You Must Read This, 6 Stretches for Better Sleep

Baca Juga

You Must Read This, 6 Stretches for Better Sleep - Getting a good night’s rest is key to leading a healthy life, both mentally and physically. Studies have shown that getting too little sleep can lead to an increased risk of diseases like depression, heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, and many more.

While there can be a variety of causes for a subpar slumber, what you might not realize is that tight muscles that need serious stretching could be preventing you from catching those precious Zs. In other words, if your muscles can’t relax, you won’t be able to, either.

If you’ve ever gotten a quality massage, you’ve seen firsthand how loosening the tension in your muscles can help you relax. Releasing your muscles can also help relieve any pain you might experience that could inhibit your sleep. Learning to release your muscles properly yourself before going to bed should become an integral part of your evening routine. Try these muscle-releasing moves before bed next time you want more restful sleep.

Pec Release

Stand facing the wall.
Place the lacrosse ball two inches below your collarbone and towards your armpit.
Move the ball right and left until you find a tender area.
Move your arm and shoulder forward and back, then up and down.
Lean your body into the ball as much as your can tolerate.
Do these movements for 45 seconds or until the tension resolves.

Teres Release

Lying on your side place the foam roller or lacrosse ball under and slightly behind your armpit.
Move up and down allowing the roller or ball to mobilize the muscles under your armpit and behind the shoulder.
Continue to move the roller or ball around to tender spots and do these movements for 45 seconds or until the tension resolves.
Find a tender spot for the roller or ball, and then move your arm in a punching motion across the front of your body.

Upper Trap/Levator Scap Release

Stand with your shoulder under a bar or with a lacrosse ball placed halfway between your neck and the edge of the shoulder on the restricted side.

Upper Trap:

Move left and right until you find a tender area. Next, shrug your shoulder up and down for 45 seconds or until the tension resolves.

Levator Scap:

Look down and toward the armpit opposite the bar and back up. Repeat for 45 seconds or until the tension resolves.

Hip Flexor Release

Lie on your stomach with a lacrosse ball below your hipbone.
Lean a tolerable amount of weight on the ball.
Bend knee on the side of the release to 90-degree angle. Swing leg side to side.
Repeat in 30-second to two-minute intervals.

Hip Adductor Release

Find a stable surface to sit on.
Flex your hip and your knee (similar to if you were crossing one leg over the other).
Place your elbow and the back of your forearm (same arm as the leg you're releasing) in a sore spot and move your leg up and down.
Start in the upper groin and move down the leg toward the knee along multiple sore spots.
You can also perform the release by placing a lacrosse ball between the floor and your inner thigh, adding pressure in tight or knotted areas.

QL Release

Kneel tall with your toes pointing to the ground.
Place a tool, the bottom of a tennis racket, or your thumb on the small of your back, outside the spine (do not place your object on the bones of the spine).
In this position, bend from the low back, side to side, and repeat while applying pressure.
This stretch can also be implemented by lying with your back on a lacrosse ball, then moving your body around to target tight or knotted spots.