Stretching

[Mia.]

I used to be heavily active in tae kwon do and had reached a heightened ability to stretch, and I've set out to get that back. I used to be able to do side splits, scissor splits, extreme supine stretch, etc. It's been a few years, but I want that ability back as well as to strengthen my upper body.

I know the basics of stretching, and I'm looking to build my knowledge base. Do you know creative ways to stretch? How do you do it? What have you found helpful? Before? After? Methods and philosophies? Foods/nutrition that make a difference? I'm interested in any and all knowledge on stretching. I'm an INFP so I tend to be flaky as well - pointers on how to incorporate it into one's everyday routine, stay disciplined with it, etc. would be great. Thanks everybody!

 

[King sns]

I used to be heavily active in tae kwon do and had reached a heightened ability to stretch, and I've set out to get that back. I used to be able to do side splits, scissor splits, extreme supine stretch, etc. It's been a few years, but I want that ability back as well as to strengthen my upper body.

I know the basics of stretching, and I'm looking to build my knowledge base. Do you know creative ways to stretch? How do you do it? What have you found helpful? Before? After? Methods and philosophies? Foods/nutrition that make a difference? I'm interested in any and all knowledge on stretching. I'm an INFP so I tend to be flaky as well - pointers on how to incorporate it into one's everyday routine, stay disciplined with it, etc. would be great. Thanks everybody!

Hmm... Well this is interesting but I'm kind of wondering why someone would be so interested in stretching. Mental reasons? Physical? I do other physical activity but am quite dreadful at the stretching unless I need to correct my back or the muscles are so tight that it's bothering me.
I'm not really sure about the benefits except that I imagine it opens up all kinds of pathways in the body to help you function better overall in your daily life and all kinds of spiritual stuff- helps you relax and meditate. I'm interested in finding out more about that end of things.

 

[Lexicon]

Hmm... Well this is interesting but I'm kind of wondering why someone would be so interested in stretching. Mental reasons? Physical? I do other physical activity but am quite dreadful at the stretching unless I need to correct my back or the muscles are so tight that it's bothering me.
I'm not really sure about the benefits except that I imagine it opens up all kinds of pathways in the body to help you function better overall in your daily life and all kinds of spiritual stuff- helps you relax and meditate. I'm interested in finding out more about that end of things.

http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/a/stretchbasics.htm


In short, short, I guess stretching protects your muscles and joints from strain during activities. I know it reduced my lingering back pain by a significant degree after I fractured my T-7. I imagine there are some psychological benefits in focusing, breathing, etc, as well.

 

[Mia.]

Yeah.... for me it definitely was a mental thing as well as a physical thing. In tae kwon do it is important for the ability to kick over one's head. My instructor would place flags hanging from the ceiling and have us practice touching them with our toes. Progressively, the only way to hit the highest one would be to essentially do the splits in kick form.

Physically it feels incredible.... very liberating, and it enhances one's ability to do tasks, lessens pain, and after time makes the muscles feel elongated and healthier (at least to me), and factors into technique for my sports/exercise interests (TKD and dancing). Mentally it is challenging, and requires concentration. Once one is able to break into the side splits and roll back and forth like a rolling pin it's just plain fun, as well.

 

[1487610420]

Tchariot!

Yeah.... for me it definitely was a mental thing as well as a physical thing. In tae kwon do it is important for the ability to kick over one's head. My instructor would place flags hanging from the ceiling and have us practice touching them with our toes. Progressively, the only way to hit the highest one would be to essentially do the splits in kick form.

Physically it feels incredible.... very liberating, and it enhances one's ability to do tasks, lessens pain, and after time makes the muscles feel elongated and healthier (at least to me), and factors into technique for my sports/exercise interests (TKD and dancing). Mentally it is challenging, and requires concentration. Once one is able to break into the side splits and roll back and forth like a rolling pin it's just plain fun, as well.

For realz. Good old days.

What I'll do on occasion [lazy] is do a slight warm up, stretch torso, arms, legs, like during a normal training, and then add some push ups in various different hand positions [for different muscles], squats, and abs, to maintain an overall core muscle tone.

 

[INTP]

Stretching should be done before and after training. Kinda hard to explain how to stretch all muscles properly with words, would need an video for that and cba to make one

 

[Mia.]

Stretching in water is actually quite fun as well.

 

[INTP]

http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/a/stretchbasics.htm


In short, short, I guess stretching protects your muscles and joints from strain during activities. I know it reduced my lingering back pain by a significant degree after I fractured my T-7. I imagine there are some psychological benefits in focusing, breathing, etc, as well.

That link said no bouncing, we used to stretch/relax some muscles like that in shorinji kempo(also doing similar thing to legs), but we also made some yoga type stretching and ofc physical workout. I think tye bouncing thing is good, but isnt good alone

 

[ilikeitlikethat]

I have a whole list of stretches I do that were given to me as both a warm up and a warm down for my work out in late 2009/early 2010, I think I still have that piece of paper.

Because of that I stretch my;

Chest
Back Of Shoulder
Triceps
Upper Back
Quads
Inner Thighs
Calfs
Hamstrings

I'm meant to hold each stretch for 7 - 10 seonds but I just hold them for 10 seconds.

I do all that, before my 15 leg raises and my 15 stomach crunches concuding the ritual I do religiously before and after my work out.

I pulled my back muscle at the end of last summer, I had to learn more stretches, and Pilates and a little bit of Yoga.

Bridging
Cat Stretch
'Lying face down, clench your buttocks together then lift your leg towards the ceiling keeping your knee straight'
Squating
Corset
Lower Back
Lower Back Roation
and this other one, that I don't know the name of and haven't got the page, I have 3 sheets of stretches, 1 from 2009/2010 and 2 from Summer 2011, but can only find one of the two 2011 ones - It's a cool stretch and I know how to do it, I just can't reference it, atm.

 

[Werewolfen]

I have Bob Anderson's book on Stretching and it has probably every conceivable stretch for any body part. It's very thorough and concise.

http://www.amazon.com/Stretching-20th-Anniversary-Revised-Edition/dp/0936070226

You can preview a good bit of the book here>

http://books.google.com/books?id=y5FKsFUbk9YC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

I bought mine in a used bookstore for $5.00 but as old as it is every library should carry it.

It's also downloadable in PDF

It's like an encyclopedia on stretching.

 

[federal]

stretching is important for people of all ages!One of the greatest benefits of stretching is that you're able to increase your range of motion,which means your limbs and joints can move further before an injury occurs.Post-exercise stretching can also aid in workout recovery,decrease muscle soreness,and ensure that your muscles and tendons are in good working order.