Tag: stretching

The importance of stretching according to the NY Times and some thoughts from Dr, C.

Posted on by bill
The importance of stretching according to the NY Times and some thoughts from Dr, C. All mammals stretch at one time or another.  Your family dog or cat has at one time or another. Do we need to stretch and if so, when is it appropriate, and what purpose does it serve? In the world of experts, there will always be opinions but what is their basis? Fascia and joint flexibility. Runners for many years were told to stretch to prevent injury however, years ago, the book Total Body Training by Gajda and Domingues, which is now out of print Read More »

Are there any benefits to stretching?

Posted on by bill
Are there any benefits to stretching? It has been my experience that stretching can be helpful at times.   Stretching is something all animals appear to do since movement is important to live. When your back hurts, is it because you didn’t stretch?    Can stretching improve how your back functions?   Why do some of us never stretch are flexible while others who do stretch during yoga and other disciplines have to keep doing it? If you are stiff and tight always, have you ever wondered why? Some studies from years ago showed that stretching before athletic activity had a maximum Read More »

Foam rolling for runners is supported by research and Runners World, but are we doing it correctly?

Posted on by bill
Foam rolling for runners is supported by research and Runners World, but are we doing it correctly? Runners World recently published an article in the best way to perform foam rolling for runners. Research has been showing foam rolling is effective prior to a run and improves performance as well as recovery from a run. From a chiropractic point of view, foam rolling which is essentially self-myofascial release is effective because tight fascia reduces flexibility, affects movement firing patterns, and can either enhance or adversely affect how you run.   On the other hand, so can body mechanics, running habits, the Read More »

Does stretching work? Outside Magazine examines this common practice.

Posted on by bill
Does stretching work? Outside Magazine examines this common practice. Many people stretch.   Stretching is part of Yoga and runners for years would stretch before running, although the practice has been losing fans in favor of pre-run warmup exercises. It has long been assumed that stretching improves flexibility.  While this may be true in growing children, we now know that fascia not only controls movement but also is involved in tightness.   The fascia is like an exoskeleton in the human body and is made up of hyaluronic acid which does not stretch.  Fascia can only be stretched once it is elevated Read More »

Improve your running without all that stretching.

Posted on by bill
Improve your running without all that stretching. Stretching has been part of running for many years now, but the science behind it is weak, and it will not make you a better runner according to a new article. Icing sore muscles after running activities may have harmful effects as well with less few benefits than previously thought. Foam rolling is now being used more often as a way to limber up.  Exercises that are ballistic may actually help you get faster. There are ideas that are offered in a post published in BBC Future. They offer some great ideas on Read More »