Neck Stretches: With hands resting on your waist, gently lower your
chin to relax the back of your neck. Be sure the rest of your body is
still sitting or standing tall in neutral posture; the only area that is
bent is your neck. After holding through 2-3 breaths, return upright to
neutral posture, then lower your right ear down towards your right
shoulder. Hold through at least 2-3 breaths, and relax the left side of
your neck thoroughly. Return upright and repeat on the other side.
Finally, rotate your neck as far around towards the right as it feels
comfortable, hold for 2-3 breaths, then return to center and repeat on
the left side.
Shoulder Shrugs: With your hands at your
sides, lift your shoulders up towards your ears as you inhale, then
release the shoulders back down as you exhale. Repeat: lift and tense
the muscles of the shoulders and neck as you inhale, then relax them
completely as you exhale. Repeat at least 4-6 times.
Wrist Stretches: Hold up one hand in front of
you like you would when saying "stop." Interlace your fingers with your
other hand and pull your fingers back gently to provide a stretch to
your wrist. Relax your shoulders, and hold through at least four
breaths. Now, change the position of your hand so that your fingers
point downward, and the back of your hand faces away from you. Take hold
of the back of your hand with your other hand and pull gently toward you
to stretch the back of your wrist. Hold through at least four breaths,
then perform both stretches on the other hand.
Chest Stretch: Place your hands behind your
back, holding a scarf, belt, or necktie in between them. Stand up tall
in neutral posture, and gently squeeze your shoulder blades towards the
center of your back as though trying to squeeze a pencil. Each time you
exhale, raise your arms slowly behind you, going as high as feels
comfortable, but not so high that your neck or shoulder posture is
compromised. Try to relax your neck, shoulders, and chest as you perform
this. Repeat at least 4-6 times.
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