Your Feet and Legs
Put your feet on the floor. Curl your
toes down to tighten the muscles in your feet. Hold for a count of 10
then relax for a count of 20.
Lift your feet
slightly off the floor and point your toes to tense the muscles on the
back of your lower legs (calves). Hold for a count of 10 then relax for a
count of 20. Repeat.
Put your feet back on
the floor. Push your knees together to tense the muscles of your inner
thighs. Hold for a count of 10 then relax for a count of 20. Repeat.
Tense your hips, buttocks and upper legs. Hold for a count of 10 then relax for a count of 20. Repeat.
Your
Back: Gently arch your back to tense the muscles of your lower back. If
you have lower back problems skip this part. Hold for a count of 10
then relax for a count of 20.
Your Chest and Stomach
Take
a deep breath and tense all of the muscles of your chest and stomach.
Hold for a count of 10 then breath out and relax to a count of 20.
Repeat.
Your Shoulders
Try to touch
your ears with your shoulders to tense the muscles of your shoulders.
Squeeze the muscles for a count of 10 then relax for a count of 20.
Repeat.
Stretch your upper arms backwards, as
if you were trying to touch your shoulder blades together. Hold for a
count of 10 then relax for a count of 20. Repeat.
Your Hands and Forearms
Clasp
both hands into fists and squeeze. You should feel your forearms
tighten. To make your forearms even tighter, curl your fists slightly
inward. Hold for a count of 10 and then relax for a count of 20.
Remember to relax all at once, not slowly. Repeat.
Your Upper Arms
Curl
your arms so you feel your biceps tense. Make a muscle like a
weightlifter. Hold your arms with your biceps for a count of 10 and then
relax for a count of 20. Repeat.
Your Triceps
Tense
your triceps by locking your elbows and tensing the back of your arms.
Hold for a count of 10 and then relax for a count of 20. Repeat.
Your Head
Tilt
your head as far back as you can and tense the muscles in the back of
your neck. Hold for a count of 10 then relax for a count of 20. Repeat
Close
your eyes as tightly as you can and tense your lips and smile as big as
you can to tense the muscles of your face. Hold for a count of 10 then
relax for a count of 20. Repeat.
Close your
eyes and open your mouth as wide as you can to tense your jaw muscles.
Hold for a count of 10 then relax for a count of 20. Repeat.
Close
your eyes and raise your eyebrows as high as you can. This will tense
your scalp. Hold for a count of 10 and relax for a count of 20. Repeat.
Ashley, Health Educator