Fit in the Kitchen: the Counter Stretch

Spending lots of time standing in front of the sink, or over pots and pans can be tiring. It can also be extremely time consuming, taking up even those few minutes we might have otherwise dedicated to, say, stretching and working out. Because of this, a special type of exercise has appeared: called the counter shoulder stretch, it can be done in the kitchen and works wonders for the shoulders and lower back, as FitSugar informs.

The idea with this simple but reportedly efficient exercise is to make the most even of the few minutes we spend doing nothing in the kitchen, like when we’re waiting for the water to boil or the vegetables to steam. So, instead of watching the pots (you know how they say a watched kettle never boils), we can use the spare time to do some stretching.

“Stand in front of your counter with your feet hip distance apart. Place your hands on the counter so they are shoulder width distance apart. Walk your feet backward until your hips are above your ankles and your spine is lengthened. Allow your head to fall comfortably between your shoulders so there’s no tension in your neck. Try not to round through your lower back.” FitSugar says of the exercise.

We should hold this position for about 30 seconds, pushing the pelvis away from the hands so as to increase the stretch and thus make the most of the exercise. We can resume the initial position afterwards and then repeat the exercise whenever we feel like it. This type of exercise is also good for those of us who work long hours at the office and often have a posture that needs some correcting, or those who suffer from back pains.

Since stretching is often the best solution for those pressed for time to relax and, at the same time, also work the muscles, we should perhaps find the time to fit this 30-second counter shoulder stretch into our busy agendas.