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A C.H.E.K Institute PublicationSan Diego, CA
Your personalized 4-step guide to
looking and feeling great from the inside out
by
Paul Chek
How to
E a t , M o v e and Be Hea l thy!
Excerpt from:
Reproduced with permission from the authorISBN-13: 978-1583870068
88 How to Eat Move and Be Healthy!
5
Neck Side Flexion
•Sitwithgoodposture.
•Grasptheendof thebenchortheedgeof achairand lean awayuntil your shoulder is depressed.Makesuretomaintainanerectposture.
•Usetheoppositehandtogentlydrawyourheadawayfromtheanchoredshoulder.
• Inhaleandgentlypushyourheadintoyourhandforfiveseconds.
•Exhaleandimmediatelyleanfurtheraway,whiledepressingyourshoulder.Thengentlymoveyourheadandneckfurtherawayfromyourshoulder.
•Holdthestretchpositionforfiveseconds.
Neck Rotation
•Sitwithgoodposture.
•Rotateyourheadtooneside.
•Place the opposite hand on your cheek. Inhaleandgentlyrotateyourheadintoyourhandwhilekeepingthehandfirm.
•Lookinthedirectionthatyouareturning.
•Holdforfivesecondsandexhaleasyoulookbe-hindyouandrotateyourheadintothestretch.
StretcheS
Note:Manyof thestretchesbelowwilluseacontract-relaxmethod.Thethreebasicphasesof acontract-relaxstretchare:
1.Moveintoinitialstretch.Youshouldfeelthemusclesbeingstretched,butitshouldnotbeuncomfortable.
2.Contractthemusclebeingstretched.Useeitheryourhandorthefloortoprovideresistance.Useonlyalightforcewhenyoucontract.
3.Relax,movingimmediatelyintothestretchpositionafteryoureleasethecontraction.Youshouldfindthatyoucanmovefartherintothestretch.
Performingthisprocessthreetofivetimespermuscleeachsessionisoptimal.
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5
Levator Scapulae
•Reachonearmasfardownbetweenyourshoul-derbladesaspossible.
•Lookasfarasyoucomfortablycantotheoppo-siteside.
•Takeadeepbreathinandholdforfiveseconds.Asyouexhale,lookdownwardasfarasyoucom-fortablycantowardyourshoulder.
Neck Extensors
•Maintain an upright posture, either sitting orstanding, and let your head drop toward yourchest.
•Placeonehandonthebackof yourheadandoneonyourchin.
•Tuckyourchinandgentlystretchthebackof yourneckbydrawingyourheadtowardyourchest.
•Take a deep breath and lightly press your headintoyourhand,withoutlettingyourheadmove.
•Afterfiveseconds,relaxasyouexhaleandgentlymoveyourheadtowardyourchest.
Chest
Pec.major:(largerchestmuscle)•PlaceyourforearmonaSwissball.
•Keep your shoulders parallel to the ground anddropyourbodytowardthefloor.Whenyoureacha comfortable stretch, inhaleandpress the fore-armintotheballforfiveseconds.
•Exhaleandmoveimmediatelyintothestretch.
•There should be no pain felt in the shoulderjoint.
Pec.minor(smallermusclebeneaththepec.major,thathasatendencytogettight)•Place your shoulder on the ball insteadof yourforearm.
•Asyoudropyourupperbodydownward,allowyourshoulderbladetomovetowardyourspine.
• Inhale andpress your shoulder into the ball forfiveseconds.Exhaleandlowerintoanewstretchposition.Keepyourtorsoparalleltothefloor.
90 How to Eat Move and Be Healthy!
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Rhomboids (muscle between shoulder blades)
•Kneelinfrontof aSwissballandplaceyourel-bowontheball.
•Bringyourarmacrossyourbodyasitrestsontheball.
• Inhaleandpressintotheballwithyourelbowasyouattempttodrawyourshoulderbladetowardyour spine.Use your opposite hand tohold theballstill.
•Hold for five secondsand releaseasyouexhaleand move farther into the stretch, allowing theshoulder blade to move away from your spine.Useyouroppositearmtorolltheballacrossyourbody.
Scratch Stretch
•Standwithgoodposture,holdingatowelbehindyourbackasshowninthepicture.
•Usethebottomhandtopulldownwarduntilyoufeelacomfortablestretch.
•Holdthatpositionwithyourlowerarm.
• Inhale as you try to pull upwardwith your toparmagainstthefixedresistanceof thelowerarm.
•Holdthatcontractionforfiveseconds.Exhaleandpull downwith the lower arm to further stretchtheupperarm.
Trunk Rotation
•Lieonyourbackwithyourkneesbentandpoint-ingupattheceiling.
•Your lower legs should be relaxed. Place yourhandonyourthighwhilekeepingtheotherarmstretchedouttohelpyoustabilize.
•Slowlyletyourlegsrolltothatsideuntilyoufeelacomfortablestretchinyourlowerback.Inhaleandreducethesupportfromyourarmslightlytoactivateyourtrunkmuscles.
•Holdforfivesecondsandrepeattotheotherside.Continue to practice this stretch until you cancomfortablyplaceyourthighsontheground,oruntilyouarenolongerimprovingyourrangeof motion.
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Middle Back and Abdominals
Caution:If youexperiencedizzinesswhenlookingup toward the sky (for example, watching an air-plane flybyorwhenputting somethingaway inahighcupboard),youmayalsoexperiencedizzinesswhen performing this stretch. It is very importantthatyoustopthestretchimmediatelyif youfeelanyunusualsymptoms.If youdonothavesufficientspi-nalextension(backwardbending),youmaycompen-satebyover-extendingyourneck.Thismayresultinnausea,dizzinessorchangesinvision.Anyunusualsymptomsindicatetheneedtoseeyourdoctorforacompleteevaluationof yournecktoruleoutoc-clusionof thevertebralartery.Shouldyourneckbecleared as normal, you should have an ear, nose,throatspecialistassessyourinnerearfunction.
•Performthisstretchonanon-slipsurface.
•SitonaSwissball, thenwalkyour legsoutandrollbackwardsuntilyouarelyingovertheball.
•Extendyourarmsoveryourhead.Toincreasethestretch,slowlystraightenyourlegs.Holdforoneminute.
Obliques
•SitonaSwissballandcarefullyrolldowntheballandontoyourside.
•Youmayuseawalltoanchoryourfeet.
•Graspthewristof yourtophandasyourarmsareextendedoveryourhead.
•Gentlybeginrollingtheupperbodyforwardandthen backward while slightly tugging the upperarm downward. When your feel a tight area,inhaleandgentlyattempt to sidebendbackup,pullingagainstyourlowerarm.Youdon’tneedtoactuallymove,justactivatethemuscles.
•Relaxintoanewstretchpositionasyouexhale.
92 How to Eat Move and Be Healthy!
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Squat
•Standwithacomfortablestancenexttoastableobjectthatyoucanhangonto.
•Squatdownuntilyouarecompletelyrelaxed,let-tingall the tensionoutof yourbackand lettingyour torso rest between, but not supported by,yourthighs.
• If youcandothiswithouthangingontoanything,that’s great. If you are too tight in the ankles,knees,buttorlowback,youcanholdontoastableobjectsothatyoucancompletelyrelax.
•Gentlyrockbackandfourthbetweentheballsof thefeetandtheheelsforoneminute.
Lunge
•Assumealungeposition,makingsureyourfrontfootstaysinfrontof theknee.
•Drawyourbellybuttonintowardyourspineandtuck your tail under (this will flatten your lowback).(1)
•Begintomoveyourwholepelvisforward,keepingitsquaretothefront.(2)
•Toincreasethestretch,reachthearmonthetrail-inglegsideoveryourheadandbendyourtrunktotheside.(3)Rotatingyourpelvistowardthefrontlegwillalsoincreasethestretch.
Waiter’s Bow
•Standwithyourfeetparallelandclosetogether.
•Keepyourlegsstraightandstickyourbottomoutuntilyouhaveanarchinyourlowback.
•Bendforwardfromyourhipswhileholdingyourlow back arched until you feel a comfortablestretchonyourhamstrings.Tohelpyoumaintainthecorrectposition,youmay tapeyourbackasdescribedonfollowingpage.
•Holdfor20seconds.
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5
Hamstrings
•Lieonyourbackwithasmall,rolled-uptowelun-deryourbackatthebeltlinelevel.
•Thetowel,whencompressed,shouldbethewidthandthicknessof thefattestpartof yourhand.
•Grab one leg with both hands, just below theknee,andbringthebentlegupuntilthethighisperpendiculartothefloor.Extendyourtoesbacktowardyour shinandslowly straightenyour legwithout letting the thighmove inyourhandsorlettingyourbackcomeoff thefloor.
•Holdacomfortablestretchfor20seconds.
90/90 Hip Stretch
Special Note: If youaretightinthehips,youwillfind it hard to keep the lumbar curve during thisstretch.Tohelpmaintainthisposition,havesome-onerunastripof athletictapealongyourbackmus-cles,oneithersideof yourspine,fromthelevelof yourbottomribtothetopof yourpelviswhileyouare standingwithgooduprightposture,as seen inthepicture.Thismodificationisveryimportantforanyonewithahistoryof backpain,especiallylum-bardiscbulges,because itpreventsyoufromover-stretchingthelowerback.
•Sitonthefloorwithbothyourfrontandbacklegsbentto90-degrees.
•The angle at your groin should also be 90-de-grees.
•Placeyourhandonthegroundnexttoyourhip.
•Tipyourpelvisasthoughitwasabowlandyouweretryingtopourthecontentsoutoveryourbeltline. Imagine sticking your butt backwards, likeDonaldDuck.
•Youshouldhaveanincreasedcurvatureof yourlowerback.Keepthecurveinyourlowbackandyourchestandheadupasyoumoveforwardoverthefrontleg.
•Whenyoufeelacomfortablestretchinyourouterthighandhip,inhaleandpressthefrontkneeandanklefirmlyintothegroundforfiveseconds.Ex-haleandmovefartherforwardintothestretch.
94 How to Eat Move and Be Healthy!
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Groin
•Assumeakneelingpositionandspreadyourkneesasfaroutasyoucomfortablycan.
•Rockforward,breatheinandgentlysqueezeyourkneesintothegroundforfiveseconds.
•Exhaleandrelaxasyousinkforward.
•Rockbackwardandusethesamecontract/relaxprocedureforanyothertightareasyoufind.
Swiss Ball Quad Stretch
•Begininasprinter’sstartposition,withthefootandankleof thelegtobestretchedontheball.
•Slowlyriseupward.
•Youmayplaceonehandontheballoruseachairforsupport.
•Drawyourbellybuttonintowardyourspineandrollyourpelvisundersothatyourbackflattenstoincreasethestretch.
Calves
•Standontheedgeof astep.
•Dropyourheeltowardthefloorandoff thestep,keepingthelegstraightandtoesangledupward.(1)
•Hold for20 secondsandswitch sides.Then, re-peatwithabentlegoneachside.(2)
1
2
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5
McKenzie Press-up
•Lieonyourstomachwithyourhandsjustoutsidethe topsof yourshouldersas inapush-upposi-tion.
• Inhaledeeplyandbeginpressingyourupperbodyupwardoff thefloor,butmakesureyourhipsstayontheground.
•Asyoupushyourbodyupward,exhale,pretend-ingyouareblowingyourself upoff thefloor.
• Itisimportanttorelaxyourbuttocks,legsandspi-nalmuscles.
•Hold the top position until you need to take abreath.
• Inhaleasyouslowlyloweryourbodytothefloorandrepeat10times.
IT Band
•Standnexttoawallandstepforwardof yourin-sideleg(thisisthelegthatyouwillbestretching)asshown.
•Keepbothfeetflatonthefloor.
•Useyourinsidearmforsupportagainstthewallandplacetheotherhandonyourhip.
•Pressyourhipstraighttowardsthewallandslight-lydownwardasitmovestowardthewall.
•Youshouldfeelastretchontheoutsideof thelegclosesttothewallandinthehip.
• If youdonot feela full stretch,bringyourhipsforwardslightlyandrotateyourpelvistowardthefront.
• If youareperformingthestretchcorrectly,takingyour outside hand off the hip at any pointwilleliminate the stretch in thehip.You shouldnotfeelastretchinyourlowback.
•Holdfor20seconds.Stretcheachsideuptothreetimes.
96 How to Eat Move and Be Healthy!
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oNeckSideFlexion
o NeckRotation
o LevatorScapulae
o NeckExtensors
o Chest
Stretching teSt Sheet
o Rhomboids
o ScratchStretch
o TrunkRotation
o MiddleBackandAbdominals
o Obliques
You Don’t Have to Tie Yourself in Knots 97
5
oSquat
oLunge
oWaiter’sBow
oHamstrings
o90/90HipStretch
oGroin
oSwissBallQuad Stretch
oCalves
oMcKenziePress-up
oITBand
A C.H.E.K Institute PublicationSan Diego, CA
Purchase this book atwww.chekinsitute.com
www.amazon.comBarnes and Noble
orany good book store
ISBN-13: 978-1583870068
How to
Eat, Move and
Be Healthy!