Stretching is one of the quickest and easiest things you can do for your body. It takes you through a range of movement you have probably not touched all day, and your body craves that. Those little aches that creep in after too long at a desk are often just your body asking you to move.
Here are a few of my favourite stretches to get things moving. They are simple enough to do at home or at your desk here in Hillcrest, no equipment needed.
One important note: always have any ongoing ache or pain properly assessed by a qualified healthcare practitioner before trying to stretch it away. A stretch helps a healthy muscle move better. It is not a fix for an underlying problem.
Book Your Assessment NowHelps with stiffness and tension headaches
Sit or stand tall. Gently drop your chin toward your chest. Rest your hands lightly on the back of your head and let the weight of your arms add a soft stretch. Do not pull. Hold and breathe.
Hold 10 to 15s · repeat 3 timesHelps with front of neck tightness
Sit tall. Rest one hand lightly on your collarbone to anchor the skin. Turn your head toward that same shoulder, then lift your chin up and away until you feel a gentle stretch along the front of the opposite side of your neck. Hold, then swap sides.
Hold 10 to 15s · 3 times each sideHelps with shoulder and neck tension
Sit tall and let one arm relax down by your side, holding the edge of your chair if it helps. Tilt your head away from that shoulder, bringing your opposite ear toward your shoulder. Use your free hand to add a light assist on the side of your head. Hold, then swap sides.
Hold 10 to 15s · 3 times each sideHelps with rounded upper back posture
Sit or stand and clasp your hands out in front of you. Round your upper back, pushing your hands away and letting your head drop, so you open up the space between your shoulder blades. Hold and breathe.
Hold 10 to 15s · repeat 3 timesHelps with outer hip and ITB tightness
Stand tall near a wall for balance. Cross the leg you want to stretch behind the other. Push that hip out to the side and lean your upper body away until you feel a stretch down the outside of the hip and thigh. Hold, then swap sides.
Hold 10 to 15s · 3 times each sideHelps with deep buttock and lower back tightness
Lie on your back with both knees bent, or sit on a chair. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee to make a figure four. Gently draw the supporting thigh toward your chest, or lean forward if seated, until you feel a stretch deep in the buttock. Hold, then swap sides.
Hold 10 to 15s · 3 times each sideThese are general stretches that suit most people, but they are no substitute for knowing what is actually driving your pain. If something keeps coming back, let's find out why. Book an assessment and we will sort out a plan that fits you.
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About the practitioner
Dr Neil Cuninghame is a Hillcrest chiropractor with over 17 years of clinical experience. He holds a Master's in Chiropractic from the Durban University of Technology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Interdisciplinary Pain Management from the University of Cape Town, and he works as part of a multidisciplinary team focused on finding the root of pain rather than only easing its symptoms.
The stretches on this page come from that everyday clinical work. They are general guidance and a good place to start, but if your pain is persistent or getting worse, a proper assessment will always serve you better than a stretch alone.
More about chiropractic care ›MTech Chiro (DUT) · PG Dip Interdisciplinary Pain Management (UCT) · AHPCSA A10852 · CASA 0354740
