Video: Forearm stretches for the workplace

Transcript
Working on a computer all day can cause soreness in your
forearms, wrists and hands. To prevent or reduce stiffness
and pain, try simple forearm stretches and wrist stretches
throughout the day.
For the first stretch, lift one of your arms and hold it
comfortably in front of you palm facing down. Bend your
hand downward and gently pull it toward you using your
other hand. You'll feel tension in the outside part of your
elbow and forearm. This area is where you may experience
repetitive strain due to typing on a computer. Hold the
stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Relax and return to the
starting position and repeat the stretch with your other
hand.
Next, lift one of your arms and hold it comfortably in front of
you palm facing up. Bend your hand downward and
gently pull it toward you using your other hand. You'll feel
tension in your forearm and elbow. Hold the stretch for 15 to
30 seconds. Relax and return to the starting position and
repeat the stretch with your other hand.
Next, extend your arms in front of you with your hands in
fists. Rotate your wrists outward, then inward in a circular
motion. This stretch can improve blood flow to your hands.
When you're stretching, keep it gentle. Breathe freely as you
hold each stretch and be careful not to bounce. Expect to
feel tension while you're stretching. If you feel pain, you've
gone too far.




Toe grip (to strengthen the foot muscles to improve
balance): Drop a sock on the floor and use your toes to
grip and lift it off the floor. Hold for 10 seconds, then
release. Repeat five times with each foot.
Toe extension (to strengthen and support the muscles,
which in turn will protect the bones of the feet): Wrap an
elastic band around all five toes. Expand your toes and
hold for five seconds; release. Repeat five times on each
foot.
Calf raise (to strengthen the feet and the calves and
improve balance): Stand near a counter or a doorway and
hold on lightly for balance. Balance on one foot and rise
up onto your toes. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower.
Repeat 10 times on each foot.
Calf stretch (to keep the Achilles tendons and the plantar
fasciae from getting tight): Sit with one leg stretched out
in front of you and wrap a towel around the ball of the
foot. Pull the towel back gently until you feel a stretch in
the arch of the foot and the calf. Hold for 10 seconds;
release. Repeat five times on each leg.
Once youve finished these exercises, reward your
hardworking feet with a frozen-golf-ball massage. The icy,
textured hard ball can get into the tiny muscles of the foot
and give you a deep massage, says Sutera. Simply pop a
ball in the freezer for a few hours, then roll under each foot
while sitting down.



3 Simple Exercises Thatll Guarantee A Flat Tummy
Posted by liveinnaija
No injury, no exhaustion just three simple exercises that
will tone those ab muscles into perfection, if supplemented
with 20-minute brisk walks everyday.
1. Bicycle crunch
Lie down with your back pressed onto the floor. Bring your
hands behind your head. Starting with your legs bent at a
45-degree angle, bring the right knee into the chest while
straightening out your left leg. At the same time, rotate your
top half so your left elbow goes to your right knee, then
switch to the other side. Repeat for one minute, three times
a day.
2. The boat
Sit on the floor, with your knees bent and feet flat and tilt
back, extending your legs so your body forms a right angle.
Pull your abs in to balance. Extend your arms at shoulder
height past your knees. Hold for five slow breaths and
return to your starting position. Repeat five times a day.
3. The plank
Lie face down then lift yourself up on to your toes and
forearms, with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Keeping
your core muscles - your stomach and bottom tight and
your legs straight, hold for 10 seconds. Repeat three times
a day, gradually building to 40 seconds each.




How to Improve Your
Posture
Good posture is an easy and very important way to
maintain a healthy mind and body. When you practice
correct posture, your body is in alignment with itself. This
can alleviate common problems such as back or neck
pain, headaches, and fatigue. Being in good general
health and standing (or sitting) tall will also boost your
bearing and self confidence. This article will show you
several ways to develop and maintain good posture.
Being able to assess someone's posture could also lead
you to reasoning behind an injury. Also, if a patient is
having a knee, hip, or ankle problem it could be stemming
from other parts of the body. Assessing posture can help
us locate these problems. The first thing one does when
assessing posture is look at the person's gait when they
walk in. Do not tell the patient that you are assessing
their posture because this will immediately alter their
posture. When assessing posture, one should look
bilaterally to see if there is any change from side to side.
This includes muscle mass, definition, height of body
parts, and any faults in the posture. One should be
assessed from the front, back, side, while walking, and
while sitting.
Ad
General Posture
Identify good posture. Good posture is nothing
more than keeping your body in alignment.
Good posture while standing is a straight back,
squared shoulders, chin up, chest out, stomach
in. If you can draw a straight line from your
earlobe through your shoulder, hip, knee, to the
middle of your ankleyou've got it. To find
yours:
Using a mirror, align your ears, shoulders,
and hips. Proper alignment places your ears
loosely above your shoulders and above
your hips. Again, these points make a
straight line, but the spine itself curves in a
slight 'S'. You'll find that this doesn't hurt at
all. If you do experience pain, look at your
side view in a mirror to see if you're forcing
your back into an unnatural position. If you
do not have pain, then posture should not be
altered, because this could cause other
problems.
The spine has two natural curves that you
need to maintain called the 'double C' or 'S'
curves. These curves of the back are also
called lordotic and kyphotic. A lordotic curve
is a curve in the lumbar spine, and when
there is a increases angle this is called
lordosis of the lumbar spine.A kyphotic
curve is present in the thoracic spine, but
when this cure exceeds 50 degrees it is
called kyphosis of the thoracic spine.These
are the curves found from the base of your
head to your shoulders and the curve from
the upper back to the base of the spine.
When standing straight up, make sure that
your weight is evenly distributed on your
feet. You might feel like you are leaning
forward, and you may even feel you look
odd, but you don't.
Train your muscles to do the work. Exercises
that strengthen the muscles across your upper
back and shoulders will help you to maintain
good posture. You don't need to develop a body
builder physiqueit's more important to build
"muscle memory" so that you unconsciously
and naturally maintain correct posture without
fatigue. When you lift weights, you should
exercise the agonist and antagonist muscles
evenly. This means that you should exercise
your hamstrings as much as your quadriceps,
chest as much as your back, and so on. This
will help with correct posture. Try the following,
with or without hand weights:
Exercise One
Square your posture, head upright, so
that your ears are aligned over your
shoulders.
Raise both arms straight out, alongside
your ears, palms up.
Bend forearms in and back, toward
shoulders, in an effort to touch your
shoulder blades with your fingertips.
Do ten repetitions with both arms, then
alternate ten reps for each arm
singularly.
Exercise Two
Align ears with shoulders as in Exercise
One.
Raise both arms out to sides at shoulder
height, and hold for a slow count of ten.
Slowly lower arms to sides, counting ten
as you lower.
Slowly raise arms back to shoulder
height, counting to ten as you raise
arms.
Do ten reps, constantly checking your
alignment with each rep. If ten reps are
too many to start, do as many as you
can. You should at least feel a slight
fatigue in the shoulder muscles.
Be a penguin . While you wait for a web page to
load or the bread to toast, place your elbows at
your side, and touch your shoulders with your
hands.
Keeping your hands on your shoulders and
your ears aligned, raise both elbows (count
one, two) and lower them back down (count
one, two). Do as many reps as your wait
allows. You'll be surprised how much
exercise fits into 30 seconds.
Do stretches . This can greatly help if you find
that you have a sore back or neck. It's also
good to do during the day, if your job requires
you to sit for long periods.
Tilt or stretch your head in all four directions
over your shoulders (forward, back, left,
right), and gently massage your neck. Avoid
rolling in a circle, as it may cause further
strain.
On your hands and knees, curl your back
upwards, like a cat, and then do the
opposite. Think about being able to place a
bowl in the hollow of your back.
Repeat the exercises a few times each day.
Doing them in the morning helps your body
stretch out the muscle lethargy of sleep.
Done periodically throughout the day, it will
help to raise your energy level without a
heavy workout.
Practice yoga. Yoga is excellent for posture,
and for your health in general. It can also
improve your balance. Yoga works your core
muscles, making them stronger and helping you
to keep a proper body alignment.
Yoga will also help by teaching you on how
to hold an erect posture while sitting,
standing, and walking. Look for classes in
your area, or scout YouTube for instructional
videos.
Standing Posture
Find your center . Proper standing posture is
about alignment and balance. It also lends an
air of confidence. Here are some tips for
achieving the correct upright posture:
Place your feet about shoulder width apart,
the same stance you would use for working
out or many other physical activities.
Stand up straight. This is, of course, the key
to good standing posture, and bears
repeating. As you develop good posture
habits, this will become second nature.
Keep your weight on the balls of your feet.
When you rest on your heels, your natural
tendency will be to slouch. Instead, stand
up, and make an effort to stand on the balls
of your feet. Notice how the rest of your body
follows. Now rock back so that your weight
is on your heels. Notice the way your entire
body shifts into a "slouchy" posture with this
single motion.
Keep your shoulders squared. It may feel
unnatural at first, if you have not developed
good posture habits. Like standing up
straight, however, this will become second
nature.
Pull your head back and up. Picture yourself
reaching for the ceiling with the top of your
head. Keep your head square on top of the
neck and spine as you do this. Not only will
this improve your posture, you will look
taller and leaner, too. Try it!
Teach your body what it feels like . Stand with
your back against a door or wall, with the back
of your head, your shoulders, and your butt just
touching it. If it feels awkward and
uncomfortable, don't worryas you develop
good posture habits and train your body, it will
feel uncomfortable to not stand this way.
Walking Posture
Start with good standing posture. Walking with
good posture is simply an extension of standing
with good posture. Keep your head up,
shoulders back, chest out, and eyes looking
straight ahead.
Avoid pushing your head forward.
Sitting Posture
Sit up straight! How often did your mother tell
you that? For many people, this suggestion got
filed right next to "eat your peas," or "your eyes
will stick that way." Mom was right, though
at least about your posture. Now, especially,
when so many of us sit at a desk all day, it's
important to follow these basic guidelines, both
for your posture and for your health.
If you work long hours at a desk and have
the option, use a chair that's ergonomically
designed for proper support and designed for
your height and weight. If this is not an
option, try using a small pillow for lumbar
support.
Align your back with the back of the office
chair. This will help you avoid slouching or
leaning forward, which you may find yourself
doing after sitting too long at your desk.
As with standing posture, keep your
shoulders straight and squared, your head is
upright, and your neck, back, and heels are
all aligned.
Keep both feet on the ground or footrest (if
your legs don't reach all the way to the
ground).
Adjust your chair and your position so that
your arms are flexed, not straight out. Aim
for roughly a 75- to 90-degree angle at the
elbows. If they are too straight, you're too
far back, and if they are more than 90
degrees, you're either sitting too close, or
you're slouching.
Take standing breaks. Even if you're using
perfect posture while sitting in the best chair in
the world (and it's debatable whether there is
such a thing [1] ), you need to stand up and
stretch, walk around, do a little exercise, or just
stand there for a few minutes. Your body was
not designed to sit all day, and recent studies
from the University of Sydney have found that
"[p]rolonged sitting is a risk factor for all-cause
mortality, independent of physical activity."
Keep moving!
Driving Posture
Start with good sitting posture. Not only is good
posture recommended simply for good
posture's sake, it's also important for more
practical safety concerns. Your car's seating
and protective systems were designed for
people sitting in the seat properly, and can
actually have an impact on safety in the event
of a collision.
Keep your back against the seat and head
rest.
Adjust your seat to maintain a proper
distance from the pedals and steering wheel.
If you're leaning forward, pointing your toes,
or reaching for the wheel, you're too far
away. If you are bunched up with your chin
on top of the steering wheel, you're too
close.
Adjust the head rest. The head rest should be
adjusted so that the middle of your head rests
against it. Tilt the head rest as needed, to
maintain a distance of no more than four inches
(10cm) between the back of your head and the
head rest.
Carry That Weight
Avoid unintentional back injury . Lifting and
carrying presents extra loads and balance
problems that are not part of your normal,
everyday physical structure. Lifting or carrying
objects without regard to your physiology can
cause discomfort, pain, or in some cases, real
injury. Here are some guidelines for proper
load-bearing posture:
When you're lifting something off the ground
any heavier than your cat, always bend at
the knees, not the waist. Your back muscles
are not designed for taking the weight, but
your large leg and stomach muscles are.
Use them well.
If you do a lot of heavy lifting, either as part
of weight training or as part of your job,
consider wearing a supportive belt. This can
help you maintain good posture while lifting.
Keep it tight. The closer you keep large or
heavy objects to your chest, the less you
use your lower back when carrying them.
Instead, the work is done with your arms,
chest, and upper back.
Try holding a five pound (2.26kg) sack of
flour, and hold it far out in front of you.
Now, slowly pull it closer and closer to
your chest and feel the different muscle
groups come into play as you do this.
Balance your load to prevent stress and
fatigue. If you're carrying a heavy suitcase,
for example, change arms frequently. You'll
know when.
Sleeping
Sleep soundly . While you will not be able to
consciously maintain a particular posture while
sleeping, how you sleep can have an effect on
your waking posture.
Using a firmer mattress will help by
maintaining proper back support.
Sleeping on your back will help keep your
shoulders straight, and it is usually more
comfortable for the back than sleeping on
the stomach.
If you prefer sleeping on your side, try
slipping a small, flat pillow between your
knees to help keep your spine aligned and
straight.
Use a pillow to provide proper support and
alignment for the head and shoulders. Don't
overdo the pillowstoo many, and your
head can be bent in an unnatural position;
this will hurt your posture and you'll wake
up feeling stiff, sore, and groggy.
Train Your Core Muscles
Stay in shape. To keep your entire
musculoskeletal system in tune to support your
posture, it's important to keep yourself in
shape. Try these tips:
Lie on your back, with your legs bent to
about 90 degrees at the knee, and your feet
on the floor.
Pull your belly-button towards your spine
and holding it at the end. This is a different
type of contraction than crunches (crunches
feel like they are more at the front of your
stomach, while this feels like it is more
inwards and towards your back).
Hold for ten seconds, repeat eight times.
Repeat it daily.
Maintain the proper posture even if you are
getting tired and are not using other
muscles like your back or butt muscles.
Breathe normally during this exercise, as
you are training your core to be able to
maintain this position during normal
activities in daily life.
Other Helpful Ways to Improve Posture
Think string . Always imagine that a string
coming from the top of your head is pulling you
gently up towards the ceiling. Visualization
techniques like this one can guide your sense of
proper position and height effectively.
Have someone tape a giant X on your back from
one shoulder to the opposite hip. Then put a
straight line of tape across your shoulders
closing the top of the X. Wear this during the
day, to help retrain your back. This works really
well if you hold shoulders back before taping,
use wide non stretch tape and ideally change
tape each day.
Avoid the slouch when walking. Be sure to try
to walk as if you had a book balancing on your
head.
Use color . If you need help remembering to
keep your posture, think of a unique object or
color. Every time you think of that object, check
your posture.
Focus on your calves . Let your posture and
balance rely more on your calves. Try to feel an
at ease attitude, and put a bounce in your step.
You'll find that it will free up the rest of your
upper body to relax and assume a more upright
posture that takes pressure from your back,
shoulders and neck, and works on your ab
muscles. This is awesome, since strong calves
and abs rock!





How To Become Flexible: A Practical Guide
March 23, 2012
Flexibility is one of the most underrated physical abilities a
traceur can have. There are plenty of videos focusing on a
traceurs upper body strength or ability to do flips, but rare
indeed is the video that shows a practitioner doing splits, or
even deep stretching.
This doesnt make sense. As traceurs, arent we always
trying to push our limits and isnt flexibility a way to do
that? A useful and impressive way, at that. So why not
develop it? Every traceur should be mobile. Even
powerlifters and bodybuilders can benefit from it . With that
in mind, how does one go about becoming bendy?
Note: This tutorial is written by a traceur, for traceurs.
However, the stretches listed are useful to anyone,
regardless of sport or discipline.
General
This is an entirely practical guide to flexibility. If you want
a few hundred more stretches to do and scientific details on
how stretching works, check out Jujimufus three-part
flexibility tutorial . If you just want to know the most
efficient way to become flexible, keep on reading.
Another note: Again, there are hundreds of other possible
stretches, but I know these are effective from personal
experience, as I do them regularly.
Why?
You should become flexible because
It will save you from injury.
It will help tricking immensely ; crane leaps and
precisions will be much easier.
It adds a whole new dimension to your movement.
Its easy, fun, and impressive, so why not?
How?
You should never feel actual pain for any of these
stretches. For the muscle/tendon stretches, a burning
feeling lets you know that youre doing it right. For joint
stretches like the side split progression, the feeling is odd.
Its uncomfortable, but not really painful. If a stretch ever
genuinely hurts , then STOP! No pain, no gain does not
apply to flexibility training.
When?
I like to stretch right before bed. Its relaxing and thats
generally when Im the most limber. Sometimes Ill set my
laptop on the floor and sit in front of it doing hamstring
stretches .
If youre actively trying to develop flexibility, I suggest
stretching for between ten to twenty minutes a day. If youre
just trying to maintain your current flexibility, 10 minutes
every other day should be fine, although stretching a little
every day is better.
How Long Will It Take?
Flexibility isnt something that happens overnight, nor is it
like a move that can be landed if you just try hard enough.
Ive been stretching seriously since August of 2010. It took
me about two months of 1020 minutes of solid stretching
every day to be able to achieve a full forward split, albeit
one that was still hard to do and had to be supported with
my hands. For an ability that looks so difficult, two months
is not a long time at all. It may take you a longer or shorter
time to achieve your flexibility goals, depending on your
age, genetics, and how much you stretch, but I would be
very surprised if took a reasonably fit person more than 6
months to achieve a forward split.
Now that you know the context for the stretches, lets get
to them! How about working our way from the top down?
Shoulders
Shoulder dislocations
Dont let the name fool you, shoulder dislocations are
actually good for your shoulders. They can be done with a
broom handle, a resistance band, or even just a rope (I use
tubular webbing ). The basic movement is shown in the
video above, but the stretches goes as follows:
1. Hold a broom/dowel/resistance band/rope in front of
you, with your arms spread fairly far apart; think
wide-grip push-ups or wide-grip pull-ups.
2. Rotate your arms over your head until they are behind
your back, adjusting the width and positioning of your
grip so as to not cause undue shoulder pain.
3. Bring your arms back around to the original position.
4. Repeat.
Simple but effective. I like to do these as a warm-up before
pull-ups or kong vaults.
Spine
Theres not as much need for traceurs to have extreme
spinal flexibility, but it can still be quite useful
handstands and handsprings come to mind. Bridges are
good for backward flexibility, and sitting side twists are
good for side-to-side flexibility. Side bends, which well get
to in a moment, also stretch the spine.
Bridges
The bridge technique is obvious. Gymnastics WOD has a
good series of videos on bridge progressions. Note that
when you bridge, you dont want to bend only at the lower
back, as that will quickly lead to pain and then injury. Focus
on your shoulders and upper back as well.
Side Twists
I didnt actually go to Oxford. Sadly.
Side twists are probably the easiest stretch on this list. Sit
in a cross-legged position (or any other position that holds
your legs in place). Sit up straight and slowly turn as far
around as you can; slowly, or you may strain your back. I
like to do these as a warmup before tricking.
Torso / Obliques
This is actually a pretty important, and very overlooked
aspect of flexibility. Torso flexibility is a must for aerials
and au batidos (as shown in the first picture of this article),
and nearly all twisting movements. Side bends help a lot.
Side Bends
See that face? Thats my the wind is blowing in my eyes
and the sun is blinding me face.
Stand up straight and bend to one side. Then stand up
straight again. Repeat.
Bonus effect: stronger obliques.
Hips / Legs
Hips forward, legs back split progression.
This was by far the stretch I did most frequently when I
started flexibility training, and remains the number one
stretch I do. Its easy to scale for your current flexibility,
easy to perform, and it hits the hips and the hamstrings at
the same time. Highly, highly recommended.
PVC/foam rolling.
As odd as it may sound, rolling your hips with PVC pipe or a
foam roller helps hip mobility quite a lot. Lie on the pipe or
roller and roll it up and down the joint. This makes side
split progressions much more comfortable by the process of
myofascial release .
Butterfly position.
This will open up your legs and hips like nobodys
business. Get in the position shown above. Keeping an
arched back, lean forward like youre trying to touch your
nose to your feet. While youre doing this, draw your heels
ever closer to your groin. Push down on your knees with
your hands and feel those hips open up.
Outside crescent kicks.
Outside crescent kicks are great for increasing the dynamic
(in-motion) mobility of your hips. You dont need to focus
too hard on the form as shown in the video, and you dont
need to kick particularly fast; youre not doing the kick as a
kick, youre doing it as a hip-stretching exercise.
Warning : They will also make you quite sore the first few
times you do them. PVC/foam rolling immediately afterward
is a good idea.
Side split progression.
Adjusting the stretch so that he insides of your ankles are
on the floor is what makes the stretch focus on the hip
joints. Resting on your heels is easier, but the stress is
placed on your hamstrings. Because of this, the side split
may take longer to achieve than the forward split.
Toe Touches.
Actually touching your toes is optional, but its a convenient
way to measure your progress.
These are the standard hamstring stretches you always see
recommended for hammie flexibility. Yawn-inducing, but
effective. I still prefer the pushing-the-hips-forward stretch,
mainly because it hits the hips at the same time.
If you do the one-legged variations, make sure you do
equal amounts of stretching per leg. Lopsided flexibility is
just strange.
Knees
The knees are the bane of many a traceur. Just about any
bad landing will place more stress on the knees than
anywhere else, which is why its important to condition your
knees to be able to take that kind of stress because it will
happen. You will land a front flip or jump in an ass-to-
ground squat (ATG) at some point. Therefore, do a lot of
ATG bodyweight squats as preparation. This video has a
very good explanation of the basic bodyweight squat. If you
cannot perform the ATG squat, squat down as deep as you
can with good form and hang out there, like Im doing in the
picture.
Aim to be able drop into a one legged squat position (also
known as a pistol squat). If you can perform a freestanding
pistol squat without support and without pain, youll be in
good shape regarding both knee flexibility and leg strength.
Ankles
Titanium Ankle Exercises
While these exercises are meant more to condition your
ankles, they help mobility as well.
Rotations.
Slowly but forcefully move your ankles around in circles.
Curl your toes, point them, curve them inward, curve them
outward, pull them back towards your shin. Since youre
probably sitting, try it right now! (Unless youre at a
standing desk. ) These stretches are especially good to do
at work or in school, when youre spending most of the day
sitting anyway. A flexible shoe that lets your toes point
freely, like Feiyues or Puma Faas 500s , will make these
much easier.
Wrapping things up
Whether youre primarily a traceur, freerunner, tricker,
bodybuilder, or powerlifter, there is absolutely no reason to
neglect flexibility training. Its easy, its useful, its fun,
and its impressive. Whats not to like?
Alan
Flexibility in motion.






How To Get Flexible Fast (yes its really possible and
safe)
Most of us could stand to be a little more flexible, and some
of us more than just a little!
tight hamstrings or shoulders
feeling stiff and immobile
random aches and pains
restricted physical movement
All of these things are common symptoms of poor
flexibility.
If you struggle with being less flexible than youd like to be,
youre not alone.
Chances are, this is not the first article youve read on
getting more flexible , and you may have even have tried,
and are continuing to try to stop feeling so tight and bound
up.
The problem with most flexibility programs/articles is they
present a cookie-cutter approach for everybody in general.
And they have to, because its difficult to prescribe a
specific approach if you dont understand an individuals
particular needs and current condition.
The trick to getting flexible fast is figuring out what you
need to work on in particular and getting the job done
efficiently. It takes a bit of self-reflection and assessment
but youll make much better gains than just following
someone elses routine.
In this article, Ill show you four simple steps to rapidly
improve YOUR flexibility.
Why Pressuring Yourself Wont Improve
Your Flexibility or Athletic Skill
It seems that as people begin and continue on with their
exercise and fitness regimens, they always feel as if they
should work on their flexibility, even if they already have a
dedicated practice in place.
Why is that? Is it because everybody says you should?
If so, well, thats not a very good reason . And maybe you
dont have to spend so much time on your flexibility after
all.
It seems strange for us to say that, since flexibility training
is a big part of our programs here at GMB. But if you are
getting through your day and your recreational activities
without sensations of stiffness or tightness, then you
probably dont need to make flexibility training your top
priority.
If however, you do feel stiffness or tightness and cant
seem to put your shoes on in the morning without some
serious effort, then some flexibility training may be exactly
what you need.
Below, Ill show you how to improve your flexibility quickly
(and safely). It just requires having focus, motivation, and
ironically, a lot of patience.
4 Steps to Getting Flexible Fast
In our hectic lifestyles, going from home responsibilities to
work responsibilities and back again, we barely have time
to get a regular workout routine in.
Its hard enough to find even 45 minutes for the whole
training session, let alone another 20 minutes or so to
stretch out where we need to.
Instead of wasting time with inefficient, cookie-cutter
routines, follow these steps:
1. Figure Out Your Flexibility Goal
First of all, lets clarify why you want to stretch and work
on your flexibility. There are a lot of reasons floating around
out there as to why you should stretch.
1. Decrease soreness after a workout
2. Decrease risk of injury
3. Improve performance
4. Improve range of motion
5. Reduce pain
Actually, it may be surprising you to learn that the benefits
of stretching are controversial and far from conclusive. In
fact there is a fair amount of evidence that stretching isnt
as helpful as youd think for decreasing pain and chance of
injury.
In this exhaustive article the author eventually comes to the
conclusion that stretching is only good for improving
flexibility and it feels pleasant.
Well, frankly those are the only reasons to stretch!
Our stance on flexibility work at is that if you cannot
actively attain a position youd like, then you need to find a
way to get to that range of motion.
Yes, it really is that simple.
This is a great movement to practiceif your main goal is
to get good at yoga. But if that isnt your goal, you may
need to reconsider what youre working towards with all
this stretching.
So how do you know if you need to stretch?
If you have poor form in a handstand because your arms
dont fully raise above your head, then you need to
stretch.
If you want to play with your kids but you have trouble
getting down on the floor because youre too tight, then
you need to stretch.
As weve said before, you have to find your right
motivation .
Many people may tell you that you MUST stretch for a
variety of reasons, but dont worry about it. Instead, focus
on the motivating factor for you.
Find your own personal reason, as that will get you to your
objective much quicker and take you much further than
some other contrived justification.
2. Determine Whats Holding You Back
(where are you most stiff?)
Once you have that goal in mind, youll next want to find
out what in particular is hindering you from achieving it.
And its much more than I have to stretch out more. Sure
you do, but do you know what you need to stretch?
Everything? Well, that would take a pretty long time!
It may be that you have a difficult time bending forward to
touch your toes, and that would naturally make you think
that your hamstrings are too tight but there are quite a few
other things that could be restrictors as well, such as your
low back, hip flexors, glutes, etc.
So youll need a good way to quickly assess what is
specifically binding up your movement.
I developed a series of Basic Assessment Positions that
cover the whole body and lead you to find your tightest
positions.
Youll start by working on those primary restrictions, as
resolving those tends to help everything else as well. Its
like untangling a rope once you find the primary knot, the
rest unravels pretty easily.
The stretching you do will now be more efficient and is the
best use of your time, since youll be working on the most
important stretches for your needs.
3. Get Flexible Faster By Slowing Down
The difficulty in trying to get flexible as quickly as possible
is that most people need to tone it down.
You dont improve stretching tolerance by going so far that
it hurts.
In fact, that would likely impede your progress. It is both a
reflexive and conscious action to draw back from a painful
stimulus.
The inability to move in a certain range of motion because
of tightness can be related to several factors :
Soft tissue scarring (actual structural adhesions
preventing motion)
Joint hypomobility (restrictions at the joint itself due to
injury or congenital factors)
Higher resting muscle tone (the muscles resistance to
stretch at rest)
The first two factors are best addressed by consulting a
professional in person, but the last leads to the reason why
most people need to go a bit more slowly in their stretching
regimen.
Muscle Tone, Not Intensity Determines Your Flexibility
Gains
Though there are some medical conditions that can cause a
very high muscle tone, most of us just have varying degrees
of the level, and this explains why some people are
naturally more or less flexible than others.
Its only natural to go for intensity when you are exercising
and are focused on a goal.
This is great for pushing through fatigue to build stamina
and endurance but for improving flexibility, fighting this
natural tone is a losing battle.
Instead, you are better off coaxing your body into improved
flexibility.
Easing into it rather than going hardcore is going to get
you better results. Heres why:
Across the board, clients that have listened to this advice
are achieving much better success.
I took my time and really focused on Jarlos advice
about not pushing. Toward the end I began to feel how
my muscles would resist straight pushing but relax into
softer rhythmic pushing cycles letting me get deeper. A
very nice session.
- Kevin K.
There are periods of time where really pushing yourself
harder into the stretched position is useful, but these are at
more advanced levels of flexibility training.
And by no means will it be the majority of your training,
they are done a small percentage of the time to make a
small percentage of gains. If you feel so tight that you have
trouble touching your toes, you definitely dont need to be
doing this style.
4. Follow Your Plan As Consistently As Possible
Youve now figured out your personal goal, identified your
restrictions, and improved your approach to stretching by
toning it down. The last, but not least, thing to do is to
follow a consistent plan of attack and do it as regularly as
you can.
Your plan has been formed from your personal goals and
mobility restrictions.
For example, in our stretching program there are sample
routines for people that are stuck at a desk all day at work
and want to counteract that posture and improve their hip
and back flexibility, and for runners that need some extra
work to keep their running technique perfect and efficient.
Those are just a couple of examples of the various plans
that are made based on an individuals personal situation.
The gains from this plan build up from session to session
and thats a matter of consistent practice and giving your
body a chance to adapt to those gains.
Getting Specific with Your Stretching Routine
The answers to what you need to do to improve your
flexibility lie within you and your current condition and
specific needs.
The BAP! Diagnostic teaches you exactly how to determine
where you need the most work. (Its also fun to say.)
And thats why getting a baseline assessment of your
abilities is important for creating a program that is fully
customized for you.
Purchase your customizable stretching program
Retaining Your Flexibility Once You Have It
Actively explore your range of motion and your body will
adjust to a new normal set point.
You may have experienced the phenomenon of improved
range of motion at the end of one workout, only to have it
nearly disappear the next time you work on your stretching.
It doesnt do you any good to make a change only to lose
ground again. This certainly wont get you where you want
faster if you are getting pushed backwards again and again.
This may happen to people because of the bodys natural
tendency to revert to what it perceives as the normal
condition. Our bodies are actually averse to big changes in
short periods of time.
Homeostasis and the set point theory indicate that our
bodies like the status quo.
And big swings away from your current condition can set
off alarm bells. Its one of the reasons behind yo-yo weight
changes where people lose or gain a bunch of weight only
to revert back to their previous condition again.
A great way to prevent this from happening is getting your
body accustomed to this new flexibility.
Actively explore your movement in and out of new ranges of
motion and your body will interpret this as a new normal.
This is more than just contracting your muscles in that
stretched position.
You should take some time to concentrate and go slowly in
and out of the new positions. Doing this in a variety of ways
and really exploring your movement will reinforce your
flexibility improvements and help you keep the gains in your
range of motion.
To Get Flexible, You Have to Get Started
It can be difficult to know where to start with flexibility
training. Theres a tremendous amount of information out
there, and much of it is conflicting. Do this, dont do that,
its enough to stop you before you even begin.
Well, the four steps outlined above will help you get to
where you want to go. Heres a quick review:
1. Determine your real flexibility needs
2. Figure out where youre most stiff
3. Be patient and consistent with your flexibility work
4. Stick to a stretching plan (dont try to wing it)
One thing that wont work is doing nothing.
You simply cant expect to improve your flexibility by sitting
around wishing you could do a split. You have to get started
if you want to get results.