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Who Should Stretch
Everyone
can learn to stretch, regardless of age or flexibility. You do
not need to be in top physical condition or have specific
athletic skills. Whether you sit at a desk all day, dig
ditches, do housework, stand at an assembly line, drive a
truck, or exercise regularly, the same techniques of
stretching apply. The methods are gentle and easy, conforming
to individual differences in muscle tension and flexibility.
So, if you are healthy, without any specific physical
problems, you can learn how to stretch safely and enjoyably.
Stretching can be done
any time you feel like it: at work, in a car, waiting for a
bus, walking down the road, under a nice shady tree after a
hike, or at the beach. Stretch before and after physical
activity, but also stretch at various times of the day when
you can. Here are some examples:
- In the morning before the start of the day.
- At work to release nervous tension.
- After sitting or standing for a long time.
- When you feel stiff.
- At odd times during the day, as for instance, when watching
TV, listening to music reading, or sitting and talking.
Why Stretch
Stretching, because
it relaxes your mind and tunes up your body, should be part of
your daily life. You will find that regular stretching will do
the following things:
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Reduce muscle tension and make the body feel more relaxed.
- Help coordination by allowing for freer and easier movement.
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- Increase range of motion.
- Prevent
injuries such as muscle strains. (A strong, pre-stretched
muscle resists stress better than a strong, outstretched muscle.)
- Make strenuous activities like running, skiing, tennis,
swimming, cycling easier because it prepares you for
activity; it's a way of signaling the muscles that they
are about to be used.
- Develop body awareness. As you stretch various parts of the body,
you focus on them and get in touch with them. You get to
know yourself.
- Help loosen the mind's control of the body so that
the body moves for "its own sake" rather than for
competition or ego.
- Promote circulation.
It feels good.
How to Stretch
Stretching is easy to learn. But there is a right way and a wrong way to stretch.
The right way is a relaxed, sustained stretch with your
attention focused on the muscles being stretched. The wrong
way (unfortunately practiced by many people), is to bounce up
and down, or to stretch to the point of pain: these methods
can actually do more harm than good.
If you stretch correctly and regularly, you will find that
every movement you make becomes easier. It will take time to
loosen up tight muscles or muscle groups, but time is quickly
forgotten when you start to feel good.
Breathing
Your breathing should be slow, rhythmical and under control. If you are
bending forward to do a stretch, exhale as you bend forward
and then breathe slowly as you hold the stretch. Do not hold
your breath while stretching. If a stretch position inhibits
your natural breathing pattern, then you are obviously not
relaxed. Just ease up on the stretch so you can breathe
naturally.
Counting
At first, silently count the seconds for each stretch;
this will insure that you hold the proper tension for a long
enough time. After a while, you will be stretching by the way
it feels, without the distraction of counting.
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