- Are you over 50 and looking for ways
to stay pain-free and fit?
Bob and Brad have searched the world to bring you
the best of the best in stretching gurus.
These seven experts have shared their top stretches
to help you feel your best.
And to top it off expert number seven
is the world's foremost authority on back health.
So get ready to get flexible.
(upbeat music)
- All right, our first expert is Dr. Robert Schleip.
He's from Germany, and he has studied fascial fitness,
and that's actually the name of his book.
He has a number of stretches and educational information
on how to manage and keep your fascia so you are pain free.
Let's go to the stretch.
Just one of the stretches he recommends.
- To perform this stretch
you're gonna need to lie next to a wall of sorts.
You can be on your bed and your feet up on a wall too,
if that is more comfortable for you.
I have placed a small pillow under my low back
for a little more comfort.
So once you're in this position
you're gonna start bringing each foot out to the side
as far as you can comfortably.
This is gonna stretch the adductor
or inner thigh muscles here.
And then you're gonna bring your arms out to the side
getting a nice pec stretch.
You can hold this for 30 seconds to 60 seconds.
Robert likes to hold it for three to five minutes
in his book, and he just kinda lays here and relaxes.
Now, if you'd like a little bit more of an advanced stretch,
we'll get into that now using a foam foam roller.
- And I think we wanna mention
the importance of relaxing and breathing.
He does that humming thing.
We won't get into that, that's more advanced.
But really breathing to allow your body to relax.
- So for the advanced variation,
I am laying on a foam roller here.
And I'm gonna bring my legs out to the side
and get a good stretch.
And then now, if I bring my arms out to my sides
I get even more of a pec stretch.
And my hands can touch the floor,
so I'm flexible enough here.
Now Brad is gonna hand me some weights,
so if you wanna get even more of a stretch just hold
the weights there and then it'll really push things down.
I can already hit the floor, so I'm not feeling much.
But if you're tight, you might be sitting
here and getting a stretch.
Now this is for the advanced.
Like I said, it's not for everyone,
so don't do it if you can't even do the first variation.
Did I forget anything?
- Well, I would just like to mention,
as far as weights, you know, you're probably
not gonna start out with three pound dumbbells.
Probably one pound is all you're gonna need
to get those pec stretched.
Do not do anything that's painful or uncomfortable.
It should feel a nice gentle stretch.
And again, this is advanced.
And if you don't feel comfortable getting
down on the floor, this stretch may not be for you.
Anyways, we've got five or six more, right?
- And you could definitely pick
different variations of angles with the pec stretch.
If you wanna go up higher, certainly can.
- Yeah, it gets different fibers of that pec major.
- So let's get in the stretch number two.
- [Brad] That's right.
- So our next expert is Rick Olderman
a physical therapist from Colorado.
His recent book, "Solving the Pain Puzzle:
Cases from 25 Years as a Physical Therapist,"
is available now.
He also has programs on how to work on different
body parts and ailments you may have.
So his stretch, I'm gonna show here,
is commonly known as a child's pose.
He calls it all four rocking.
To get into position here I'm gonna bring my knees out wide.
My feet are touching.
You can bring your feet out.
Whatever's comfortable for your hip position.
I'm gonna keep my hands planted into the mat.
And then I'm gonna push back
into a seated position like I'm kneeling.
So this is gonna stretch my hips, my knees.
It's getting a good shoulder stretch.
And it just feels good overall.
I'm gonna hold this for three to four breaths
and then I'm gonna rock forward again
and then come back into it.
You can do this for repetitions,
or if you just like to sit here for 30 seconds
to a couple minutes, go ahead and breathe slow.
- Yeah, I'd like to mention this...
Is that okay if I talk, Mike?
- [Mike] Yeah.
- The scapular, the shoulder blade.
This is a really nice one to get that to move
for that shoulder health as well.
The nice lumbar stretch back in here.
You can do this on your bed, but if your bed
is really soft it's may not work as well.
On a floor or a cushion surface is probably the best.
This can, oh Bob just mentioned.
We should talk about emphasizing one right side
or left side by crossing the arm.
Go ahead.
- So if you wanna emphasize one side, you can just bring,
say, my left arm over to my right and then go down here.
I'm gonna feel much more stretch on my lats
and my left side here if I do this option as well.
Now, if you can't get on your knees
Brad will show a nice seated option to do as well.
- So sit on a chair next to the table,
a countertop, something of that nature.
If you have a chair that has wheels, it actually helps out,
but you don't need to, and you'll see why in just a second.
So I'm gonna put my arms out here and simply...
But here's where the wheel comes in handy, the wheels.
And you stretch out like this.
Now we don't wanna keep our head up like this, right?
We wanna keep it down, this neutral position.
Take your three or four breaths in your nose,
exhale out your mouth is the way
I prefer to do it for better relaxation.
Come back up.
And you can also cross to emphasize the stretch on one side.
This would be my right.
This would be my left.
If you don't have wheels, you can actually put your hands
and just slide your hands forward.
And my hands are a little sticky here.
Sometimes on a smooth countertop you can put a towel
down and it slides right across smooth and work it that way.
Don't bump your head on the countertop.
That negative results are with that.
So, very good.
That's a nice stretch.
It really makes you feel good, wakes you up.
All right, our third guest is a expert
on spinal stenosis, spine health.
Her name is Terry Night.
She's done an excellent book.
Bob highly recommends her work, as well as I do.
I have spinal stenosis.
I've read this book and it's been a great help to me.
We're gonna show you a stretch
that works out very well and we'll get on with it.
She is from California.
- Yeah, so we just learned that.
So this exercise is called the cat cow.
Or cat camel, some people refer it to as.
And Brad is gonna demonstrate it for us.
- That's right.
I don't get concerned about the cat, cow, or antlers,
or whatever it is, but if you do this on your bed
it's gonna be a little difficult.
It's too soft.
It's best to do it on the floor.
Carpeted floor.
A firm bed would be best if that's the case.
And we're just gonna arch the back
up like this and round it.
If you have stenosis like I do, this feels pretty good.
And then she also wants to maintain the arch of the low back
so that you remain with good motion that way.
If it doesn't feel good, like me,
eh, it doesn't feel real good.
But I'm gonna bump into it a little bit.
And then I'm gonna go back up to here, hold.
And then back down to here.
Now the thing she likes to do is actually when you get
up to here is actually move around a little bit.
And I can definitely, on my right side, this feels
like a nice stretch, opening up those facet joints.
And then over here, and you're gonna do this
in whatever way you feel a good, healthy stretch.
And if I go straight like this, I'm very happy.
So, very good.
And you can work that as long as you'd like.
And then go back to this.
'Cause we don't want to eliminate
or reduce the arch in your back.
We wanna maintain the range of motion as long as you can.
Mike?
- I think you did a good job explaining that.
So go on to the next stretch.
- Next number five? Four!
- Five. Four. Three, two, one.
- Our next expert is Dr. Mark Cucuzzella.
He is a wonderful person.
He wrote this book, it's called "Run For Your Life."
Now, if you're not a runner and you read this
you are gonna find at least half the information pertains
to any anybody 50 and older on how to be active, pain-free,
and continue to live a healthy and happy life.
So we're gonna show you this stretch.
Mike, go right ahead.
- So he actually runs a shoe store in West Virginia
as well where he sells all minimalistic shoes
or wide toe box shoes for people for foot health as well.
- That's right.
Actually I bought some from his, and they do custom.
You talk to 'em and tell 'em information,
you'll get the right-
- Two river treads.
So we're gonna get into stretch.
It's called the bretzel stretch.
So it sounds like pretzel, but it's with a B.
So to start it, you're gonna lay on your side to begin.
I'm gonna bring my top leg over top like this
and flexing my knee to my chest, roughly like this.
Now my back leg, I'm gonna try to keep straight
and then I'm gonna bend my knee up to my hand
and I'm gonna pull back at the same time.
Then I'm gonna take this arm,
bring it out to the side, and slowly rotate this way.
Now Dr. Mark says he loves just sitting here
for three to five minutes.
If this feels like a lot to you, you could start
with 30 seconds and work your way up over time.
Also, some people might be so tight
in their hip flexor on the bottom leg here
that you're gonna need a belt or something to reach this.
So simply lasso though it around your ankle
and then you can pull it up this way as well.
Little more relaxing on my right arm.
And this feels nice and this stretches a whole lot.
Do you wanna show what it's stretching, Brad?
- [Brad] Yeah, it's a good point.
We're getting on the right hip.
We're getting some excellent stretching
and that and the flexors and the abductors.
The quadriceps are getting stretched very well here,
as well as the hip flexors on that point.
Look at the rotational component throughout the spine.
We're getting stretched through this pectoralis major.
Now we're gonna do both sides, right?
- Yes. You wanna do this both ways.
But then I won't be facing the camera.
- So relax and breathe, once again.
Hold it for 15 to 30 seconds.
Progress as tolerated.
Anything else, Mike?
- [Mike] Let's go on to stretch number five.
- Excellent choice.
Our next expert is Dr. Yoav Suprun.
He's actually from Israel, but now resides in Florida.
He's wrote this book on "Aging Without Aching."
Wonderful book.
He has studied under Robin McKenzie, who is now deceased.
But he's developed a back method for over 40 countries,
it's in now, this system.
So we're gonna show a stretch from him.
So hold on one second and we'll go for it.
- So the exercise or stretch
we're gonna do is a back extension and standing.
So extension means simply bringing your back backwards,
away from your extending your spine.
To do this you typically wanna go up to a taller countertop.
We don't have one here, we just have this bench
something that is gonna hit your belt line roughly here.
So I'm gonna put my hands on my hips
and I'm gonna just arch back like this,
feel a good stretch, and then come forward.
This feels really nice.
- Good. And how many repetitions?
- You can do 10 repetitions.
Just do this throughout the day
because it's going to get your spine a little more motion
and mobility and ease that pain you may be having.
- Right, I do wanna mention with this one,
if you have problems sitting for long period of times
or you're just sitting at work or in a car driving,
this is a good one to do at least
three to five repetitions before you sit.
And then when you get up, do it again.
One thing that also works well, if you don't have
a countertop or something to lean up against,
a simple towel roll works very good.
Put it right in the area.
Now, the height you put it at is gonna depend on you.
You put it where it feels best and you will find out
after you adjust it where it feels good.
For me it's gonna be right about there, from my experience.
And I'm gonna go back.
If you have stenosis, this may be uncomfortable
and you will not wanna do it.
I have a mild stenosis, I don't do it a lot,
and I don't hold it very long.
I just kinda work it, so I maintain that range of motion.
Really good exercise, simple to do and easy
to fit throughout the day without interruption.
Oh, over here now
- On to number six.
- Excellent.
Our next expert is Brad Walker.
He is an expert on stretching.
He is from Australia.
The name of the book we're getting this
is called "The Anatomy of Stretching."
He has some other books more specific to athletes.
This stretch that we have over here...
Oh, I wanted to mention this book is excellent
if you want it, because he has excellent photographs
and diagrams, so you get the stretch done properly
and which muscles it's specifying.
Very functional book for anyone.
Mike, let's go to the stretch.
- So we're gonna stretch the back side, your low back,
and buttock and hips a little bit with this stretch.
So it's basically just a trunk rotation.
So I'm gonna put my arms out to the side.
I'm gonna have bent knees and a flat back.
Then I'm gonna let both legs just drop
down to one side, if that's comfortable for you.
Some people might be tight and be stuck up here.
That's fine.
Just try to hold it here 15 to 30 seconds.
Come back to center, reset your back,
and then you're gonna make sure to work both directions.
You may notice one side is tighter than the other.
So stretch that side a little bit more.
- [Brad] All right, I would like
to mention a couple key points.
You can see how Mike is holding this shoulder
down while this hip goes up.
Now some of you may be too tight and that might come up.
That's okay.
Don't stretch it too aggressively.
This should not create any pain.
Sometimes when you go one direction, it might be painful.
The other direction may not be painful.
So stretch the side that is pain free
and just gently bump into the pain side.
After a period of time, and now I say time,
I'm talking to maybe days or weeks,
the painful side should loosen up.
He's got his knees together and his feet together.
That's a common mistake when people come over and across,
they separate their feet and their knees separate.
They're, get over here, Mike, so they can see.
Opening their knees up like that.
Yeah, that's sloppy.
We will not have any of that.
This is proper stretching.
So, good.
Nice stretch.
This is the one we've worked at.
Bob and I and Mike have taught patients over the decades.
Well, Bob and I, decades.
You don't have any two decades.
- One decade. - One decade. All right.
Good luck, and we got one more to go.
- Our last expert comes from the land of Canada,
and his name is Stewart McGill.
He wrote the book "Back Mechanic"
and he is one of the experts in back pain.
- Right, that's right.
He is Dr. Stewart McGill.
He's got his PhD, and he has extensive research
on the spine supporting all of these exercises.
You know it's good information when it comes from him.
He's got a number of books for students
and professionals, as well as a layperson.
- So we're gonna get into the stretch now.
So for this stretch you're gonna need
a chair and kneeling on the floor.
Brad will next show a variation seated
if you're unable to get into this position.
So this is gonna work on your
thoracic and lumbar spine again.
So you're going to get in a kneeling position.
I'm gonna rest my elbows on the chair.
And then they're gonna interlace my fingers behind my head.
As I'm doing this, I'm pushing my elbows into the chair
and then I'm gonna start arching my back like this.
Now I feel a good stretch.
You wanna hold this for at least 10 seconds.
If you're still feeling a good release,
you could hold it for longer.
And then relax.
And make sure to perform three sets of this,
at least 10 second holds.
And get a nice thoracic extension there.
- Oh, you can hear him grunt.
So he is got his head up.
And I wanna mention this really does a nice stretch
on the scapula as well as the shoulder joint itself.
Okay, in the seated position
you'll wanna go to a countertop or a tabletop.
Now this is lower than most countertops.
I'm gonna put a few inches
of cushion on there so it's a little more realistic.
And that is about the right height, right there.
Right there, about at the hip.
Okay, and the same thing.
Elbows here. Interlace behind the head.
If you have a chair with wheels, it is helpful.
Not necessary, though.
And you'll see I'm gonna do the same thing.
I'm gonna arch, arch, look up, arch.
Oh, I feel nice stretch in them shoulders.
I like it there.
And because I have stenosis I cannot arch very far,
like Mike, but it's still a good stretch.
No pain.
If you do develop pain at all, you're going too far.
Or maybe this isn't the stretch for you.
10 seconds and I'm ready to get back up.
And I'm gonna go like this because I'm almost off my chair.
If you have a chair that does not,
you won't have that problem, that doesn't have wheels.
And then you can simply slide.
But put a towel on the tabletop or the countertop
so your elbows slide forward and back up,
so that becomes the motion of stretch.
Yeah, that's a nice stretch.
I'm feeling younger already, Mike.
- So we traveled all around the world
to get those seven stretches.
Pick what stretch feels best for you.
And if you wanna learn more information
about any of those people, we'll link everything
down below pinned to the first comment.
If you wanna check out any of their books,
or possibly even interviews we've done with them.
- But wait, Mike. But wait, there's more.
Six countries we went.
Different continents, as well as we actually talked
to personally to all of these on podcasts,
which we have as well as the podcasts on YouTube.
So you can actually see these people talk.
They're wonderful people.
You can tell they're absolutely true doctors
and want people to be better.
Take care and auf wiedersehen.
(Mike laughs)
(upbeat music)