Be Strong, Go Long

What if I told you there is something you could do every day, that brings increased mobility, energy, and youthfulness…it’s free and easy, requires zero equipment, and could take as little as 10 seconds? Well, that something is elongate your glorious spine!

I know,  I know…this might seem too good to be true, and you may assume I’m greatly exaggerating its effectiveness, but seriously, have you elongated your spine today? 

Sitting, at a desk or in a car for instance, is not just sitting – it’s spinal compression/spinal shortening. And since we become what we repeatedly do, make sure you balance out spinal shortening with some sort of daily elongation. Think “long and strong” like ballerinas and yoginis and basketball players. 

Elongating your spine is like stretching a piece of taffy. It’s anti-compression. It’s space creating. Here are my three favorite elongators: 
* Downward Facing Dog – it elongated the entire back body too
* Forward Fold from a standing position, a.k.a. “waterfall position” – uses the weight of your head to drape the torso over the legs and
* Upright lengthening (like the above photo) – this can come with a core/balance challenge on the tip toes, as well as a heart-lifting, heart-opener (extra winning!). 

And one final note – your body has built-in intelligence and wants elongation. A big yawn is your body’s emergency response to spinal shrinking. Yup, your whole body yawns, not just your lungs! Arms stretch wide, the torso expands, and even your head goes up and back…this releases tension, and straightens and lengthens the spine. So be strong, go long. Your back will thank you!