Stretching is not for cowards
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Stretching is not for cowards

Do you love to train, do you love to be challenged, do you love to push yourself or be pushed to the max? To start running every time you exercise? Do you love to get a flying sweat, heart rate pumping and your muscles on fire as you challenge your body and mind?

Okay, okay, you get the idea. After all, who doesn’t like the satisfaction that comes from a tough training session?

It is a feeling of personal power that is difficult to overcome.

Now what about stretching? I’m lovin ‘it? If you’re an intensity junkie like most of my clients, then I guess stretching is on your ‘I’ll really do it someday’ list. Who has time to stretch when you could do 3 extra sets of weights, squeeze another mile on the treadmill, or take 5 minutes for coffee before heading back to the office?

I myself belonged to the ‘I’ll do it later’ brigade.

‘Extension? I’ll do it when I get home.’

‘Or I’ll do a whole half hour tomorrow’

‘Or next week I’ll get to the gym half an hour early so I can fit in.’

Never happened. This is what happened: I would get to a certain point with my training and then I would have to back off because I was constantly tense or sore and needed to wait until my body recovered. One of my shoulders was starting to round forward in an unattractive and permanent way, and I was constantly experiencing pain in my left hip and lower back. The entire left side of my body was becoming noticeably shorter than the right.

And you? Maybe it’s nothing so bad. A nuisance here, a sore neck there. The occasional sharp twinge in the knee. Mild low back pain that comes and goes. Or maybe you feel regular pain, but just get over it.

‘He’s going to go, you tell yourself.’

‘It’s not so bad actually.’

Well, maybe not yet, but why would you want to wait and see if it gets any worse? It doesn’t matter what your goal is: if you train regularly and bring your body to a state of collapse, then you need to counter it with proper recovery. Exercise recovery, that is, not a few drinks after work!

You need to stretch.

There is something else here that you may not realize. Stretching isn’t a waste of time—it won’t take away from the opportunity to lose a little extra weight or do a few more reps. See it as an investment in your ability to perform with greater ease and skill in the future.

Stretch stretch stretch!

Still not convinced?

MY TOP 8 REASONS TO STRETCH

1. Your body will stop you if you are not agile. This is to prevent injuries.

2. You will reduce muscle and joint pain

3. Your stomach muscles will work more effectively and flatten faster

4. Tight, short, thick muscles don’t feel good and don’t look good.

5. You will improve blood flow to the brain, helping you focus and have energy.

6. You will balance stress and sleep and wake hormones

7. Your digestion will improve

8. Flexible muscles look longer, leaner and more toned

Start stretching today.

AS IT DOES?

Things have changed. Lying on your back doing static (non-moving) stretches can be relaxing, but it’s not super effective. Your muscle fibers run in diagonal patterns. This means that you need to stretch in a variety of patterns. There are generally 3 main directions you should stretch:

1. front-back

2. Side-side

3. Rotate

I call this 3D stretching.

If you’re lucky enough to have a TruStretch cage (made popular by Gary Gray, one of America’s top conditioning coaches and advisor to the LA Lakers) in your gym, your task is simple.

Just stand inside and follow the diagrams. You really can’t go wrong.

If you don’t have access to a TruStretch, you can use a bar, the edge of a wall, or anything handy. To stretch in 3D, you have to make sure to move through all 3 directions in each.

FOR EXAMPLE: ISBIOTICS STRETCHING

Start with one leg on a bar/chair/table/TruStretch in front of you. Pull your toes in toward your body and lean in until you feel your legs stretch. This is front-back. Next, turn your body to one side. Continue leaning forward. Do both sides. This is side by side. Finally, as you continue to ‘feel’ the hammy stretch, rotate your torso until you are looking over one shoulder. Do both sides. You have now completed your first 3D stretch!

You can do this with any body part: just move your hands to use different bars inside the cage and change the angle of the stretch, or if you’re not using a TruStretch, rotate your body in different directions (slowly). If you find it hard to keep your balance, try using a partner or a wall for support.

HOW LONG TO STRETCH?

There are different schools of thought in this area. My recommendation is to hold each phase of the 3D stretch for at least 10 seconds. However, if you’re particularly tense, can handle the stretch, and are stretching a large muscle group, I’d suggest holding each phase for 30 seconds. Smaller (or more vulnerable) areas like the neck may not require as much time. You know you’ve held on long enough when you feel the muscle start to “give”.

WHAT OTHER THING?

3D stretching is based on the principle that every time you move a part of your body, you affect and enhance the stretch. This even applies to moving the eyes. The next time you’re holding a stretch, try looking to the side as far as you can without your head. You are creating a neural command to rotate and this will affect muscle tension without even moving your body! You can also try twisting your foot back and forth by holding certain stretches.

SUMMARIZING

To improve the way you look, feel, and function (both physically and mentally), stretch every day! 3D stretching is the way to go, just keep it moving. Don’t worry about doing it wrong, if you feel a stretch, it’s working. If you need help, enlist the services of a personal trainer from Chek (http://www.chekinstitute.com). You can also try stretching in a class setting, such as yoga or body balance. That way you can’t just run away and tell yourself ‘you’ll do it tomorrow’!

STILL NOT CONVINCED?

I’ve been an intense exercise addict for years, and never enjoyed (or really enjoyed) stretching. After finally getting enough constant tension and pain in my left hip and lower back, I started stretching 3-4 times a week. My running speed has improved by about 1 mile per mile and I can run comfortably every day if I choose to (which I usually don’t!), whereas before I needed a minimum 3-4 day recovery. My hip and lower back pain – just a mild twinge where once it was a constant nuisance and inhibitor.

Stretch, people, stretch!

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