Barbara WintroubI don’t know about you, but on these cold mornings I sure hurt when I get out of bed. My body seems to ache everywhere more than usual. So here are some suggestions. Before getting out of bed roll your wrists and ankles in circles both directions. Reach your arms overhead and stretch from your toes to your finger tips. Pull both knees to your chest while dropping your chin to your chest, stretching out your back muscles. Turn your head to the right and left until the rumpling tissue paper sound in your head goes away. Lie on your stomach with your arms outstretched over your head to stretch out your front line muscles. Then, carefully get out of bed and see if some of those aches and pains went away, so you don’t have to hit the Aleve or Advil.
Before you walk on the pickleball court to play you should consider doing some of these exercises again. Work your ankles and wrists; stretch tall with arms overhead; turn your head left and right; roll your shoulders back and front; march in place and sidestep around the court with your right leg leading, then sidestep with the left leg leading. Remember the hula hoop (are we really that old)? Move your hips as if you were working the hoop. Google it if you are not sure. The goal is to wiggle your parts and get the blood flowing to warm your body. Playing any sport or doing exercises while the body is cold is just asking for a muscle pull or worse. Remember: wiggle before and stretch and ice, if needed, afterwards. – Happy and Healthy Pickling