Post by kevinspradlin on Apr 26, 2009 16:54:46 GMT -5
I'd like to get your opinion on this article if you have time to comment...Sorry for the length. It was sent to me last week.
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Stop Stretching!
Expert Reveals Why Stretching Hurts Your Muscles
And How to Do It The Right Way
It¹s as common a morning routine as brushing your teeth, combing your hair and getting that first cup of coffee is to do some stretching, like touching our toes, the way we learned when we were kids. Stretching is a more common exercise for dancers and athletes, as well, who use complex stretching routines to prepare for extreme physical activity.
The only problem is that it¹s hurting us, and we really need to stop.
That¹s the opinion of mind and body fitness expert Anat Baniel, author of Move Into Life: The Nine Essentials for Lifelong Vitality, from Harmony Books (www.anatbanielmethod.com), who believes that stretching is an activity that is contrary to the health and longevity of our muscles.
³Muscles aren¹t meant to be stretched like that,² she said. ³Muscles are meant to contract and relax. Stretching them puts stress on them, and rips muscle fibers, forcing them to constantly repair themselves after each time you stretch. Your body¹s movement shouldn¹t cause repeated damage. It should be more harmonious, and flow naturally.²
Baniel still believes in the ritual of touching one¹s toes, but has devised a method of stretching that actually increases flexibility and motion without damaging your muscles.
³Many of us have tried to touch our toes while standing, just to discover again and again how out of reach they are for us,² Baniel said. ³My method introduces just a few variations that should make a noticeable difference.²
Stand up, spread your feet comfortably, gently bend down, and let your hands move toward your feet. Notice how far you go, with forcing, and come back to standing.
Stand, spread your legs comfortably, bend your knees a little, and put your right hand just above your right knee, on your thighs. Put your left hand just above your left knee. Then lean on you legs with the weight of your upper body resting on your hands. Begin to round you back and at the same time pull your belly in and look down at your belly. Then gently arch your back, push your belly out, lift your head, and look up. Go back and forth like this four or five times.
Come back to standing and simply bend forward and take your hands down toward your feet. Is there some change already?
Stand with your feet spread, your knees bent a little, and this time lean with both hands on your left leg, just above the knee as before. Very gently and slowly round your back and look down, then arch your back, free the belly muscles push them out and look up. Go back and forth four or five times. Then stand and rest for a moment. Feel how you stand.
Stand with your knees a bit bent and spread, and this time lean with both hands on your right knee. Very gently and slowly round your back and look down, then arch your back, free your belly muscles push the belly out and look up, Go back and forth four or five times.
Stand up with your feet spread comfortably and simply bend down and feel if you can bend more easily and father than before.
Baniel now suggests you check to see if your toes are closer to your hands.
³They should be, because the variations provided by this exercise supplied your brain the information it needed to figure out how to let go of tight muscles and tendons,² she said. ³You were able to quickly and safely accomplish much more than you might have accomplished by Œstretching.¹²
About Anat Baniel
Born in Israel, Anat Baniel (M.A. Clinical Psychology) lives and works in San Rafael, CA and has established an international reputation as one of the world's leading authorities in finding ways to access the brain to overcome pain and limitation, increase vitality, and help children with special needs make the impossible possible. Baniel is a mind/body/fitness expert who apprenticed under Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, an Israeli scientist and one of the pioneers of the mind/body movement. It was through her work with tens of thousands of people whose lives she helped transform in seemingly miraculous way, that she developed the Anat Baniel Method. Her method is designed to improve human functioning through movement with attention, variation, awareness, turning on the learning switch and more. Anat¹s approach to vital, creative, and energetic life is based not only on the all-important regimens of diet, exercise, and stress management, which many of us are already following, but upon providing the brain with what it requires for us to grow, evolve and thrive.
-------------------------------
Stop Stretching!
Expert Reveals Why Stretching Hurts Your Muscles
And How to Do It The Right Way
It¹s as common a morning routine as brushing your teeth, combing your hair and getting that first cup of coffee is to do some stretching, like touching our toes, the way we learned when we were kids. Stretching is a more common exercise for dancers and athletes, as well, who use complex stretching routines to prepare for extreme physical activity.
The only problem is that it¹s hurting us, and we really need to stop.
That¹s the opinion of mind and body fitness expert Anat Baniel, author of Move Into Life: The Nine Essentials for Lifelong Vitality, from Harmony Books (www.anatbanielmethod.com), who believes that stretching is an activity that is contrary to the health and longevity of our muscles.
³Muscles aren¹t meant to be stretched like that,² she said. ³Muscles are meant to contract and relax. Stretching them puts stress on them, and rips muscle fibers, forcing them to constantly repair themselves after each time you stretch. Your body¹s movement shouldn¹t cause repeated damage. It should be more harmonious, and flow naturally.²
Baniel still believes in the ritual of touching one¹s toes, but has devised a method of stretching that actually increases flexibility and motion without damaging your muscles.
³Many of us have tried to touch our toes while standing, just to discover again and again how out of reach they are for us,² Baniel said. ³My method introduces just a few variations that should make a noticeable difference.²
Stand up, spread your feet comfortably, gently bend down, and let your hands move toward your feet. Notice how far you go, with forcing, and come back to standing.
Stand, spread your legs comfortably, bend your knees a little, and put your right hand just above your right knee, on your thighs. Put your left hand just above your left knee. Then lean on you legs with the weight of your upper body resting on your hands. Begin to round you back and at the same time pull your belly in and look down at your belly. Then gently arch your back, push your belly out, lift your head, and look up. Go back and forth like this four or five times.
Come back to standing and simply bend forward and take your hands down toward your feet. Is there some change already?
Stand with your feet spread, your knees bent a little, and this time lean with both hands on your left leg, just above the knee as before. Very gently and slowly round your back and look down, then arch your back, free the belly muscles push them out and look up. Go back and forth four or five times. Then stand and rest for a moment. Feel how you stand.
Stand with your knees a bit bent and spread, and this time lean with both hands on your right knee. Very gently and slowly round your back and look down, then arch your back, free your belly muscles push the belly out and look up, Go back and forth four or five times.
Stand up with your feet spread comfortably and simply bend down and feel if you can bend more easily and father than before.
Baniel now suggests you check to see if your toes are closer to your hands.
³They should be, because the variations provided by this exercise supplied your brain the information it needed to figure out how to let go of tight muscles and tendons,² she said. ³You were able to quickly and safely accomplish much more than you might have accomplished by Œstretching.¹²
About Anat Baniel
Born in Israel, Anat Baniel (M.A. Clinical Psychology) lives and works in San Rafael, CA and has established an international reputation as one of the world's leading authorities in finding ways to access the brain to overcome pain and limitation, increase vitality, and help children with special needs make the impossible possible. Baniel is a mind/body/fitness expert who apprenticed under Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, an Israeli scientist and one of the pioneers of the mind/body movement. It was through her work with tens of thousands of people whose lives she helped transform in seemingly miraculous way, that she developed the Anat Baniel Method. Her method is designed to improve human functioning through movement with attention, variation, awareness, turning on the learning switch and more. Anat¹s approach to vital, creative, and energetic life is based not only on the all-important regimens of diet, exercise, and stress management, which many of us are already following, but upon providing the brain with what it requires for us to grow, evolve and thrive.