Our vacation was so good to rest the body, but the flights have a tendency to wreck havoc on my body. Sitting for 6 hours straight is not in my repertoire  and frankly it seems insane to me that some of my clients sit for 8+ hours a day. My hips felt like garbage after sitting for that long, everything needed a good stretch. You don't have to set aside hours for yoga a week to get the benefits of stretching, here are a few simple stretches you can do anywhere anytime to help with that stiffness. 

1. Overhead stretch 

Targets: Lats, triceps
Bring the hand overhead and reach back and touch as far down as you can on your back, place other hand gently on the elbow and relax. Hold 30s per side 

2. 1/2 splits

Targets: Adductors
Bring one leg out to the side, ensure head and chest stay upright, sink into that leg, should feel it on the inside of your leg. 30s hold per side 

 3. Chest stretch

Targets: Pecs, anterior delts
Bring hands together, and push back until you feel it in the front of your chest hold 30s

 4. Side body stretch 

Targets: Left side of the body, It band, hip, oblique 
Cross one leg in front of the other and then push into that hip, bringing the same arm up and leaning over. So if the left leg is crossed in front, the left arm will come up and over, stretching  the left side of the body. 30s per side

 5. Low lunge, with chest opener

Targets: Hip flexors, pec muscles 
Ensure you are not bending into the back, but squeezing the bum to shift your hips foreward, should feel this in the front of the hip. Bring hands behind back and stretch back. 30s per side

 6. Standing calf stretch

Target: Calves
Bring feet in a staggered stance, push into front leg while keeping foot flat on the ground. Feel in the back calve. 30s per 

 7. Half kneeling hamstring stretch

Targets: Hamstrings
Ensure your torso is upright and not rounding  over, ensure the knee does not hyper extend. 30s per side

8. Deep squat

Targets: Hip flexors, glutes
Feet slightly out turned, feet wider than shoulder distance, sink as low as you can into your hips while maintaining your torso upright. Hold 30s. Really good for hip mobility. 

 9. Reclining stretch

Targets: Quads, front body stretch 
Knees should be wider than hips when you start, ensure your legs are on the outside of your knees (look to photo, my legs are not stacked under my knees but are slightly outside) recline back into this position, you may not go very far back and that's fine. If any knee pain stop, otherwise hold 30s