Yoga at bedtime can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better. Trudy, a registered yoga teacher and fellow Physical Therapist, stops by to show me a therapeutic yoga bedtime routine.
Therapeutic yoga focuses on gentle yoga or modification poses with breathing techniques. Trudy is not only a friend and mentor, but she is also from Canada! So if you are a Canadian viewer, make sure to give her a shout-out in the comments. And Canadian or not, make sure you visit Trudy’s website!
When trying to get a good night’s sleep, you want to do stretches and exercises that don’t wake up your spine, so try not to extend your back or open up your chest area before going to sleep.
A piriformis stretch is a great way to help relax the glute area and relax the lower body.
Next, is a double knee to chest stretch. Make sure everything is in alignment, and that you are not getting any pinching in the front of your hips.
Finally, legs up the wall helps with lymphatic drainage. This is a great way to relax the whole body and help with sleep.
PTs will often analyze your gait by watching you get up and walk across the room, but most of the time we are analyzing your gait as soon as you walk into the clinic. If you have been diagnosed with gait abnormalities, these stretches and exercises might help.
This standing exercise routine for seniors can help loosen up and strengthen the muscles in the neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees, and ankles. This routine is performed in real-time, so it’s easy to follow along.
These moderate core strengthening exercises are a progression from my beginner core exercises, and these intermediate core exercises are a great next step once the beginner ones become too easy.
Fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions can cause pain all over the body. This is often called widespread pain. The key to finding relief with stretches and exercises with these types of conditions is to find the right amount of intensity for you. Lying down while performing simple stretches and exercises often helps.
The best sleeping position for you shouldn't be something you lose sleep over! Doctor Jo will show you how to get your body in a neutral sleeping position for a better night's sleep.
Active sitting is sitting on an unstable surface to help improve posture and strengthen core muscles. This can help relieve back pain and other issues from prolonged sitting. Active sitting became popular when people started using a Swiss ball or stability ball to sit on, but now there are a variety of chairs that do the same thing in a safer way.
Want to improve your posture? Here are some simple things you can do. Having bad posture can cause pain in your neck, shoulders, back, and our whole body.
When the pectoralis (pec) muscles are strained, overused, or even tightened due to bad posture, it can cause chest pain and tightness. These easy chest pain relief techniques should help, but it’s always important to check in with your doctor if you are having chest pain to rule out any serious conditions.
