Healthy Living Tips

Reduce stress!  Easier said than done, right?  Stress busters come in many forms.  Experts recommend the “positive thinking” method.  Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like (i.e., read a good book, visit a friend, play with your dog, listen to soothing music, enjoy a relaxing swim).

Stretch Exercises for Your Upper Back

For all the stretches here, breathe deeply all the way through each stretch

Stretch 1

Sit up straight on mat, your legs crossed.
With your palms facing away from you, lace your fingers together.
Reach both arms upward and stretch tall and long.
To increase the stretch, bend slightly to the right and then to the left.
Hold this position for a while.
Relax.
Repeat.

Stretch 2

Sit on a chair, both your arms extended in front of you, your hands clasped together.
Round your mid and upper back and drop your chin to your chest, as you reach forward with both of your arms.
(Note: Try to imagine someone pulling your hands away from your body as you resist)
You'll feel the stretch through your upper back and neck.
Hold the stretch for a while.
Repeat.

Stretch 3

On all your fours on the mat, your legs at a 90-degree angle to your upper body.
Draw your buttocks back to your heels, and simultaneously extend your left arm out before you while your forehead rest on your right arm.
Stretch your right arm out further and hold this position for a while.
(Note: You should feel the muscles in your upper back stretching)
Relax.
Do the right arm.