Being stuck in bed can significantly damage your body. Human beings weren’t meant to be sedentary. Our bodies are made for motion, meant to move around and engage in physical activity.
How to do Stretches in bed? Below, we discuss in detail
Sitting or lying in one position for long periods can be detrimental to your health. Our bodies have evolved to be physical, not sedentary.
Several people might need to stay in bed for health or personal reasons. Some are too sick to get out of bed, while others are recovering from a big surgery and are incapable of moving around a lot. There are also elderly folks who simply cannot spend a lot of time on their feet.
Regardless of your situation, staying in bed for prolonged periods can lead to various health risks, such as poor blood circulation, muscle weakness, and bedsores. Knowing that you can easily tackle these concerns can be helpful.
The key to solving these issues is to make small movements frequently throughout the day.
Here are some stretches you can perform while confined to bed.
Stretch 1: Full Body Hold
Start by either sitting or standing, raise both arms above your head, and lock your fingers together. At the same time, stretch your toes toward the sky and your feet as far out as you can. Feel a soft tension in your body, which helps relieve stiffness that builds up after long periods in bed. Hold this position for about 5-10 seconds and then relax. Do this several times until your body feels relaxed.
Stretch 2: Hamstring Stretch
Now, even though legs have large and important blood vessels, they do not have major arteries, so let’s start by improving circulation to an area without important arteries.
While resting on your back, lift one leg towards the sky while keeping the knee bent. Grab your calf with one hand and pull it toward you to stretch the hamstring. Focus on slow, deep breaths while maintaining this position for a few seconds. Put the leg down and repeat with the other leg.
Stretch 3: Seated Leg Folds
This exercise primarily works on hamstrings and hip flexors; however, like any other physical exercise, it also engages core and back muscles.
Adjust your position to sit upright with your back against pillows or the headboard. Make sure your feet are placed as far apart as possible, with your toes pointing up. Slowly pivot your torso towards one leg and then towards the other. As you perform the repetitions, continue to breathe deeply. Lastly, while leaning forward, keep your legs together and extend your arms so they reach toward your feet.
Stretch 4: Supine Stretch and Twist
Begin by lying on your back. With a supine posture, place your knees so your feet are flat against the bed. Gently pull your knees inwards towards your chest, grabbing beneath with both hands. The fetal position: knees are pulled close to the torso while the arms are wrapped around the shins. You should stay in this position while focusing on breathing for about 10–15 seconds.
After that, rock from side to side for 10-15 seconds—you can also place your legs straight out and stretch your arms wide on each side of your body. In an upper body side-lying position and while keeping the lower arms straight, level with shoulders, bring legs together to around 90 degrees off the margin and allow them to follow your placed torso into a flat turn. As you deepen your breath, put a pause while rotating to one side, then proceed to the other. Do this procedure a couple of times.
Stretch 5: Neck and Shoulder Stretch
This exercise can be done sitting cross-legged or lying down. The latter option may prove less effective, but it is still worth trying.
You rotate your right palm sideways and place it towards the head’s side. While doing that, tilt your head in the opposite direction of your hand until a gentle stretch is felt. Wait about 30 seconds, then perform the same with the left hand and tilt toward the right side. Thereafter, interlock one’s fingers above and stretch the interlaced fingers shoulder height with your palms stretching outwards and head gently tilting back. Parts that need stretching are the shoulders. Stretch this position for another 30 seconds.
Bottom line – Stretches in bed.
Spending too much time in bed rest can have diverse negative impacts on muscles and blood circulation systems by doing stretches in a bed routine. But there is something remarkably simple you can do to solve the problem. The stretch exercises outlined above, along with simple movements, can enhance both your emotional and physical well-being significantly.
A medical professional must pre-approve these stretches. A growing lack of supervision can result in serious injuries or, worse, exacerbate your current condition. Furthermore, if making the movements described is difficult, do not hesitate to ask your attendant for help.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. The question of the day is, why is stretching necessary while in bed?
Bed rest is not always good for you, it compromises the blood circulation and muscle tone, also one can develop bed sores. Stretching enhances the blood supply, relieves joint contracture and keeps muscles active even in cases where one cannot move around much. This is a good technique to take care of one’s body and spirit while having to spend most of the time lying down in bed.
2. I want to know whether such stretches are safe for everybody or whether I need a doctor’s permission before I carry out these stretches.
Having consulted a doctor before assuming a new stretching program, it is crucial to seek medical advice to avoid further injuries, such as in case of an injury, sickness, or any form of ailment. An orthopedician will advise on your fitness regime to recommend to you the suitable stretches likely to prevent splits in the event you are involved in such activities.
3. What is the frequency of doing such stretches while lying in bed?
They should be done several times throughout the day. Perform each stretch for five to fifteen seconds and carry out the exercises several times till you have done all of them. The rule here is to create slight movements now and then, so that it is not only the body parts stiffened due to the candidiasis, but it also develops circulation.
4. Is stretching in bed useful for back pain or pain related to the spine?
Yes, some of the stretches that have been illustrated in the article for instance the Supine Stretch and Twist and the Neck and Shoulder Stretch can ease back and neck aches. From the above descriptions, it can be concluded that stretching improves blood circulation, relieves muscle tension thus helping one who sat for a long time to be relieved from aches. Nevertheless, if the pain continues, then it would be wise to consult a doctor.
