Window Stretching

Max out your shopping power with these moves.

By Chan Tran and Strength and Conditioning Coach Marta Montenegro; Photography by Alleh Lindquist

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Your wrist (swiping the credit card) is not the only body part you’ll work this season. Holiday shopping is not always for pleasure—it’s a grind, especially if you wear shoes not made for walking much, or carry bags that change your posture and stride, pulling and straining the lower-body muscles. So on your mark... get set... SHOP! But before you spend, stretch it out.

Wall Lean Stretch
Stretching out the hips and outer muscles of the legs can ease lower-back tension you’re feeling in the middle of a busy shopping day. Try this stretch at the ATM.

• Find a stable item like a wall. Place left elbow/arm at 90° against the wall at shoulder height.

• Cross right leg in front of the left leg and lean your torso into the stretch away from the wall. The further out you are from wall, the deeper the stretch.

• Drop left hip toward wall until you feel slight tension in your lower back and side leg muscles. Push into the wall while leaning into the stretch.

• Stretch upper body by raising left arm overhead and leaning over so that your left hand touches the wall above your head.

• Turn around and repeat on other side.

Target Muscles: Upper and lower back, quadratus lumborum, IT band

Standing Single-Leg Hamstring Stretch
Remember to bring each stretch to a slight point of tension and hold for 30 seconds, and make sure you perform every stretch on both sides.

• Place right foot on an elevated surface in front of you (e.g., ledge, step).

• Angle foot toward left leg and tilt pelvis forward.

• Maintain pelvic position while slowly leaning forward until you feel slight tension in your hamstring.

• Repeat with left leg.

Target Muscles: Hamstrings

Learn about another great at-the-mall exercise, the standing back stretch, in the November/December 2009 issue of SOBeFiT Magazine.

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