Stretch for life'Stretch for life' is the name I have given to my stretching programme. The name underlines the importance as I see it of incorporating stretch into our daily life. I believe it is one of the most important exercises we should peform, not just to remain flexible but healthy too. Stretching releses the tension in muscles and strengthens them; it increases mobility in joints, relieving stiffness and it opens up energy pathways within the body. Energy flows around our body along channels to every part of our body but if it becomes impeded, it slows, stagnates and is likely to have a detrimental affect on us physically. This energy is sometimes called Chi energy but I think of it as blood flow, nerve impulses, hormones or chemicals; it is everything that keeps us alive and full of energy. These energy pathways have to cross over joints and at these places the energy can often get trapped because there is reduced freedom in the joint. There are three types of joint in our body: fibrous or immovable joints; cartilaginous joints and synovial joints.
Fibrous – immovable joints are where no movement between the joint is possible i.e. the sutures or joins between our skull bones.
Cartilaginous joints are flexible joints but have restricted movement, such as the bones in the vertebral column.
Synovial joints are freely movable joints such as the shoulder and elbow.
If we want to enjoy life as we get older, we need to take care of ourselves whilst we are young. We need to 'Stretch for life'. Stretching forms the central part of yoga but you don’t have to practice yoga in order to stretch and you don’t have to go to classes to learn it. It can be done indoors or out and its not hard work.
The most important thing about stretch is that you feel it and focus upon the effect it is having upon you. Many people stretch mechanically, forcing their limbs and torso to go where they want but this type of stretch is just as likely to cause micro tears in muscle tissue, especially if the muscles are not warmed up before hand. Stretching is often seen as a form of warm up but it will be of little use it not done correctly.
To perform an effective stretch, you need to do three things. 1) Do it slowly 2) focus on the stretch and 3) be aware of your breath. A very simple stretch is putting your palms together and raising them above your head as far as you can reach and then separating your palms until only your fingertips are in contact. The first thing you will feel is your chest muscle’s expanding and this is great but focus on the effects of this stretch along the entire length of your body because when you stretch like this, you are stretching from your feet up to your fingertips; and remember to breath. You may feel tension in your hips or spine, in your shoulder blades and even in your wrists. Be aware of all these sensations and then as if some invisible force is pulling at your fingertips, allow the stretch to go just a little further. Let your focus flow along your body and observe where it feels tight. By focusing on these areas of tightness, you allow the muscles and joints to loosen just a little bit more and then relax the stretch.
There is another way to stretch which I actually find more enjoyable than just stretching into particular positions and that is ‘free flowing stretch’. You could liken it to Tai-chi but there are no scripted movements. Simply move from one point of stretch to another without pause; be as inventive as you can and stretch into different positions with each movement. It is amazing how many positions you can move too and make sure you extend your wrists and your fingers. You don’t have to remain standing or even stay on two feet, you can stretch standing on one foot if you want. But which ever way, be sure to feel each stretch and also breathe as you movStretching and Age It is said that as we get older our muscles and joints stiffen up and this is true - if we let them! The fact is that if don't maintain our body, it will age quicker than if we do look after it. However, it is not too late, even if you've got stiff muscles and joints and if you suffer with arthritis. You can still stretch your muscles and ease the pressure on your joints but you must do it patiently and with perseverance. The problem is that once muscles have become shortened and fibrous, they don't like being stretched further than their zone of comfort and they will fight back. If you have inflamed fibrous muscles that cause you discomfort from time to time they won't like being stretched but stretch they will, if you perform a full range of stretching movements. The important thing to remember is don't just focus on one muscle group i.e. the shoulder region; stretch every muscle possible in your body and put it back into balance. It may well be that your shoulder muscles are tight and cause you pain but this is because all the muscles down that side of your body have shortened and are putting a great strain on your shoulder muscles and joints. The shoulder has to perform the widest range of movement of all the joints and therefore it is most vulnerable to breaking down because it is the most complex and of course it has a huge amount of work to do.
We are all one sided, in that one leg might be a little shorter than the other, one foot is bigger than the other, one side is stronger than the other. When we are young it doesn't matter but as we get older, take on heavy responsibilities and stop enjoying the body we live in, this one sidedness can become more pronounced and cause us painful structural problems. We have to fight back against all the pressures of life, those that weigh us down and weaken our muscles and our will. We have to 'stretch for life.' Steady focused stretching is the best way to ease our muscles back to life. It takes time but if you build stretching into your daily routine, you will feel the difference and the best bit, you will slow the aging process. Fianlly, two things to do when you 'stretch for life' 1) Where and when possible stretch out of doors (away from noise and traffic). 2) Stretch in bare feet and let your feet feel the ground beneath. I am fortunate enough to live close to the beach and although it is a pebble beach, I find it the best place to stretch and soak in the vibrant sea air. The pebbles make it more tricky and are sometimes a little painful under foot but it is like an intensive reflexology session and afterwards my feet feel light and invigorated.
Return from Stretch for life to Home Page
|
This technique of slowly does it, focus and breath should be followed with every stretch but do not try to over stretch, especially if you have not done any stretching before or if you suffer from a bad back; go gently and let your body adjust to the forces being applied. Listen to your body and find out the areas of tension; they have probably been gathering for many years so don’t expect them to disappear after a few stretches. Stretching should become a way of life and should be performed daily if you want your body to regain flexibility and with that, improved health.
