15-Minute Evening Stretch to Destress After a Long Day
If you’ve been on your feet all day long, or even if you’ve been sitting at a desk, your muscles are going to be pretty exhausted. Investing fifteen minutes before bed to stretch them out will go a long way toward relaxing them, helping you to destress, and setting you up for a good night’s sleep.
In this article. I’ll lay out a really effective fifteen-minute stretching routine that can be done half an hour before bedtime. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds and then relax (apart from the saw stretch, which is done for reps). Repeat each stretch three times.
The Stretches
Lateral Lunge Stretch
How To Do It:
Begin bent over, with your feet planted wide apart. Allow your arms to dangle to the floor in front of you.
Bend your right knee while keeping your left leg straight. Place most of your weight on your bent leg, feeling the stretch in the lengthened leg.
Hold for 30 seconds, release the stretch, and then repeat on the opposite side.
Wall Assisted Chest Stretch
How To Do It:
Stand with the left side of your body next to a wall.
Extend your left arm toward the wall, and place your palm flat against the wall, with your fingers pointing behind you.
Lunge forward with your left leg. Remain facing forward as you stretch.
Place your right hand on your rib cage just below the left pectoral muscle to help keep your torso from twisting.
Hold for 30 seconds, returning to the start position, and then repeat on the opposite side.
Saw Stretch
How To Do It:
Sit upright with your legs forward. Flex your feet, and position them slightly more than shoulder-width apart.
Raise your arms out to your sides, with your palms facing forward. Twist your torso to the left.
Reach your right hand over your left foot as if you were sawing your little toe.
Return to the starting position, and repeat on the opposite side. Do 10 repetitions on each side, then rest for 30 seconds. Perform three sets of this stretch.
Lying Down Pretzel Stretch
How To Do It:
Lie on your back, with both legs extended and parallel. Extend your arms away from your body with the palms facing up. Bend your right leg and place the sole of the foot on the floor.
Carefully lift your hip bones off the floor, shifting your torso a few inches to your left. Cross your right leg over your left leg, with your knees bent at a right angle.
Hold for 30 seconds, release the stretch, and then repeat on the opposite side.
Hip & Iliotibial Band Stretch
How To Do It:
Sit on the floor as straight as possible with your back flat in your legs extended in front of you. Your feet should be slightly flexed.
Bend your right knee and cross it over to the outside of your left thigh. Keep your right foot flat on the floor.
Wrap your left arm around your bent knee for stability as you rotate your torso.
Hold this position for 30 seconds. Then slowly release, and repeat on the opposite side.
Wrap Up
These stretching moves will help your body to unwind and destress in the evening. Include them as part of your winding down routine, along with some quiet meditation and other relaxing stimuli like a warm bath and a cup of warm milk.
