretching programs can cause damage if taken to extreme but, in general, they are quite safe and healthy.

The stretching you would do must be consistent and delivered in three parts.
1. The first part is to learn the proper technique for doing stretches that elongate the spine, neck, arms and legs.
2. The second part is to be consistent. Practice regularly, just as ballet professionals must practice to achieve a body that responds to the demands of their profession.
3. Add muscle strength. Stretching without muscle building will not help your body support itself for the long term. Ballet, Yoga and Pilates are all built around poses and stretching exercises to help you achieve a healthy and toned body but will also help you achieve the maximum height possible for you.

Know your limits and know which stretching platforms can help you achieve greater heights.

Lower back pain or stiffness is a common affliction faced by millions of people regardless of life style.  According to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 15% of patients visiting a doctor for the first time are seeking a response to problems with lower back pain.  Without consistent and proper stretching, our lower backs can tighten up and cause pain that can range from annoying to excruciating.

Regular practitioners of Yoga, Pilates and stretching are least affected by lower back pain although many life events can cause our bodies to rebel at any time.

Stretching exercises are particularly useful if back pain was generated from a compressed nerve or disc or muscle spasm.  Nothing feels better than lying on a flat surface and bringing the knees up to the chest.  It’s a gentle and effective way to stretch the muscles.

Lower back pain is a common complaint from people who have too much belly fat.  It makes sense that if the body is trying to support an abdominal area that is proportionally out of balance, the stress will show up in the lower back.  As a general rule about most all exercises, the exercises should be done while tightening the abs.  As the abs become tighter, the stress on the lower back becomes less which results in less lower back pain.  If you look at a side picture of a human, it’s pretty clear that a protruding tummy pulls all the other muscles out of whack.  If your tummy is growing, your back exercises must increase! There is a direct ratio to ab size and lower back pain.

Lower back pain can be caused from poor walking habits.  We should all check our posture when we walk.  While walking, we must keep our backs straight, our abs tightened and our shoulders as relaxed as possible.  Elbows should be bent and arms should move easily with your pace.  try and keep your back straight and prevent your shoulders from hunching forward. Swing your arms in a relaxed manner and keep your chin level and your eyes looking forward. With each step take a deep breath and exhale.

If you are able to stand, the folded stretch to the toes is one of the best overall body stretches you can perform.  The video below is a great demonstration of the simple but really good exercises that stretch out the lower back.

Learn how to stretch lower back in this free fitness video series on simple stretching exercises. Expert: Teri Lynne Bio: Teri Lynne has worked as an event planner and host throughout Canada and the United States. Filmmaker: Suzie Vigoin

That’s a tough statement to prove but I’ve heard it is motivating to some people. My theory is that if someone gets to be at a “senior” age, they have already accomplished a lot.

Let’s talk about quality of life for anyone at any age but particularly for those at the senior level. You decide what is a senior level and what is not.

Stretching is so simple and easy that many people believe there must be no real value to it. Not true. Stretching exercises are very definite quality of health and life additives. If you are a senior or if you aspire to be a senior citizen, the following five simple stretching exercises will help with your flexibility, attitude, stress level and overall circulation. These are critical quality of life factors and they must be done every day.

1. Shoulder Stretches
Sitting or standing with a straight spine, use your left hand to reach over and grasp your right elbow On the top side of your arm. Holding the right elbow straight, pull the entire right arm across to the left as far as is comfortable. Keep both shoulders down and hold this position for a count of 8. Repeat the same process for the other arm. Do this complete exercise three times. This keeps the shoulders tension free and limber.

2. Wall Push Ups
Stand in front of a wall about two feet or two foot lengths back. Place both hands on the wall at shoulder height. Bend arms until your chin touches the wall. Hold to the count of 5. Do these army and shoulder stretching exercise 5 times. Five times 5. This will gently build up strength in the upper back, shoulders, arms and neck. This is also a great tension reliever when the upper body feels stressed.

3. Foot and Calf Stretches With Chair
Turn a chair around in order to hold on to the top of the chair with the seat facing away from you. The top of the chair should have a back you can hold on to at waist or mid-chest level and should not swivel or move. Stand with feet shoulder-length apart. Hold on to the top of the chair while lifting up onto the toes of both feet. When you are on your toes, hold for a count of 5. Keep holding the chair top and rock on your feet so that your weight is on the heels of your feet and your toes are slightly off the ground. Hold this leg and foot stretch for a count of 5. Repeat the process 5 times. This routine will keep toes and calves limber and tension-free. It will also improve balance if repeated every day.

4. Hamstring Warm-ups
Using the same chair in exercise #3, place hands on the chair back and stand with feet shoulder-length apart. Bend the knee and raise the left foot behind you with your lower leg parallel with the floor. Flex the foot back and forth for a count of 8. Repeat with the other foot. Do these exercise at least 5 times. This will keep your calf and hamstring muscles warmed up to address the demands of daily living.

5. Easy Back Stretch
Everyone seems to like this one the best. For one, it’s so easy to do and they can’t believe there is an exercise benefit to it. Stand with feet shoulder-length apart. Place hands on hips. Keeping the spine straight (this is important), gently twist the body to the right as far as you can do without losing that straight line in the spine and neck. Hold the stretch for a count of 5 then repeat by twisting as far as you can go to the other side. Hold this stretch to a count of 5. Repeat this routine 10 times. Do this every day and it will keep you limber, flexible and feeling good.

Being a senior person has nothing to do with age and everything to do with the condition of your body. These five easy stretching exercises will keep you limber, feeling good and ready for a lot more life.

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Stress from work often begins early in the day on that long commute to the office.  Many people start to become stressful while sitting behind the wheel (or sitting on a bus or train) just thinking about all they have to do while at work.  If stress begins to accumulate early in the day, the effects at the end of the day can interfere with the best parts of life.

There is no reason why every single employee cannot do some simple stretching exercises while at work.  The ultimate rewards will be a less tense body, less mental stress and a healthier employee. Every employee must learn their own employee management for their own personal health.   Perhaps your own employee management will bring about a pay raise in the future but for now, let’s just get you through the day stress free.

Simple Lower Body Stretches

Simple exercises that any employee can do are done in a chair. Simply extend your legs, flex your foot back, lift your legs as high as is comfortable and hold for the count of 15.  Repeat while pointing your toes.

Next, raise one leg up and draw circles with your ankles by first going clockwise 8 times then counter clockwise for 8 times.  Repeat with the other foot / leg.  Although these are so simple, they are effective and you will notice a perkiness right away.

To improve on this even more, breathe consciously and loudly.  Inhale through your nose and hold your breath for a count of 7.  Exhale forcefully through your mouth until all air is expelled.  Repeat this 8 times.

You will feel a slight surge in energy.  That’s an indicator that you have warded off stress and tension from your body.  Your circulation will be revved and improved which will keep stress away. Stretching should be part of your daily employee management.

These simple lower body stretching exercises should be done at a minimum of once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  That’s a minimum.  More often is better.  The exercises should also be performed whether you have been sitting or standing.  Stress is stress and this kind of stretching is just a gentle way to invigorate the body and get your circulation going well.

Simple Upper Body Stretches

If you are going to be in charge of your own employee management program to keep stress out of your life, you should include upper body stretches.

First, make sure you are sitting or standing with your spine straight.  Touch your right shoulder with the fingers of your right hand and your left shoulder with the fingers of your left hand.  Raise your elbows up to be parallel with the floor then bring them slowly together until they touch.  Hold for a count of 8.  Do these upper body stretches 8 times and you will feel your back and shoulders become more limber.  Don’t forget to include the same kind of deep breathing you used with the lower body stretching.

These simple stretching can relieve stress at work and keep you as alert and fit for your job.  Do not take stress home with you.  Do simple stretches instead.

Although the following video shows stretching exercises outdoors by lovely cheerleaders with fit bodies, you can do most of these stretches in a private space at work.  I have seen people get up our of their cubicles to do stretches just like these.

Denver Broncos cheerleader Candice Jones leads the stretch work out. Cardio Cheer is a high-energy, comprehensive cheerleading and dance fitness programme.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

There are many stretches designed just for our backs. There’s such an abundance of demand for these targeted stretches, which is a reflection on how our bodies adapt or don’t adapt to our lifestyles. Never fear; you will not need any fancy equipment to execute this really simple back stretching exercise. And you can do this back stretch at work.

There are a lot of great exercises for backs but if you want a really easy stretching exercise that will do the trick, the photo illustrates our technique quite well.

First locate a doorway inside your home – or an outside door may do even better if the climate is lovely. Secure the door in an open position to make sure you have room to lean through the passageway. Stand just outside the doorway, just one step away. Place both feet in a Tree Position (a Yoga posture but don’t worry if you don’t have a clue what this means). Both feet should be shoulder-length apart and firmly planted – rooted like a tree – on the ground. Your weight should be distributed equally on both feet. This preparation sounds elementary but your approach to the stretch is really critical. If you are not balanced, your stretch may pull some muscles inappropriately. Then you would be back on this site looking for easy stretching exercises for another part of your body!

Place your hands on the doorframe level with your head height. Do not place your hands any higher than your head, this informs your body about the right way you want your stretches done.

Holding onto the outer frame around your door, slowly, very slowly, lean forward only about six inches to 12 inches depending on your own flexibility. Do not lean so far forward that your heels come off the ground. Your feet should stay completely planted on the ground.

Hold this forward position to the slow count of five. Slowly, very slowly, return to your beginning position. Bring your arms down to your side.

Repeat five times.

This particular stretch will relieve tightness in your shoulders, upper back and chest. If you get in the routine of doing this very simple stretching exercise every day, you are on your way to having a limber and pain free upper body.