Very few of our members want to stretch, we get it. It’s a bit dull, you need to relax and try to be patient and still, and it often doesn’t feel that good until it’s over.
Plus – patient and still? Who goes to the gym to be patient and still?
Well, those of us that don’t want to wait for problems to arise before addressing them. Those of us who want to keep our bodies doing cool, fun things for a long time to come. Those of us who might feel something weird happening at one of our joints or muscles and who want to put the effort into figuring out how to make it better.
With our new dedicated stretching program on Wednesdays, we are striving to achieve a balance between our strength and our flexibility. Too much of one, without balance from the other, often leads to problems. Stretching encourages the body and the joints to move through their full ranges without any resistance. There is no impact involved or additional weight, making it a very good situation for slow movement that goes beyond the low to mid-ranges of motion that our bodies tend to stay with during daily activities. Our joints were made to move primarily through their mid-ranges of motion, but it is both healthy and important to move them closer to end ranges on a regular basis to maintain range of motion.
During our stretches we will place emphasis on ensuring the body is in the right position and ensuring that we are using the right muscles to stabilize in those positions. In other words, making sure that we maintain proper posture throughout all the movements. Focusing on things like having a neutral spinal position, always working from core to extremities, not just locking out your joints but making sure to contract the muscle around those joints, etc.
Sometimes exercise routines and sports are highly specialized, exaggerating the development of a few specific abilities that only represent a small portion of our broader range of movement. There are so many ways to move our bodies, but even fitness enthusiasts tend to find the one way they like to move or movements that they are really good at and then stick to doing only those things. Instances of injuries, resulting from either under use due to NO movement, or overuse due to specialized movement, are predictable from this perspective. Stretch and Mobility training can be a bridge to help offset either of these opposing problems. For someone who is brand new to exercise, stretching can provide a movement experience that isn’t overwhelming. For someone involved in the highly specialized movements of certain sports or exercise, stretching can offer the VARIETY of movement that can help prevent the limiting of range that increases the risk of injury.
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