Due to our sedentary life-styles, we spend a great deal of time sitting down. This leads to the contraction of leg and back muscles. Stretching helps to prevent the muscles of the back and lower legs from becoming excessively tight. This, in turn, helps to relieve the tension and pain that gathers in these muscles during the day. It’s amazing how good you feel after you stretch out.

There are many good stretching books and programs available. You can stretch almost anywhere. In my office I stand about three feet from a wall, facing the wall. I lean up against the wall, the palms of my hands at about shoulder height, supporting my weight. Then I stretch my calf muscles (in the back of the lower legs) by pushing my heels toward the ground. I like to hold a comfortable (painless) stretch for three minutes, not bouncing back and forth, just holding the position. I also stretch my back muscles by bending over to touch my toes, although I can’t quite reach my toes, and stay in this position for 20 or 30 seconds, several times a day. Finally, I stand with my feet about shoulder-width apart, arms half-way out at my sides, and turn from side to side, twisting at the hips to face to the right, then the left, over and over again, for 20 or 30 seconds. You don’t have to be as flexible as a gymnast or a ballet dancer, but you should be able to twist, turn and move your muscles to meet the demands of everyday life. You’d be surprised at the number of my patients who have difficulty simply bending over to pick something up or turning their heads while driving to see if there’s a car in the next lane! There’s no medical problem making it so difficult for them to move; they’ve simply allowed their muscles to become very tight.

My general philosophy is to stretch whenever you can, which in my case means a few times a day. Again, stretch gently. If you’re having pain, there’s something wrong. Have your physician check it out. And always stretch before and after strenuous exercise.

*108\80\8*