S-T-R-E-T-C-H!
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Greetings
From
Florida
Brothers
&
Sisters
STRETCH----STRETCH----STRETCH-----STRETCH-----STRETCH
Oh No…she’s going to talk about
stretching….(”I
don’t have time!”…”Hey, don’t
you know only
weekend athletes and old people
stretch!...or
how about this one.. “Real men
don’t have
to stretch!”) LOL LOL (?) I am
sure by now
you have heard one of these comments
or even
thought them a time or two…..
What is stretching?...Webster
and my Taber’s
Cyclopedic Medical dictionary
agree…”stretching
, is to draw out or extend full
length”…
In both our worlds (massage &
bodybuilding)
it is called “preparation”. Life
is all about
preparation.
Can’t have a good meal…without
preparation.
Ever fell out of bed, got in
the car, showed
up at work…without preparation...bad
career
move lol. How about working one
hot summer
day cleaning out the garage….immediately
driving over to pick up a friend
for dinner
and an evening out…possible ,Yes…Good,…NO
WAY! Your evening...just like
your workout,
will have an entirely different
outcome than
you had intended!
In our fast, instant, culture,
sometimes
the “art” of stretching, preparation,
is
looked at as something separate
from the
actual workout….in reality, it
is the beginning
and the end of a complete workout...from
a physiological standpoint. To
the degree
one stretches…one engages (stimulates,
wakes
up, gets blood flow & fluid
to) the entire
muscle mass, tendons, ligaments,
and joints.
Cats know all about this, they
are one of
the strongest and agile creatures
on the
planet…ever not see a cat stretch?
They even
lay in the sun to keep the muscles
warm and
ready. Don’t get me wrong, all
this stuff
feel awesome too…WOW , something
that feels
great and is GOOD for you… hmmm,
how long
do I have to think about that
one ?LOL LOL
(?)
Remember our “small friends”
the proprioceptors?
As a massage therapist, with
the help of
these proprioceptors , my mission
is to return
the body to a state of ease(opposite
of dis-ease)
by balancing and eliminating
the uneven pulls
on the skeleton caused by contracted
muscles.
If your muscles are not slowly
stretched
before rigorous activity….your
proprioceptors
go to “red alert”(stretch reflex)
which is
designed to prevent your muscles
and tendons
from being damaged. See how this
“holding”
will restrict and even lessen
the results
of your workout? For the TECHS:{muscle
forced
to work without proper preparation
suddenly
upsets the oxygen supply and
demand ratio
(Ischemia), unable to function
properly,
it becomes tighter and tighter
causing anaerobic
combustion….ie, pain, possible
spasm.} Spot
developing within a muscle can
lead to injury.(
A total muscle engagement workout,
through
stretching, leads to a beautifully
defined
and functioning muscle and body.
YEA!
At closing, I would like to take
a side track
for a moment, none of this is
new or “rocket
science”…it is just truth...it,
just is,
whether we believe it or not…it
will always
be. As athletes, we have a unique
opportunity
to see how our bodies, our training,
and
our faith are all connected and
working together
toward growth. We can learn countless
spiritual
lessons and truths for our everyday
lives
and our workout routines…etc…Why,
because
we are Spirit, Soul and Body.
I happen to
believe a complete workout is
one cool way
to bring all 3 together.
NOW THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN ABOUT
!
…. To be complete, whole, living
& present
in this body…ready for any good
work…
I know how busy an crazy things
can get sometimes,
thanks for sacrificing your time
to join
me today. Be Blessed in all you
do, Laura
(The Balanced Body, Donald Scheumann
A Massage
Therapist’s Guide to Pathology,
Ruth Werner)
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