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Now that my stretching classes are up and running, I’ve been reflecting a lot on what makes an effective stretching experience. My conclusion is that Time and Deliberateness (if that is a word) are the lynch-pins of good stretching.
Stretching is as much a mental exercise as it is physical. It’s as much about waiting and being patient as it is about DOING something. That makes for an interesting class, I think. Interesting in the sense that I have to remind myself not to freak out that there is a lot of still, quiet time. A lot of time in which people’s minds start racing, wondering why they’re there, wondering what they’re accomplishing. Anything? I suppose that is my job. To hold the space for that and call them back to sanity when the mind inevitably tries to sabotage the experience.
This is why teaching is essential to fully understanding what we practice, I think. It forces one to carefully consider every aspect of the endeavor.
Five things you may not know:
1. Holding a stretch is one of the least effective ways of lengthening a muscle.
2. It is possible to be just as sore after stretching as after exercising!
3. Yoga and stretching are not equivalent.
4. Increased flexibility allows increased strength.
5. Stretching your feet and improving your balance can improve your eyesight.
Very exciting, no?
Join my stretching classes! See all of the pertinent information here: Stretching Classes
Huh? Yeah, I know, it doesn’t really make sense. . . or does it?
Consider this: when you sit down to stretch your hamstrings and wait at least 20 seconds, the stretch usually lengthens, or at least becomes more ease-full. But what do you do when no amount of waiting or even pushing into the stretch (not recommended) just isn’t getting the results you want?
Physiology to the rescue! Post Isometric Relaxation (PIR) = more stretch length, and it’s easy. As you are sitting with your legs in front of you, gently engage your hamstrings. (Hint: Instead of trying to push your hamstrings into the floor, just engage your heels gently into the floor while keeping your quads relaxed.) Only use about 20-25% of your strength to do this. Hold the flex for 6-8 seconds. Relax relax your legs completely and then lean into the stretch again. Generally, you will have increased the stretch a lot! Feel free to repeat this 3 or 4 times.
Of course, your ability to achieve these results will depend on a lot of different factors and there are all sorts of subtleties and vagaries involved in getting the most out of any stretch. But play with the idea on all of your stretches and see what comes of it! I suspect you’ll be pleased.
