Last week I decided to start a new habit... daily stretching.
A few things I've learned, or probably already knew but had forgotten:
* time of day matters
* sequence of events matters
* location matters
I chose to make stretching my new daily habit. I used to be very flexible but am not so today.
I decided that I would stretch every morning before I showered.
The First Day: On my initial stretch, I can bend over and touch the floor with my finger-tips. If I reach, I can just touch my thumb to the floor. I feel very tight. After about 20 minutes of stretching, I can reach two inches further. My palms are not on the floor yet, but will be soon.
Day Two: I had to leave for the airport at 4 am, so I decided to do a very short session reaching for my toes in the morning with the major session after I checked into my hotel that evening.
Days Three thru Five: Very smooth. Each morning I woke up and completed my new stretching routine.
Day Six: I completely forgot to stretch in the morning. I got home from my trip very late the night before and my husband is out of town. So my routine was doubly out of order. I finally remembered late in the evening when I was thinking about this blog and the posts I had planned to write. I guess sometimes it's a good thing to tell the "world" you're going to do something.
Day Seven: Thanks to my goofup on day six, I remembered to stretch and did it first thing in the morning.
After one week of daily stretching, I haven't noticed a significant change in my initial morning flexibility. I do seem to loosen up more quickly and my back feels less tight during the day.
I'm anxious for the day that I can put my whole hand on the floor first thing in the morning.
i really, really need to do this too. i used to be so flexible. now i hobble out of bed in the morning. it's kind of pitiful.
ReplyDeletegood luck turning this into a habit - it's a worthwhile one. :)