6-minute PHitness: Stretching with PAH Workout

[Video title—6 Minute PHitness – Stretching with PAH workout]

[Disclaimer: NOT FOR MEDICAL USE

Please consult with your physician or healthcare provider before performing any of the videos to make sure it is appropriate for your needs. Do not perform any of the videos if your physician or healthcare provider advises against it. These videos are offered for educational purposes only and do not substitute for, nor replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you engage in these videos, you agree that you are doing so at your own risk. IN THE EVENT OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES IMMEDIATELY.]

Welcome to 6-Minute PHitness, a low-impact workout where the only thing you’ll ever need is your own body resistance, a chair or two, and six minutes. Let's get PHit!

[On-screen text: 1. neck] [On-screen text: Alli C., PHitness Instructor]

Sit on the edge of the chair, palms rested on your lap, feet hip-width apart. Tilt your head to the side, taking the ear to the shoulder. For a deeper stretch, place your hand on your ear with a gentle pull. For the deepest stretch, turn your gaze under the arm, feeling the stretch down the opposite shoulder blade.

Turn to neutral and switch sides. Inhale and exhale, stretching a little closer to the shoulder. Keep the breath through the stretch. Add the exhale at your furthest point for a deeper stretch. Sit up straight. On your exhale, drop the chin to the chest, feeling the stretch down the spine. Keep the shoulders back, chest open.

For a deeper stretch, place the hands behind the head, elbows wide, and add a gentle pull.

[On-screen text: 2. shoulders]

Extend your arm forward. With the other hand, grab your forearm and pull toward the chest, feeling the stretch around the shoulder. Swing the arm overhead and reach between the shoulder blades. With the other hand, grab the elbow, gaze under the arm, and hinge from the waist, feeling a deeper stretch down the side.

Come back to neutral and switch sides. Keep breathing as you move, adding a little more length as you exhale. Back to neutral. Clasp hands behind your back, opening the chest. Lean back, lift the chin, feeling the stretch down the arms. Hinge forward from the waist and draw the hands up toward the ceiling. Drop the head. Feel the stretch deepen in the arms. Slowly return to neutral.

[On-screen text: 3. hips]

Lift the knee to the chest and grab the ankle to place on the opposite knee. Sit tall, back flat. For a deeper stretch, press the knee down to the floor as you feel the hips open. For the deepest stretch, hinge from the waist, back flat to feel a stretch in the outer seat.

Replace the leg, switch sides. Keep exhaling as you move, finding the length at the end of your movement. Sitting tall, step your feet out to your widest point, toes turned out. Place your hands inside the knees and add a slight press back. For a deeper stretch, hinge from the waist, increasing the press back with the hands. Keep the back flat, head in line with the spine. Bring the body upright. Step to face off the side, arm grabbing the back of the chair for balance.

Pull the knee into the chest and grab the ankle. Swing the knee back until you feel the stretch in the quad. For a deeper stretch, lift the chin and add a slight lean back. Knee back to the chest. Return to neutral and step to the other side of the chair. Keep length through the arm and add a press back of the knee for the deeper stretch. Sit tall, back flat.

[On-screen text: 4. hamstrings]

Adding a second chair, sit at the edge, feet hip-width apart, hands grab underneath. Place the leg on the opposite chair, foot flexed. Head in line with the spine, hinge from the waist, feeling the stretch in the hamstring. For a deeper stretch, point the toes as you exhale, hinging closer to the thigh. Sit up, replace the leg, and switch sides. Find more and more length as you exhale.

Sit up, place both legs on the chair, feet flexed. Exhale as you hinge from the waist, feeling the stretch in both legs. Release the hands to the top of your shins before pointing your toes. Exhale as you round the back, reaching past the toes. Roll up through the spine.

[On-screen text: 5. calves]

Stand up and step toward the second chair, feet hip-width apart. Hinge from the waist and place your hands on the corners of the chair, back flat. Set back with one leg straight as you bend with the front leg. Press the heel into the floor, feeling the stretch from the calf. Replace the foot and switch sides. [On-screen text: done.]