**self care for body and mind**
Tips for Stretching
- Warm up first. Much like taffy, muscles stretch more easily when warm. It can be as simple as marching in place with arms swinging for five minutes or dancing to a few songs. Moist heat packs or a warm shower are effective first steps, too.
- Feel no pain. Stretch only to the point of mild tension, never to the point of pain. If a stretch hurts, stop immediately! Reset your position carefully, then try again. With time and practice, your flexibility will improve.
- Pay attention to posture and good form. Posture counts whether you're sitting, standing, or moving. Good form translates to better gains in flexibility and less likelihood of injury when stretching tight muscles.
- Focus on the muscle being stretched. You'll notice that one side of your body often is tighter than the other. Work on balancing this over time.
- Breathe. Breathe comfortably while stretching, or use yoga breathing. Whatever you do, don't hold your breath while you are holding a stretch.
- Practice often. You'll make the best gains if you stretch frequently-daily, or on as many days of the week as possible. At the very least, aim to do stretches two or three times a week.
The Royal Foundation
HEADS TOGETHER is a campaign coordinated by The Royal Foundation
of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
In 2017 INSPIRE INC of FAIRFIELD was named one of their charity partners. We are proud to support William and Kate's innovative global campaign to address mental health. We share the common goal of making strategies for emotional wellness accessible to parents of teens and have recently expanded our Creating Lasting Family Connections program to achieve this in Fairfield.
