A Physical Therapist’s 4 Simple Exercises to Feel Better

Regular physical activity keeps muscles flexible and strong, and frequent stretching makes the body feel better. Darcie Pervier, a physical therapist and women’s health coach who exercises every day was asked by CNBC Make It to share the movements that help her feel her best.

“My end goal for all stretches is to take an assessment of where there might be some imbalances in my body and where movement might be missing,” Pervier told CNBC Make It. “For me, given my line of work, bending over people all day, sitting at a desk, documenting, it’s really important to keep an eye on my spinal mobility.”

Maintaining spinal and lower back mobility is essential, especially for women, Pervier said. “One in two of us will break a hip at some point in our lives, and we really need to keep our balance, so the more we are able to keep rotation, the better off we will be,” she said.

The following are four stretches and exercises that Pervier told CNBC Make It that she does every day:

1. Cat-Cow Stretch

The cat-cow stretch can help relieve back pain, strengthen the spine, and increase flexibility in the neck, shoulders, spine, hips, back, abdomen, and chest. The exercise is also suitable for people who spend most of their day sitting or for people with poor posture, such as curvature or flexing of the spine. Cat-cow is also beneficial for those who may be feeling stressed, as the exercise is performed while breathing in and out.

Pervier said she does cat-cow stretches because “it allows me to feel each segment of my spine, so I can really work on keeping mobility.”

To do a cat-cow exercise:

1. Start on your hands and knees with a neutral spine. Place your hands under your shoulders and your knees in line with your hips.
2. As you inhale, move into the cow position by arching your back toward the ceiling and drawing your chin to your chest. Then, lower your back downwards by pressing your stomach toward the floor and looking up. You should feel a stretch in your back.
3. To get into the cat position, exhale and round your back upward toward the ceiling. Bring your head down to look toward your belly button.

Repeat for one full repetition. Do eight to 12 repetitions for one set. Increase the number of sets as you get stronger. Move slowly and smoothly, focusing on the stretch and mobility in your spine.

Once you feel confident with the back movements, you may want to try something more challenging:

While in the neutral position on your hands and knees:

Lift one arm out at a time in front of you. Hold each one for three seconds.
Stretch one leg out at a time behind you.
To gain more strength and balance, stretch an arm and an opposite leg out at the same time.

Pervier recommends moving slowly so that you can get a full range of motion.

“I love spinal flexibility because we need it for so many things,” she said. “We need it to maintain balance. We need it to maintain core strength and to have great breath [control].”

2. Child’s Pose

Pervier’s daily routine also includes “Child’s Pose,” an exercise designed to stretch the hips, back, and muscles around the hips. The side reaches help achieve “deep hip flexion,” Pervier said.

“It allows [you], when you reach to the side, to really focus your breath into the rib cage to get full rib expansion, which is really important for organ motility, getting things moving inside your body, which is important for long-term health,” Pervier said.

To do a Child’s Pose:

Start by kneeling on the floor or a mat and sit back on your heels with your arms at your sides.
Slowly reach forward so your stomach touches your thighs.
Extend your hands in front of you with your palms down and place them on the mat or floor.
Bring your forehead gently to the mat or floor.
Relax and stay in this position for as long as you believe is necessary.
Slowly return to the seated position.

3. Lower trunk rotations

Another exercise Pervier does every day is lower trunk rotations. The exercise, she said, allows her to “get that side body stretch in [and] to feel if there are any differences in my mobility.”

The trunk is the central or core part of the body. Trunk rotations strengthen and stabilize the core, which includes the stomach muscles, pelvis, lower back, and hips.

“Everybody can probably use a little bit of back extension in their life unless they have a back condition,” Pervier said. “But we are all bent over, whether it’s over a computer or over patients or construction workers being bent over all day, so we’re in a flex position, and we could all use a little bit of experience in the opposite direction.”

To do lower trunk rotations:

Start by lying on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Keep your shoulders and upper body on the floor.
Rotate your knees from side to side. Your feet will shift but remain on the floor.
Hold the position for three to five seconds.

4. Squats

Pervier said she changes the exercises she does every day. But squats are always included in her daily workout.

“The thing that I don’t ever omit are squats,” Pervier said. “I think the one exercise everybody should be including is squats.”

How to do a squat:

Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower your body by bending your knees as if you are sitting in a chair.
Make sure you engage your core muscles.
Keep your feet planted, your chest up, and your back straight.
Return to the starting position by pushing through your heels to raise yourself back up.

“A lot of times people think they’re doing their squat most effectively, but they’re using just their quads, and maybe that’s their intention,” Pervier says. “But we also want to make sure we’re getting the back muscles, the glutes, and the hamstrings.”

Source Links:

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/30/4-stretches-exercises-this-physical-therapist-does-every-single-day.html
https://complete-pilates.co.uk/cat-cow/#:~:text=BOOK%20TODAY-,Cat%20Cow%20Stretch%20Benefits,calming%20the%20mind%20/%20destressinghttps://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/how-to-do-childs-pose
https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-perform-trunk-rotation-techniques-benefits-variations-4690852
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/proper-squat-form