Stretch of the Week: Psoas Opener
During the month of May we will be focusing on a crucial muscle involved in low back pain, our psoas muscle. Back in December we addressed our quads and hip flexors (please feel free to check back through our Stretch of the Week archive for those stretches!), which did get into the psoas a little, but this month we will try to isolate it. For the first week we will start with a gentle psoas opener, it’s a variation of what’s called a Bridge in the exercise world.聽 (more…)
Stretch of the Week: Goddess Squat With a Side Stretch
The last week of April brings us to goddess squat with a side stretch. This one will give you some strengthening in the legs as well as a stretch in the sides and core, bonus! If you have severe knee problems, please use a chair. Otherwise you won’t need anything for this stretch!聽 (more…)
Pre-Round Golf Stretches to Enhance Mobility
Golf season is finally approaching, which means it is time to dust off聽the clubs, break out the plaid pants and warm up your muscles. Properly swinging a golf club requires precise muscle coordination and sequencing of movement across numerous joints within the body, specifically the back. During the back-swing and follow-through, rotation of the trunk is required to effectively position the club for consistently accurate golf shots. This trunk rotation is facilitated by movement through the spine, specifically the thoracic spine.
Stretch of the Week: The Triangle Stretch
It’s the third week of April, I can’t believe it! How are you doing? Do you feel more limber in the ribs, the spine, and the obliques? I hope so! This week is a favorite of mine called the Triangle Stretch. This is a good stretch聽for strengthening the legs too! 馃檪 聽There are no major contraindications for this because we will be using the wall to support ourselves. Please listen and feel what your body is telling you, and only go as far as you comfortably can. (more…)
Stretch of the Week: Gate Pose
Week two of April is upon us! This weeks side opener is from the yoga world. It’s called “Gate Pose.” You will feel this stretch聽all the way down into the hip flexors (front of the hip), and all the way up through the hand. Please stretch using聽the modified version if you have any groin, feet, or ankle issues.聽 (more…)
Get in the Swing of Things: It’s Almost Golf Season
After a cold, snowy, and record-setting winter in Chicago, believe it or not, golf is just around the corner. Now that the snow melted, temperatures are increasing, and grass is growing, divots will be flying on the golf course. The last thing you want this聽season is to be聽sidelined because of an injury after being sidelined for聽by the weather.聽 Golf is a dynamic, athletic movement that entails neurological and musculoskeletal components. In order for you to return to mid-season form, you must take care of the most important aspect of your game: your body. (more…)
Stretch of the Week: Lunge Twist
The last week of March聽and the聽first week of April brings us to the final twist of the month. This is a stretch we did聽in聽December, but with a twist, the lunge twist! Feel free to take a look back through our archive and check out the low/high lunge there. Or any of the other stretches posted since the beginning!聽 (more…)
Stretch of the Week: Supine Twist
It’s the fourth week of March and we are still going strong with the twist stretches! This week is a supine twist, a twist done while on your back. If you can not get all the way to the floor, you can do this one on the bed! It’s actually a great one to do first thing when you wake up, or last thing you do before you go to sleep, so the bed is a perfect spot:)聽 (more…)
