{"id":38139,"date":"2015-11-24T13:10:24","date_gmt":"2015-11-24T18:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/?p=38139"},"modified":"2015-11-24T14:57:30","modified_gmt":"2015-11-24T19:57:30","slug":"5-energizing-stretches-for-all-you-new-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/de\/journal\/5-energizing-stretches-for-all-you-new-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Energizing Stretches for All You New Parents"},"content":{"rendered":"

This piece is from our partners at\u00a0Fatherly<\/a>. Want more like this? Sign up\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

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You may recall a middle school P.E. instructor preaching the benefits of stretching while you and your tween buddies were busy giggling at his nuthuggers, but now that your days of spry flexibility have ground to halt, it’s not so funny anymore, is it? Guys with kids need to take stretching seriously.<\/p>\n

Nobody takes stretching more seriously than Chris Frankel, the head of training and education for\u00a0home fitness system TRX<\/a>. A speed, strength, and agility coach for 30 years and a soon-to-be Doctor of Exercise Physiology, Frankel has been reversing musculoskeletal stress on his body ever since he became a father 12 years ago at the age of 42. „At the end of the day, being able to be an engaged father means you’re able to move comfortably without pain,“ he says.<\/p>\n

The list of benefits from stretching include improved posture, mood, circulation, testosterone levels (so, your sex drive), cortisol levels (your ability to manage stress), and bowel movements. Any of that sound good to you? Good, now read on \u2026<\/p>\n

A Parent’s Major Stress Areas<\/h4>\n

„Shoulders, arms, core, and hips probably take most of that work of lifting and carrying,“ Frankel says about the bundle of joy that’s slowly taking years off your bones and joints. „Nine times out of 10 it comes down to being able to manage your back and take care of your core and your spine.“<\/p>\n

Newborns and younger babies \u2014 the ones you’re constantly cradling, cuddling, hunching over, and holding at odd angles while praying they don’t wake up and start screaming again \u2014 put persistent stress on your shoulders, arms, and spine. Toddlers \u2014 the ones whose favorite game is „Pick me up! Now put me down! Now pick me up!“\u2014shift that stress more toward your hips and core.<\/p>\n

Think of your body as a coil that’s slowly curling forward all day, because the kid is almost always in front of you (unless, you know,\u00a0you’re carrying them right<\/u><\/a>). The means the muscles in the front of your body are constantly contracting, so the following stretches will counteract that.<\/p>\n

Core and Spine Stretches<\/h3>\n

The core and spine stretches are the most important for maintaining good posture. Frankel recommends „the 2 great moves“ every parent should practice: the cobra, and the cat and camel pose.<\/p>\n

Cobra<\/strong><\/p>\n

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