Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain (21 page)

Now move to the other side of the chair. Holding gently onto the chair for balance, extend your other leg forward as if moving your foot through a shallow pool of water … back and forth … back and forth … Repeat a few more times.

Now, using the same leg, glide your leg through this water from side to side in front of you. Repeat with gentle, slow, easy movements a few more times.

Keeping the same leg extended in front of you, flex your toes up … and point your toes down. Feel the tension in your calf, flexing up … and releasing by pointing down. Up … and down … Repeat a few more times.

Returning to the front of your chair, we’re going to use the large muscles in the tops of our legs to squat up and down. Leaning slightly forward, slowly lower yourself into your chair, being mindful to let your weight sit in your heels as you lower yourself down … Now slightly leaning forward, lift yourself up out of your chair to a standing position, concentrating on your large muscle groups. Let’s repeat that, slowly sitting back down … and raising yourself up … and sitting back down.

While sitting, place both hands under one knee, and gently bring your knee up toward your chest, while keeping an erect posture. (If you have a hip or back problem, you may want to just lift your knee without using your hands.) Feel a gentle stretch in your hip and buttock area. Hold for 2 or 3 seconds and then place your leg back on the floor. Change legs and put your hands under your other knee and lift up … and then place your leg back on the floor. Let’s do this one more time, remembering to keep your erect posture … first one side … and then the other.

Now, slide slightly forward in your chair. Crossing your arms in front of your chest, or holding onto the sides of your chair, lean back VERY SLOWLY, at about 45 degrees, using your abdominal muscles. Hold … and return to center. Repeat a few more times. Lean back VERY SLOWLY, about 45 degrees. You should feel your abdominal muscles tighten … but only go to what is comfortable. Abdominal work can be that easy!

Extending one foot in front of you, rotate your ankle in one direction. Feel the tension release … and now in the other direction.

Placing your foot on the floor slightly in front of you, gently lean forward as if making a little bow and stretch the hamstrings in the back of your knee. Move slowly, gently, and comfortably. Hold this stretch for a few seconds … Return to center. Do this one more time, going a little deeper if you can … Return to center.

Now, extend your other leg in front of you for ankle rotations. Rotate your ankle in one direction … and now in the other direction.

Now do a hamstring bow by placing that foot slightly in front of you. Gently lean forward as if making a little bow. You should feel a stretch in the back of the knee. Move slowly, gently, and comfortably. Hold this stretch for a few seconds … Return to center. Try this one more time, and if you can, go a little deeper … and return to center.

Take a deep breath … in and out … Now lifting both arms up over your head if you can, drop one arm to your side. Take the lifted arm and move it toward the center of your body, giving you an added stretch. Hold … Good. Now, moving to the other side, lift the other arm up and move it toward the center … holding that stretch … return to center. Repeat this again on both sides … First one side … then the other … and return to center.