Stretching For Dummies

LaReine Chabut, Madeleine Lewis

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9780470067413
• eBook ISBN: 9781118051016
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Sport & Exercise Science
• Index: Biological Sciences

A highly practical guide to achieving great results with stretching Did you long ago learn to fear and dread stretching because of overbearing P.E. teachers who forced you to touch your toes? It doesn't have to be that way anymore. Stretching is a powerful tool that can bring you new ease of movement, an increase in your physical capabilities, and deep composure that requires you to do nothing more than breathe. You can always have access to it—and best of all, it's free!

Stretching for Dummies shows you that stretching is actually easy to do—and reveals how you can reap the amazing benefits of stretching anywhere, anytime. It explains in simple terms how you can stand taller, look thinner, keep stress from getting the best of you, keep your muscles from feeling achy, and nip injuries in the bud. You'll discover:

• The why's, where's, when's, and how's of letting loose and snapping back
• How to keep from hurting yourself
• The benefits of stretching with a partner
• How to target specific areas: such as head, shoulders, knees, and toes
• The art of breathing correctly
• How to use stretching to sooth lower back pain
• Stretches to start and end your day right
• Stretches you can do at your desk
• Stretches for various stages of life—including stretches for kids and seniors

This easy-to-use reference also includes a list of ten surprising around-the house stretching accessories, along with ten common aches and pain that stretching can help. Regardless of how old or young you are, Stretching for Dummies will introduce you to a kinder and gentler form of flexibility that will reduce that nagging tension and tenderness in your muscles and truly make you feel good all over.

Part I

The Why’s, Where’s, When’s, and How’s of Letting Loose and Snapping Back

In this part . . .

I know that you know stretching is good for you, but in Chapter 1, I cover why stretching is so good for you, and I answer all your stretching questions: When do I stretch? Why should I stretch? And how do I stretch? I also get into the science of stretching, which can lend some insight into what’s happening inside your muscles as they stretch.

Chapter 2 includes everything you need to know to get started stretching, including what props you might want to use and how much space you need. I also give you the basics of a safe stretching program, including exactly how each stretch should feel.

And finally, in Chapter 3, I show you how to test your present level of flexibility, so you can figure out your starting point for your new stretching program. I even help you understand what flexibility is and talk about what you can change (and what you can’t).

Chapter 1

Here a Stretch, There a Stretch, Everywhere a Stretch, Stretch

In This Chapter

Figuring out the benefits of stretching

Answering your common questions about stretching

Discovering the different types of stretches

Getting the most out of stretching: Partner stretching

Stretching is a powerful tool that you can always have access to and only requires a few simple movements (kind of like having your own ruby slippers). And the results can certainly be just like magic: new ease of movement, an increase in your physical capabilities, and deep composure that requires you to do nothing more than breathe.

Many of you may have been taught to fear and dread stretching by overbearing PE teachers who forced you to touch your toes. But the ideas and techniques I describe in this book were never heard in your parents’ PE class (or mine for that matter). This training is a kinder, gentler form of flexibility based on hard science and decades of practical experience. And the key insight is that stretching is not supposed to hurt!

If this book has one mission, it’s to demonstrate that stretching is easy and simple, or in other words, stretching is your friend. All the amazing benefits of stretching can be yours anywhere, anytime, without spending a dime (other than buying this book, of course). And it’s really just as easy as clicking your heels like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz!

The Why’s of Stretching

Go ahead — ask your doctor, your trainer, your physical therapist, or your chiropractor whether you should stretch. Get ready to hear the exact same answer from all of them: a resounding yes. Even though they don’t make a dime giving such advice, why would all these professionals so enthusiastically recommend stretching? The long list of amazing answers follows in this section.

You stand taller, look thinner, and your body works its best

Correct posture not only makes you look taller and thinner, but also it allows your body to perform the way it was meant to. What’s more, good posture aids dramatically in facilitating free and effective breathing.

The main enemy of good posture however is tight muscles! Stretching can help you correct muscular imbalances that lead to incorrect skeletal alignment. One cause of this kind of imbalance is using one side of your body more than the other. Times that you may do this include

Carrying your toddler on the same side of your body

Carrying your briefcase in the same hand everyday

Wearing your shoulder bag on the same shoulder

Sleeping on the same side

Using the same shoulder to cradle the phone while you’re talking

Using the same arm to put around your sweetie on a date

Such chronic imbalances can rob you of energy and efficiency in movement, or even result in back pain. So switch it up, and stretch regularly to help balance out these bad habits. Also be sure to stand up straight!

You can twist farther and feel looser

Over time, muscles naturally tend to shorten and become tight. So as you age, your ability to fully utilize movement in your body becomes compromised. Think about it: If a muscle is already in a chronically shortened state, then it can never attain its full power potential when you try to contract it because it’s already semicontracted. A tight muscle limits your range of motion, and you can easily hurt yourself.

A few words to live by: Don’t eat seafood in a month without an “R” in it, let sleeping dogs lie, and a tight muscle is a weak muscle. Ignore any of these time-tested maxims at your peril, and chances are, one way or another, you’re going to get bitten.

Stretching increases your ability to function daily — called functional flexibility. This flexibility helps dramatically increase the range of motion in your joints, which enhances your performance in your chosen sport and helps in your everyday life by making it possible for you to r...

Table of contents

• Title
• Contents
• Introduction
• Part I : The Why’s, Where’s, When’s, and How’s of Letting Loose and Snapping Back
• Part II : Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes: Targeting Specific Areas
• Part III : From the Daily Grind to Ways to Unwind: Routines to Fit Your Life and Needs
• Part IV : Getting Limber As You Live: Stretches for Various Life Stages
• Part V : The Part of Tens