Unhinge Your Hips and Hamstrings

Unhinge Your Hips and Hamstrings By stretching regularly, you can increase your flexibility, strength, and range of motion while giving your body an overall "zen" feeling. Dear Friends, If you're someone who sits for hours a day in an office or at home, you may not be aware that this type of prolonged sitting is causing your hip flexors to tighten up, which can lead to lower-back problems and pain. I discovered that most people aren't aware of the importance of stretching their hips and hamstrings to address these types of issues. Recently I conducted a really interesting interview with DailyOM and OMFIT fitness expert Sarah Rector about her new stretching course, Unhinge Your Hips and Hamstrings. Course OverviewIf you are not stretching your hips and hamstrings regularly, you may find that your mobility and overall wellness is being limited. Tightness in these areas is often the cause of overall body stiffness and lower back pain. Luckily, there are a few key stretching exercises that are easy to incorporate into any busy schedule that will care for these often neglected muscles. With just a little bit of time, you will feel better and have a greater range of motion. Start giving your hamstrings and hips the love and attention they need, and they will keep you moving and pain-free. - Receive a new lesson every day for 7 days (total of 7 lessons). - Have lifetime access to the course for reference whenever you want. - Select the amount you can afford, and get the same course as everyone. - If you are not 100% satisfied, you may request a refund. How much do you want to pay? [$15]( This is the total amount for all 7 lessons Interview With Sarah Rector Madisyn Taylor: What are the overall benefits of stretching, and is it more or less important at different stages of our life? Sarah Rector: Stretching is important at all stages of your life, not just as you age. The sooner you make stretching a part of your lifestyle, the longer you will stay flexible and limber, which will help you move easier and alleviate tightness as you get older. That said, it is never too late to start stretching! You can start now and feel the benefits in your overall well-being. By stretching regularly, you can increase your flexibility, strength, and range of motion while giving your body an overall "zen" feeling. Stretching improves your posture by lifting your alignment and opens your body to increased energy levels by helping your circulation and blood flow. It also helps injury prevention, muscle condition, and improves exercise performance. But my favorite benefit is the way it calms my thoughts by forcing me to focus on the positions. When stretching, I like to incorporate deep-breathing techniques to increase my body awareness and help ease me into the movements. Proper breathing techniques help release tension and allow you to concentrate on the tissues being stretched. MT: When should we stretch our bodies? SR: Always! Stretching before and after exercise may be more intuitive, but stretching is important all on its own. I like to stretch when my body is warm as it allows my muscles to stretch deeper. Stretching before a workout helps get you prepared for your exercise program so you get the full potential from your workout, and stretching post-workout helps your body cool down and is important for preventing injury. Simple functional-based stretching exercises awaken your body and alleviate stiffness, while deeper, static stretches provide TLC to your body by lowering your heart rate and relaxing your mind. Even when you are not working out, I encourage stretching to keep your body flexible. I highly suggest adding simple stretching exercises into your daily routine to help your body wake up in the morning and relax before you go to sleep. Stretching in the morning awakens your ligaments and prepares your body to get moving, while gentle stretching before bed helps calm you down and focus on your body, rather than everyday stressors. Just a few minutes of stretching will help to develop your mobility and set you up for the day (or night) ahead. MT: How do we end up with tight hips and hamstrings in the first place? SR: The cause of tight muscles varies -- it could be from overuse or underuse. One common reason for tight hips is sitting for long periods of time. We sit at our desks at work, in our cars on our commutes, and on our sofa to relax. Our bodies were not made to spend this much time sitting, and over time this sedentary lifestyle can cause our hip flexors to become shorter and tighter, especially if we don't stretch and move regularly. Tight hip flexors make it harder for our glutes to activate. Underutilizing your glutes may mean your pelvis is tilted, stretching out the back of your hamstrings and leading them to become overstretched, which means you may just need to strengthen them. This course does both, stretches and strengthens your hips and hamstrings. We stretch to strengthen the weak ligaments and loosen the tight muscles, so we can create balance on the front and back of our bodies. MT: What types of stretching will we learn in your course? SR: This course is designed for absolutely everyone. Each day I guide you through a 15-minute stretch exercise, nice and slowly. We begin with basic stretches for your hips and hamstrings so you become familiar with how they feel, then we work through the progression to increase your flexibility. The exercises are slow and controlled, and we use breathwork to release stress and relax deeper into the positions. If you are new to stretching or if you have injuries or extreme tightness, the stretches are great to ease you into the new practice. If you are someone who is more experienced and/or has more flexibility, I take a deeper approach and guide you to hold the position, allowing the body to develop further into the stretch. I always say listen to what your body is telling you. There may be days when you feel on the tighter side -- perhaps from a bad night of sleep, etc. -- so pay attention to how your body responds and allow yourself to move naturally. It is important to not overextend or force a stretch; you want to ease into it and feel good while doing so. MT: I've noticed that my back problems are alleviated when I stretch my legs. Why is this? SR: Our bodies are very interconnected. If our hips are tight, it is likely that our lower back will feel pain as well. Tight hamstrings may cause the hips and pelvis to tilt, leading to lower back pain. Stretching exercises may alleviate these pains, but be sure to always move into stretching positions slowly, especially if you are suffering from injuries. It is very important to be mindful of the position and notice what is stiffness in your body and what is discomfort. Your hamstring muscles are located from the back of your knee to your pelvis and play an important part in your overall posture. Tight hips and hamstrings can pull on your back muscles, affecting tightness all the way to your neck. Regularly stretching and strengthening your legs will help improve your overall comfort, health, and well-being. A happy body is one that you can breathe into and release all of your tightness! How Does It Work?Starting today, you will receive a new lesson every day for 7 days (total of 7 lessons). Each lesson is yours to keep and you'll be able to refer back to it whenever you want. And if you miss a lesson or are too busy to get to it that day, each lesson will conveniently remain in your account so you won't have to search for it when you're ready to get back to it. Free GiftAs a free gift, when you sign up for this course, you will also receive the award-winning DailyOM inspiration newsletter which gives you daily inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day. We will also let you know about other courses and offers from DailyOM and Sarah Rector that we think you might be interested in. Get Started NowWe are offering this course with the option of selecting how much you want to pay. No matter how much you pay, you'll be getting the same course as everybody else. We simply trust that people are honest and will support the author of the course with whatever they can afford. And if you are not 100% satisfied, we will refund your money. How much do you want to pay? [$15]( This is the total amount for all 7 lessons Thank you, Sarah. I always learn so much when I interview our fitness experts. My back has been happily pain-free for quite a while now, and I couldn't be happier about that! If you would like to learn more about Unhinge Your Hips and Hamstrings, just click the link! Until next time. Be well, Madisyn Taylor Co-founder, Editor-In-Chief DailyOM For more information visit: > [Unhinge Your Hips and Hamstrings]( [PRINT]( [SAVE]( [DISCUSS]( --------------------------------------------------------------- DailyOM Course Spotlight [The 2 Week Fascia Miracle]( by Erin Tietz Fascia stretching is often credited as the most effective bodywork anyone can do, as it enables the development of deep foundational strength, promotes increased circulation, and lubricates and hydrates the entire body. So, if you want to wake up every day feeling vibrant and ready to meet the physical demands of the day, learn how to properly care for and maintain your fascia. With this highly beneficial 14-day course, you'll be guided through a stretching program that will strengthen your connective tissue, dramatically boost your physical endurance, and free your body of nagging aches and pains. By the end of this course, you will have all you need to continue to care for your fascia, feel great, and move with more fluidity and ease. [Learn More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Top 10 DailyOM Courses 1. [The 2 Week Fascia Miracle]( 2. [A Year of Writing to Uncover the Authentic Self]( 3. [How and When to Leave a Relationship]( 4. [No Sit-Up Abs Workout]( 5. [Live A Sweet Life Without Sugar]( 6. [Meditative Painting to Heal Your Life]( 7. [Shedding Your Menopausal Middle in 10 Days]( 8. [A Year of Rumi]( 9. [Belly Dancing Goddess Workout]( 10. 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