by LaReine Chabut with Madeleine Lewis Stretching FOR DUMmIES ‰ by LaReine Chabut with Madeleine Lewis Stretching FOR DUMmIES ‰ Stretching For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. 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Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2006939586 ISBN: 978-0-470-06741-3 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 About the Author LaReine Chabut is a lifestyle and fitness expert, model, and mom. She’s the author of Exercise Balls For Dummies (Wiley) and Lose That Baby Fat! (M. Evans) and is a contributing fitness expert for Shape Fit Pregnancy magazine. LaReine has served as the lead instructor for America’s number one exercise video series The Firm (over three million copies sold worldwide) and has graced the covers of such high-profile fitness publications as Shape, Health, New Body, and Runner’s World. She has appeared on CNN, ABC, FOX News, EXTRA, Access Hollywood, Good Day LA, and KABC and is a premier trainer for Ipods (see www. podfitness.com/lareinechabut) along with Kathy Smith, David Kirsch, and other top trainers in their field. As an actress, LaReine penned a sitcom with Meg Ryan entitled Below the Radar for the Fox Network and Castle Rock Entertainment. She has co-written and starred in two short films: Separation Anxiety, which broadcast on Lifetime Television, and Good Jill Hunting, which aired on the Sundance Channel. Her series regular and guest starring appearances include Linc’s, Nash Bridges, The Secret World of Alex Mack, USA High, The Single Guy, Strange Luck, Murder She Wrote, and Quantum Leap, to name a handful. To read more about LaReine, check out her Web sites at www.lareinechabut.com or www.losethatbabyfat.com. Dedication To my newborn daughter Sofia Rose (who arrived on the first deadline of this book), her new big sister Bella, and my husband Bobby . . . you are my world. And to the many readers who purchase this book because they need a good stretch — I hope you get one! Author’s Acknowledgments Stretching For Dummies is my third book, and once again I have to thank Rob Dyer at Wiley for encouraging me to write in the first place. I certainly couldn’t have done it without his guidance. My literary agent, Danielle Egan-Miller, also deserves big thanks for pushing me to write this book, knowing that the birth of my second daughter was on the horizon (she’s a mom, too, and knows how hard it is to multitask). That being said, I have to give special thanks to Madeleine Lewis for all her help . . . I couldn’t have done it without her. Writing a book such as this requires a lot of teamwork, so I’d like to thank the entire staff at Wiley, including Kristin DeMint, my project editor, who was very enthusiastic with the material and really made the book flow. Lindsay Lefevere, acquisitions editor, who couldn’t believe there wasn’t a For Dummies book on stretching and called me on Stacy Kennedy’s suggestion. Copy editor, Carrie Burchfield, for making my sentences flow smoothly, and photo editor Carmen Krikorian, who once again helped me produce such fantastic photos. The photographer, Tilden Patterson (who also had a new baby a few weeks after me), deserves a big thanks for making everybody look so good and for shooting 165 stretches in one day! You’re awesome, Tilden . . . And special thanks from Madeleine Lewis to Dr. Jerry Hizon MD, FAAFP, and to Denise Klatte, MPT, for sharing their knowledge and perspective. Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development Project Editor: Kristin DeMint Acquisitions Editor: Lindsay Lefevere Copy Editor: Carrie A. Burchfield Technical Editor: David L. Walston, ATC; Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Indianapolis Colts Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich Editorial Assistants: Erin Calligan, Joe Niesen, David Lutton, Leeann Harney Cover Photos: © Tilden Patterson (www. tildenphoto.com) Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Composition Services Project Coordinator: Jennifer Theriot Layout and Graphics: Melanee Prendergast, Heather Ryan Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico Proofreaders: John Greenough, Jessica Kramer, Susan Moritz, Techbooks Indexer: Techbooks Special Help Carmen Krikorian Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services Contents at a Glance Introduction.................................................................................1 Part I: The Why’s, Where’s, When’s, and How’s of Letting Loose and Snapping Back..............................................7 Chapter 1: Here a Stretch, There a Stretch, Everywhere a Stretch, Stretch .........................................9 Chapter 2: Preparing for a More Flexible You.........................................................................................19 Chapter 3: Testing Your Flexibility to Establish Your Stretching Routine ..........................................29 Part II: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes: Targeting Specific Areas.............................................................45 Chapter 4: Taking It from the Top: Upper Body Stretches....................................................................47 Chapter 5: Centering on the Core: Stretches for Your Middle..............................................................67 Chapter 6: Soothing Your Lower Back without Paying for a Massage.................................................77 Chapter 7: From Your Knickers to Your Kickers: Stretches for your Bottom Half.............................93 Chapter 8: Total-Body Stretch Routines................................................................................................115 Part III: From the Daily Grind to Ways to Unwind: Routines to Fit Your Life and Needs...........................................135 Chapter 9: When the Cock Crows and the Evening Wind Blows: AM/PM Stretch Routines...........137 Chapter 10: Stretching Out the Workday: Stretches for Work and for the Road..............................151 Chapter 11: Basic Warm-Up and Cool-Down Stretch Routines...........................................................165 Chapter 12: My Favorite Stretches for Specific Sports........................................................................187 Part IV: Getting Limber As You Live: Stretches for Various Life Stages ...............................................205 Chapter 13: What to Stretch When You’re Expecting . . . and After...................................................207 Chapter 14: Family Fun: Kid-Friendly Stretches ...................................................................................217 Chapter 15: Seventh Inning Stretch: Special Stuff for Seniors ............................................................233 Part V: The Part of Tens............................................................243 Chapter 16: Ten Common Aches and Pains and Stretches that Can Help ........................................245 Chapter 17: Ten Surprising Around-the-House Stretching Accessories............................................249 Index.......................................................................................253