Harvard Medical School Stretching: 35 exercises to improve flexibility and reduce pain (Harvard Health Medical School Special Health Reports)

Stretching is an excellent thing you can do for your health. These simple, yet effective moves can help you limber up for sports, improve your balance and prevent falls, increase your flexibility, and even help relieve arthritis, back, and knee pain. Whether you re an armchair athlete or a sports enthusiast, this Special Health Report from the experts at Harvard Medical School will show you to create effective stretching routines that meet your needs and ability. Inside the Stretching Special Health Report, you'll find color photos and instructions for how to do 35 stretches, including: 10 moves to improve flexibility and ease tight muscles, 9 stretches that help ease aching backs, 8 ways to loosen up stiff, sore knees, the best stretches to improve posture and ease neck and shoulder pain, tips to help you customize any routine to make it easier or more challenging, 5 stretches that target key leg and upper body muscles vital for walking, running, and reaching. Plus, you get FREE access to our online stretching exercises with master trainer Josie Gardiner. Charts that detail which stretches are best for a variety of sports, from golf to tennis to walking or skiing. Special warm-up routine section with dynamic stretches that help you loosen up joints and increase your range of motion. Stretching: 35 exercises to improve flexibility and reduce pain, will tell you the best time of day to stretch if you have arthritis and why you should beware the popular stretch that can actually injure muscles. You'll discover how to loosen up the three muscles that could cause knee pain. There's even help for desk jockeys, who will find the right stretches to help ease neck and shoulder pain. This Special Health Report was prepared by the editors of Harvard Health Publications in consultation with Medical Editor Lauren E. Elson, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Instructor at Harvard Medical School, as well as Master Trainer and Fitness Consultant Josie Gardiner. 36 pages. (2014)