Page 265 - Massage Therapy School Program

Self-Care Strategies – Protocol
If you need to hold on to a chair for support, do so. With your right hand holding the right foot (Dorsal side), bring the heel to the right glute. If you need a more intense stretch on the quads, drive your knee toward the floor while moving your hip forward. Repeat on the opposite side.
Start with your feet in a wide stance, toes facing forward. Bend your left knee to stretch the right adductors. Repeat on the opposite side.
Once the adductor stretch has been performed, take the straight leg and bring your toes to the ceiling-dorsiflex your foot. Now you can move your chest to your toes for the hamstring stretch. Repeat both the adductor stretch and the hamstring stretch on the opposite side.
Sitting with your legs straight, dorsaflex the feet as you reach for your toes. Do not round your back, think about pulling your chest to your toes.
Stand tall, place your fist on posterior hips and inhale. Exhale as you extend back.
Moving in the Coronal Plane, extend your right hand over your head and reach toward the left as you exhale. Repeat on the opposite side.
Doing concentric and eccentric exercises with a resistance band allows us to strengthen our weaker muscles. In working with a band, exhale on the initial movement of the contraction (the exertion), and control the movement on the return (the eccentric contraction). Perform these activities for a series of 8-12 repetitions, and as your strength improves you can increase your sets.
Stand tall with the band behind your head. Holding the band with both hands, extend your arms without moving your head. This will strengthen your neck muscles
©January 2013, P05507, Rev. 1