Every Thursday at 3pm SLT RekoVanom will host Tao of Flexibility, he will guide us in voice through a series of stretch exercises accompanied by music and informative videos and meditation.
Time to slide these chairs to the side and start stretching!
I include here the information notecard with detailed insight on stretching and the different exercises. We gonna be in good hands!
Why You Should Stretch:
Here are the most important reasons why a flexibility program should be a part of your exercise routine:
- Stretching improves health and fitness. When combined with proper strength training methods and aerobic cardiovascular workouts such as running, stretching provides a valuable addition necessary for total fitness.
- Stretching reduces the risk of injuries. Most everyday injuries and athletic injuries are caused either by trauma (e.g. a fall or impact with another individual) or by overextending a joint, muscle or connective tissue which results in muscle pulls, sprains and strains. People who follow regular and progressive stretching programs suffer at least 50 percent fewer overextension injuries than those who do not.
- Stretching is a good warm-up and cool-down for other types of training sessions. In addition a stretching program improves neuromuscular coordination and when performed immediately after your workout, stretching will prevent soreness and promote faster physiological recovery.
- When done correctly stretching is enjoyable! Have you ever awakened in the morning and were still in bed, slowly stretched your entire body? It felt great, did it not? In fact various stretches can be performed before you get out of bed in the morning. It is a great way to prepare your body to face the day ahead!
When to Stretch:
Anyone interested in improving his or her flexibility should stretch every day for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If you can manage it, stretching three to four times per week will gradually improve your joint and muscle flexibility and daily stretching will increase your flexibility even more dramatically.
The best time for most people to stretch is just prior to their training and it should not be a haphazard affair. Before engaging in an activity many men and women do quick little stretches that are over so fast they could not possibly have warmed up their tendons and ligaments let alone enhanced their flexibility. You have no doubt seen a runner briefly stretch his or her calves before setting off for a run or a basketball player quickly stretch his or her hamstrings before going into a game but such abbreviated stretching does very little for those looking to improve their flexibility.
For a stretching program to be truly effective as a warm-up, it should last for 10 to 15 minutes and should include flexibility exercises for every part of the body. The same flexibility workout also acts as an excellent cool-down following a strenuous weight training workout. You will truly be amazed at how quickly you can recuperate if you unwind with 10 to 15 minutes of stretching after a workout.
For most of us the ideal time to stretch is in the evening an hour or two before bedtime. This will help to relieve some of the tension you have built up during the day. It may also give you a sensation termed the stretcher's high, which is somewhat akin to the endorphin rush associated with the more commonly known runner's high or the "pump" a bodybuilder experiences. In any event after a particularly effective evening flexibility workout you will find yourself pleasantly relaxed and should have no problems getting to sleep.
How to Stretch
Many people stretch too hard or bounce into a stretch losing much of the value of the exercise in the process. Correctly applied stretching is a gentle exercise and unless your pursue it gently you will lose most of the benefits it can provide.
Because it is very easy to injure yourself by overextending the range of motion of a joint or a muscle biology has provided your body with two protective mechanism. Both are specialized types of neurons. One type senses when a muscle is overstretched and indicates this fact by feeding pain signals to the brain. The second type of neuron is part of a protective mechanism called the "stretch reflex". When a stretch is sensed to be progressing too quickly the mind reflexively begins to contract the stretched muscle which then proceeds to act as a shock absorber, slowing and then halting the stretch before the muscle can be injured. This is somewhat akin to the way your thigh muscles flex to absorb the shock of landing after a jump.
When you stretch a muscle group ballistically (that is in a bouncing, jerking manner) the stretch reflex is activated and neurons serving the muscle group in question send signals to the brain to actually stop the stretch. So while it may seem that bouncing would intensify a stretch and perhaps bring faster results such ballistic stretching actually has the opposite effect. Because of the stretch reflex the stretched muscles actually shorten, preventing you from reaching a fully stretched position.
To fully stretch a muscle or joint you must slowly ease into the stretch in order to prevent the activation of the stretch reflex. In other words simply take your time easing into the stretch. Take a dozen of seconds and move slowly into a stretch to the point where you just begin to feel slight discomfort in the stretched muscle. This is the maximum point to which you should stretch. Should you attempt to stretch beyond this sensory pain periphery you can actually begin to pull tiny muscle fibers apart injuring the muscles.
Risk of Stretching Exercises
When you undertake a stretching program - regardless of your physical condition - you should try to begin very slowly as the danger always exists of injuring muscles and becoming very sore if you push too hard.
Besides that be sure to perform your exercises on a non slippery ground to avoid falling. Taking off your socks is also recommended when performing bare feet.
Beginner's Concern
Beginners should back away from the pain periphery during their first stretching efforts and hold each stretch for only 20 seconds. They should also do only one repetition of a stretch for each muscle group. From this starting point they should slowly add to the duration of each stretch until they are able to sustain it for one full minute and the severity of each stretch until they are able to hold it in the upper range of the stretching zone close to the pain edge.
Once you reach this point you can either add repetitions to a stretch or add another stretching movement for the same body part beginning with a duration of only 20 seconds.
Flexibility Exercises
The Hamstring Stretch
Emphasis: Hamstrings muscles at the back of your thighs.
Starting Position: In the basic hamstring stretch you sit on the floor, lock your legs and extend your arms overhead, clasping your hands.
Stretched Position: Keeping your legs straight, bend over and touch your hands to your feet. As you become more and more advanced you will actually be able to touch your torso to your thighs in this position.
Variation: There are three variations of this exercise. In the first the legs are spread and you bend over and grasp your legs individually with your arms. In the second you bend slightly to the side and grasp the ankle of one leg with both hands, gently pulling your torso downward. In the third version begin in a standing position and then bend over at the waist until your chin is flush against your shins.
Hamstring Stretch (with a Partner)
Emphasis: Hamstrings muscles at the back of your thighs.
Starting Position: With both legs held straight, stand on one foot and extend the other foot to be held by a partner or to rest on the top of a table or other fairly high, flat surface. In this exercise your torso should be relatively upright and your arms extend forward.
Stretched Position: Bend forward slowly and try to press your torso to your thigh. Both legs should remain straight throughout the movement.
The Hurdler's Stretch
Emphasis: The hamstrings and groin muscles.
Starting Position: Sit on the floor and extend your right leg forward, locking it straight throughout the movement. Your left leg should be bent at a 90 degree angle to your right leg and lay flat against the floor behind your body. Your torso should be upright and your arms extend directly forward and parallel to the floor.
Stretched Position: Bend forward slowly over your right leg and grasp your ankle. Gently pull your torso down until it touches your right thigh. After stretching with your right leg forward, do an equal amount of stretching with your left leg forward.
Variation: This stretching exercise can be done with one leg extended directly forward and the other held straight and extended to the side at a 90 degree angle. In another variation the sole of your left foot can be placed on the inner side of your right thigh.
Seated Groin Stretch
Emphasis: All muscles of the groin and inner thighs.
Starting Position: Sit down on the floor and bend your legs as completely as possible (ideally your heels should be right up against your pelvic structure). Position your knees close together. Grasp your knees with your hands. Be sure to keep your torso erect throughout the movement.
Stretched Position: Use your hands to push your knees apart slowly until they are as close to the floor as possible.
Lunging Stretch
Emphasis: The muscles of the hips, buttocks and front thighs.
Starting Position: Stand erect with your hands placed on the hip.
Stretched Position: Step forward with either leg and bend it fully while keeping the other leg straight. Hold this position for the required length of time and then repeat the movement for the other leg.
Variation: Lunging stretches can also be done by stepping to the side instead forward which will stretch the inner thigh muscles much more directly.
Standing Hip Stretch
Emphasis: The hip and buttock muscles.
Starting Position: Stand erect. Balancing on your right foot and with your right leg held straight throughout the movement, bend your left leg and raise your knee up until you can grasp it with your hands.
Stretched Position: Pull up on your knee gently until you have reached the maximum range of motion for your hip and buttock muscles. Do an equal amount of stretching for both legs.
Thigh Stretch
Emphasis: The quadriceps muscles (on the front of your thighs).
Starting Position: Stand erect. Balancing your left foot with your left leg held straight. Reach behind you and grasp your right ankle with your right hand.
Stretched Position: Pull gently upward on your ankle to stretch your thigh muscles.
Variation: This movement can also be done kneeling, leaning backward and bracing your upper body with your arms. In this variation you can increase the intensity of the stretch by merely bending your arms a little but be careful not to overdo it.
Calf Stretch
Emphasis: Stretches and tones all of the muscles at the back of your lower legs.
Starting Position: Face a partner or a wall and place your hands on the partner's shoulders or against the wall at your shoulder height. Move your feet backward until your right leg, torso and arms make a straight line. Your left leg should be bent.
Stretched Position: Gently press your heel down to the floor. If you can comfortably place your heel flat, put your foot back another four to six inches to intensify the stretch. Be sure to do an equal amount of stretching for each calf.
Lower Back Stretch (with a Partner)
Emphasis: The muscles of the lower back.
Starting Position: Sit down and face your partner. Spread your legs apart and press the soles of your partner's feet against your calves. Lean inward and firmly grasp hands with your partner.
Stretched Position: One partner either pulls strongly with his or her arms or leans backward to pull the other partner forward, gently stretching all of the muscles of the upper lower back. After one partner has been fully stretched switch roles.
The Side Stretch
Emphasis: Stretches the muscles of the sides.
Starting Position: Stand erect with your head upright, knees straight, feet together and arms at your side.
Stretched Position: Raise and fully extend your right arm, keeping your knees straight and bending as far as possible to the left, at the same time keeping your right arm straight and behind your head as fas as possible. Perform this exercise several times, bending alternately to the left and right.
The Back Bend
Emphasis: The spine and front thigh muscles.
Starting Position: Stand erect with your head upright, knees straight, feet together, arms stretched above and close to the head.
Stretched Position: Keeping your weight on your left foot, place your right foot forward with the heel on the ground. Keep both knees straight and bend backward - from the waist - as far as possible. Return to upright position and close your right foot to your left foot, keeping your arms stretched above your head. Perform this exercise several times with your left and right foot alternately placed forward.
Front and Back Bend
Emphasis: The spine, the back muscles and the tendons of the legs.
Starting Position: Stand erect with your head upright, knees straight, feet together and arms stretched above your head.
Stretched Position: Keep your knees straight and raise both arms so that they are above your head, then bend your body forward - from the waist - until your head touches your knees then pass the arms back until your shoulders and arms are at a 90 degree angle behind your torso. Return to an upright position, keeping your knees straight and bend your body backward from the waist as far as possible then return to upright position again. Repeat several times.
For Wrist, Ankle and Neck Flexibility
Move the hands, feet or head slowly in a circular motion for about ten times first to the left and then to the right. Repeat this exercise for each body part individually.
For Shoulder Flexibility
Keeping your head erect, slightly bend your elbows, shrug your shoulders and begin to move them slowly in a circular motion for about ten times first in one direction and then in the opposite.
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