Do you have chronic back pain?

Have you consulted with doctors and therapists, but nothing seems to help?

Try stretching. Many people have experienced relief from chronic back pain by re-balancing their body with a proper stretching program.

Basic stretches to improve your flexibility focus on your body’s major muscle groups: calves, thighs, hamstrings, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders. It’s also a good idea to stretch your feet and your hands to help alleviate pain.

Warm up first by walking while gently pumping your arms, or do your favorite exercise at low intensity for five minutes.

Instead of the traditional static stretching where you hold each stretch for 30 seconds, I prefer a method of stretching called Active Isolated Stretching (AIS).  AIS was developed by Aaron Mattes over 30 years ago and has been used successfully by people of all walks of life, from college and pro athletes to people in rehabilitation.  As a matter of fact, I recently met Aaron at a Big Ten University Track and Field event where my daughter was participating. He explained to me that his method of stretching improves many aspects of our health – from increased range of motion to better balance and power.

So here are some of the mechanics …

Ø Identify the muscle to be stretched

Ø Stretch muscle and hold the stretch for 1 to 2 seconds and then release

Ø Return to your starting position and then repeat

Ø Perform each stretch up to ten repetitions for each muscle

Ø For best results, increase your range of motion for each subsequent repetition

Other helpful tips …

Don’t bounce. Bouncing as you stretch can cause small tears (micro tears) in your muscle, which leave scar tissue as the muscle heals. The scar tissue tightens the muscle even further, making you even less flexible — and more prone to pain.

Focus on a pain-free stretch. If you feel pain as you stretch, you’ve gone too far. Back off to the point where you feel tension, but not pain, then hold the stretch for 1 to 2 seconds.

Relax and breathe freely. Don’t hold your breath while you’re stretching. Relaxing is key to getting a good stretch.

Stretch both sides. Make sure your joint range of motion is as equal as possible on each side of your body.

Stretch before and after exercise. Light stretching after your warm-up followed by a more thorough stretching regimen after working out works well for me. Although the AIS method of stretching does not require you to warm up, I like to warm up before stretching because it loosens up my muscles and joints. However, I do not warm up when I stretch during my normal daily activities.

In addition to stretching major muscle groups, stretch muscles and joints that you routinely use at work or play. Sport-specific stretching prepares your muscles for a particular sport or activity. For example, if you frequently play tennis or golf, working in a few extra shoulder stretches loosens the muscles around your shoulder joint, making it feel less tight and more ready for action.

If You Are Injured …

Please note: If you have an injury or any type of recurring soreness, see a doctor or health care provider now. These stretches are not intended to cure serious problems. If you have the symptoms of a repetitive strain injury, some damage has already been done. If you do not take the right steps, damage could be permanent.

Action steps for today …

Start stretching today. If you haven’t stretched in a while, start slow. Even if you start with 5 minutes a day, it will have a profound effect on your overall health and well being.

Start with this simple stretch and do it daily. While sitting at your desk at work or while watching TV, just slowly turn your head and shoulders as far you can to look behind you. As you turn, keep your spine tall and straight. Hold for 1 to 2 seconds and then release. Return to your starting position and then repeat up to 10 times for each side. Remember to increase the range of motion for each repetition.

This stretch feels great and will also help release tension in your back, which can come from prolonged sitting.

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions so go ahead and leave your comments –I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.

It’s important for you to know that this blog was created for you.  The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments. 

Although the information in this blog will benefit people of all ages, this blog is dedicated to over 40 fitness, so I’d especially love to hear from those who are over 40.

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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Flexibility is one of the most ignored aspects of our overall health. By improving your flexibility you can reduce your risk of injury both in everyday life and in sports, such as golf.

Improved flexibility helps maintain healthy muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Stretching will improve posture, agility, and range of motion. I know that stretching can be one of the most boring forms of exercise, so I will explain below how you can save time and fit it into your daily routine.

There are different stretching techniques that can be used depending on what you want to achieve. Since one of the goals of this blog is to educate you and not simply feed you information, I will briefly explain the different types of stretching techniques…

Stretching 101

·          Self Myofascial Release

This form of stretching is great for getting rid of “knots” in your muscle tissue by applying gentle force using a firm foam roller. I’ve used this method and it’s a little uncomfortable while you’re doing it, but it feels great when you are done.

·          Static Stretching

This is the method that most people think of when someone mentions stretching. It’s when you take the muscle to the point of tension and then hold it for a minimum of 20 seconds. And yes there is a scientific reason for the 20 second minimum.  The technical term is called “autogenic inhibition.” But that’s not important. What’s important is that your body has a built-in mechanism that prevents the muscle from being stretched too far, but it takes about 20 seconds before that mechanism kicks in.

·          Active Isolated Stretching

This method of stretching was developed by Aaron Mattes and involves holding a stretch for only about 2 seconds and then repeating for 5-10 repetitions. This is my favorite form of stretching, especially for a pre-activity warm-up.

This form of stretching will also save you time and it can also be enjoyable. The reason why it can save you time is because you can do it anywhere. If you sit at a desk you can stretch throughout the day and no one will even notice since you only hold the stretch for about 2 seconds.

I will cover the details of this type of stretching in future posts. You won’t want to miss it, so come back often. In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about this type of stretching now, just leave your comments and I’d be happy to cover it in more detail.

·          Dynamic Stretching (sometimes called ballistic stretching)

This method of stretching is great for pre-activity warm-ups.  It involves moving the body in a full range of motion, such as rotating your body at the hip. You see athletes doing this type of stretching all the time. For example, many baseball players stretch this way, just before going up to bat.

I like this type of stretching as a warm-up. For example, before I do yard work or any other type of activity that may require flexibility.  I know most people don’t think of warming up and stretching before doing non-exercise related activities, but think about… doing so may reduce the risk of injury. So the next time you need to move that heavy couch, spent a few minutes warming up and stretching.

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions, so go ahead and leave your comments. I’d love to hear from you!  Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.

It’s importance for you to know that this blog was created for you.  The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments. 

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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