Stretch it Out!

For years now I have had problems with my lower back.  It is a hereditary trait, passed down from generations of my family (thanks fam!).  The only thing that really helps it is stretching as much as I possibly can.

I have tried various different techniques over the years, but nothing seems to properly suit my needs. The problem seems to be that either I don't have the space at home to have the proper equipment or it costs too much to buy.

Ideally, what I want is something that I can use at home that can be easily stored away and also something that will work with the limited space I have to be able to carry out the stretching manoeuvres.

This search has led me to looking at foam rollers which work with both my space constraints and also my budget.  I found some tips for how to use them effectively whilst in the home that I have shared with you below.

6 of the best stretches for women using a foam roller

Foam rolling is a great way to stretch and release tension and knots in your muscles. It’s inexpensive and can be done right at your own home. You can foam roll while enjoying your favorite TV series or before you go to sleep. If you haven’t yet given it a try, it’s time to go and get yourself a roller and experience its benefits.

For those who already have a workout regimen and would like to incorporate foam rolling, you definitely can. Foam rolling can be done before your workout as part of your warm-up or after, during cool down. With foam rolling, you are helping your muscles to recover faster and be more flexible. And when your muscles function properly, you are able to deliver quality performance in your training. Stretching exercises can also be done using a foam roller. Slowly foam roll each target area, taking at least one minute up to ten minutes per spot. Here are some of the best stretches for women using a foam roller.

Back
Lie down on the floor with the foam roller on your lower back. Place your feet flat on the ground and use your arms to support your upper body. To move the roller up your back, bend your knees and slowly move your arms outward. Move the roller just below your shoulder blades and then roll it back to its starting position and repeat.

Calves
Sit on the floor and straighten out your legs.  Place your hands on the floor behind you to support your weight as you roll. With the roller under your calves, slowly roll it along the back of your legs up to your ankles and then back up to your knees.

Hamstrings
Sit down on the floor. Starting with your right leg on the roller, cross your left leg over your right. Use your arms and hands to support you as you roll up and down along your hamstring. Do the same for your left leg.

Quads
Your quads are the upper thigh area of your leg. To foam roll this area, lie facing down on the floor with the roller under your hips. Use your arms and hands to support you. Cross the lower part of your left leg over your right. Roll down until your knees and then roll back up again to your hips. Switch legs later on.

IT Band
The IT band is the area on your outer thigh. Lie down on your side and place the roller under your hip. If you’re lying down on your left side, use your left arm to support you and place your right hand on the floor in front of you. Cross your right leg over your left and use this to support your roll. Roll up and down your outer thigh, which is from your hip up to your knee. Do the same for the other thigh.

Glutes, or the butt!
Sit on the roller and have your arms and hands support you. Place your right leg on your left knee and then roll the butt cheek back and forth. Switch sides to roll the other but cheek.

Competition Time!

I think that Spring may be my favourite time of the year.  Daffodils are my favourite flower so when they start popping up in people's gardens everywhere, it always makes me happy.  

When the sun is shining and the flowers are all coming out, it always makes me long to live on the coast.  To be able to go to the beach on a sunny day or just take a walk around the coast line whenever you felt like it would be just wonderful.

I visited Cornwall as a child many times during Spring and Summer and I always thought that at some point, that may be the place that I might finally settle.

It is from Cornwall that I bring to you today a competition to win a vintage style,Cornish art print from the wonderful John Dyer Gallery  

The John Dyer Gallery is predominantly an online gallery which is run by husband and wife team John Dyer and Joanne Short.  Clients are also able to book private appointments with the artists to view their work or alternatively attend their public exhibition openings.  The gallery represents the work of three of Cornwall's most established and acclaimed contemporary artists.

The John Dyer Gallery was established in 2005 and has had working relationships with The National Trust, The National Maritime Museum, the Eden Project and many more around the world.

The prize today is to win a framed vintage style A3 print from any of the pieces featured in the link here  The competition will run for two weeks and the prize will be forwarded direct to the winner.

*Competition rules
UK entries only
The prize must only be chosen from the link as mentioned above and not from any other part of the site.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Trip to Grassington

Today I wanted to tell you about a 1940s festival weekend that I went to in Grassington last year, one which I am intending to return to this year!

Every year the town of Grassington holds a 1940s weekend.  There are live bands, wartime re-enactments, vintage market stalls and much more.  I went last year with my mum and we had such an amazing time.  I thought that I would share a few photographs that I took on the day here.

Walking about Grassington that day felt like I had truly stepped back into the 1940s.  The pubs were serving war time ration food, live music was playing and people were dancing in the streets; everyone had a smile on their faces and the atmosphere was fantastic.   There was even someone dressed up as Winston Churchill standing in the middle of the square saying his famous speech.

The main thing that struck me about the day is that everyone had made the effort to dress up.  I would have guessed that at least 90% of the people I saw, both locals and tourists were wearing 1940s garb and you really did feel like you were living in that time.

I did not have much time to find an outfit to wear last year and ended up just putting pieces together from my current wardrobe.  This year however I am on the hunt to find a real 1940s style outfit, vintage if at all possible.

Here are some of the vintage clothing items I have been looking at from Rokit:

1. Pink Midi Dress 

2.  Hawaiian Print Dress 

3. 40s/50s style Leather Handbag

4.  Red Motif Dress

5.  Green Midi Dress 

I will be definately buying the vintage handbag as that is perfectly my style.  I love all the different dresses and will be using them as inspiration of what I should be buying when the event rolls nearer.

I think my favourite is the Hawaiian print dress, which is yours?