howtostretch

Tai Chi Classes

2011-06-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

If you live in the San Diego area, and would like to study tai chi with me, check out my page with info on the class here

Back to blogging...

2011-06-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, Yes, I know, it has been a long time. My plan is to use my blog to answer your questions. I get a lot of email, there is some overlap in the questions asked, so, if you have a question, I will answer it here. The info may help other folks, too, and also save me some time by writing the info just once.

Email me at howtostretch@howtostretch.com. I will use your initials, if you like, your question can be anonymous. Just let me know when you email me.

Holiday Sale!

2010-10-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Holiday Sale: If you order a DVD for yourself, I will include, at NO EXTRA CHARGE, a second DVD for a friend or loved one. You know they need to stretch, now you can have the perfect stocking stuffer. Offer good until Thanksgiving, or when supplies run out. I probably will not do another run of this DVD, so order soon if you want one! No extra shipping charges, either! Take advantage of this deal before supplies run out.�

You can order at howtostretch.com.

Long time, no videos

2010-10-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delays, here are some videos to keep you stretching. Also, my DVD will be $19 until I run out of them. I will probably not be doing another run, so if you want one, order on my site.

DVD Sale and a New Video for you.

2010-06-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

DVD Sale: For the next two weeks, Howtostretch Vol. 1 will be $19, a savings of $6! Go to howtostretch.com for details. Offer ends July 15, 2010. (Pssst: scroll down to see a testimonial a few posts ago)

Check this out

2010-06-17T10:08:00.001-07:00

Jennifer over at Poleskivvies.com has been using my DVD to help her get more flexible. She posted a video of her progress, you can check it out here

Breathwork

2010-05-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

How is everyone doing with lotus?

2010-05-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

Just checking in with my followers: how is it going with your lotus practice? It has been one of the most asked about stretches ever, and I was curious if my videos answered your questions. Post a comment or email me.

How to get into the Lotus

2010-05-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

Just a note

2010-05-03T09:11:00.001-07:00

I get a LOT of questions every day via email. While I would love to answer them all, I don't have time (I have a day job!). So, please, do not take offense if I do not return your email in a timely fashion. I would like to point out that MANY of the questions are answered on my site and this blog, so surf around.

Also, keep in mind, that I lay out the groundwork for how I stretch, how I teach stretching, why I do what I do, on my DVD. Many questions that are posed to me are best answered with a demonstration, because it is hard to cover anatomical references with words. Pictures work better, videos better still.

The DVD is a worthwhile investment for avoiding injuries and learning the "how's and why's" of stretching.

You can purchase my new How To Stretch Vol. 1 here

The cost is $25 plus $6 shipping and handling, payment thru Paypal by either Paypal or major credit card. Thanks!

Pulled Muscle Follow up

2010-05-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

A comment on the kicking video

2010-04-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

The purpose of the video below is to use a karate technique to help you improve your stretch. I got a bunch of emails and comments asking about the tearing of muscle that I speak about in the video. To clarify, you microtear your muscle fibers every time you exercise and are sore. So, if you take a run a little faster than normal, and your quads hurt a bit the next day, guess what? There are some microtears in the fibers of your quad.. Now, when your body repairs it when you rest, the quad will be stronger and able to do more work.

I am not suggesting that one RIPS the muscle. Not at all. I think this is a misunderstanding on the part of some. Again, my reference to tear is to ask a little more of the muscle in a stretching condition to allow your muscle fibers to repair themselves into a longer, more flexible state. To accomplish this task with the hamstrings, the video below using a front stretch kick will help. Be careful, don't do this wearing socks on a tile floor. Go easy, follow my directions. Hold onto a wall, chair, desk, kitchen counter (which was my favorite when I was a kid practicing karate, I was real close to the 'fridge :0)

Kick your way to flexibility

2010-04-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am on a roll here.....

2010-04-17T22:42:00.001-07:00

Watch this:

2010-04-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Torn Muscle? Pulled muscle?

2010-04-16T08:38:00.001-07:00

One of the problems with language is what means one thing to someone means something else to another person. I used the term "pulled muscle" in a previous post, but really, it is not an accurate description of the actual injury. Every time we use a muscle we use a pulling force as we contract it. We could technically call any muscle movement, a pull. In common usage, however, the term "pulled muscle" is used to describe an injury.

Torn muscle is a better description of this type of injury. In reality, when we contract a muscle violently (an Olympic sprinter jumping out of the start blocks in a race), there is the risk of a tear. Muscle fibers tear all the time, and our bodies are constantly repairing them. All body builders train to tear their muscles so when the body repairs the muscle it is larger and stronger. Only when we tear a great number of muscle fibers, to the point of pain (pain beyond just being sore), do we have an injury.

Most people do not use the term "torn muscle" because it sounds so absolute, so severe, so complete. In reality, only a few muscle fibers were torn. We are left with the common term

"pulled muscle" because it seems more descriptive of the injury in regard to how it feels.

In reality, there are tears in the muscle fibers and the body is working to repair it. I will go over some of the ways I deal with this type of injury.

Stretching for Pole Dancing

2010-04-13T07:40:00.001-07:00

A few months ago I was asked to write a guest blog for Pole Skivvies, a source of clothing and information for pole dancers. Watching a few of the videos on the site I could see the need for stretching and injury prevention. Pole dancing is an intense physical activity!

Some of the info in the guest blog may be helpful to you, you can read my post if you click here

I pulled a muscle !!!!!

2010-04-11T16:26:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it, but it shows you cannot take your fitness and flexibility for granted. It is the first time I pulled a muscle in about 3 decades, maybe more.

My day goes like this: I usually get up, walk the dog for a half hour, do 30 to 60 min tai chi (whatever my schedule permits) then go to work. My job as a chiropractor is pretty physical, so I am up and down all day. At lunch, I go out for a bike ride of 15 to 25 miles, which is my cardiovascular workout. At night, if energy permits, I will stretch. Sometimes I stretch while watching TV or reading. This is what I do seven days a week (the tai chi, cycling, stretching). I used to lift weights once or twice a week but stopped when I broke my arm. I tried it once after my surgery, way too soon, and it hurt the plate/screws, so I stopped. I have not tried it since, I am sure I can easily do the weight routine I used to do.

I do take my stretching for granted. One of my goals when I first began serious flexibility training as a teen was to have all my flexibility available at any time. Why? I grew up in NY, and often got in situations where I might have had to use my martial arts to defend myself. I couldn't exactly say to a few guys that wanted to kick my butt, "Excuse me, could you wait a second while I stretch out?"

I achieved my goal, and it has worked for me for decades. I lengthened my muscles to the point where being stretched was my default physical condition.

About a month ago, I started running with my dog. He needed more exercise, so running has become our daily routine. One and a half to one and 3/4 miles a day, every day for the past month. I have not been stretching before we go out, and that is where I have been taking my flexibility for granted. I pulled a deep groin muscle on my right leg (between adductor magnus and gracillus, for the anatomically inclined). I can get into all kinds of stretches EXCEPT splits.

I will detail how I will fix this issue and do a short video on the topic.

You just never know :0)

DVD for Sale!

2010-04-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

You can purchase my new How To Stretch Vol. 1 here

The cost is $25 plus $6 shipping and handling, payment thru Paypal by either Paypal or major credit card. Thanks!

The DVD's just arrived

2010-04-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is true! My new DVD How To Stretch, Vol. 1, has arrived. I will post info on purchase later today (Thursday)

The cost will be $25 plus shipping. You can pay with paypal or any major credit card, and yes, international shipping is available :0)

Nerves and Muscles

2010-03-31T08:36:00.001-07:00

There are two parts to every nerve: sensory and motor. If you touch a hot stove, the sensory part of your nerve tells you the stove is hot. The motor part of the nerve tells the muscle to contract and pull your hand off the stove. A lot of motor function is autonomic and automatic. We never have to think about a lot of motions and movements once they are learned.

The point here is that we cannot just stretch muscles if we wish to become flexible. Someone can go to a stretching/yoga class, try real hard, make a little progress, and in four months their net gain in flexibility is small. Why? Their motor nerves are still sending a message to the muscle to stay tight. From learned physical responses, old injuries, bad posture, work habits, emotional stress, the body learned to keep a certain amount of tension in the body.

Only by stretching with the proper mindset can correct this. It is the mind that tells the nerves what to do, which in turn tell the muscles what to do.

Strength from Stretching

2010-03-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Thnk about this: muscles do one thing, and one thing only. Contract. You can get stronger by lifting weights and doing calisthenic exercises. That is a good thing.

Stretching lengthens your muscles, so for a given contraction, you get more work when your muscles are stretched out. Stretching consistently over time, widens your muscles, so they have more pull when you use them with less chance of injuries. If a muscle is tight, you can only contract it so much. Let us take the bicep muscle. If there is tension in the muscle, and it is tight, by let's say, 20 percent, you cannot use that 20 percent when you contract it to lift something.

However, if there is minimal tension in the muscle, you can use more of the muscle to lift something. Stretching can help you utilize what muscles you have to do more work.

So, stretching makes you stronger.

An Idea regarding Muscles..

2010-03-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share an insight with you. A reader asked a question regarding using a weight to press down on a limb to help get more stretch.

Muscle cells are interesting. If you push on one, they push back. I mean this on a cellular level. So using a weight may be counter productive because while you are sitting in half lotus with
a weight on the leg, for example, your leg is actually contracting against the weight! The result is very little if any gain in flexibility. You may feel stretch, but you are TRAINING the muscle to contract.

When I teach stretching, I am not only working to stretch the muscle, but to retrain the nerve that is holding it tight.

Almost here

2010-03-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

The new DVD How to Stretch, Vol. 1, should be here any day now. I will post it here and on my website, maybe a youtube video as well. Thanks for your patience. I think it will be worth it.

The artist is at work

2010-02-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

The artwork for the cover of the DVD is being completed today. The master DVD for the stretches will get to the replication center this week. They informed me it would be a two week turnaround. It will then be available. International shipping is possible now, so for my out of country friends, you can order online and have it sent to you.

A New Video for you..

2010-02-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

My New DVD

2010-02-18T11:06:00.000-08:00

In a few weeks, I will have available a new DVD, Stretch with Dr. Mark, Vol. 1.
It is finished, and the artwork is being completed in the next few days. After that, off for replication! I am hoping to have it for sale by early March. The topics on this DVD are:

Stretching 101 : how to start stretching, even if you never have! A lot of info for common difficulties and how to work them out.
Stretch Class 1: this is how I would actually run a class for my students and patients. You can participate along with the video.
Stretch Class 2: Another follow along class, different than the first. I have so much to share it will be done over many classes like these.
Squatting: A more in depth tutorial on a very important stretch.
Core Exercises: we can't leave out strengthening exercises. This video begins to show what can be done to strengthen your core muscles, and stabilize your spine. There will be other classes like this, including some weight training.
Lotus: This is a long tutorial on lotus and how to work on the posture. I get more emails about this stretch than any other! Lotus opens areas of the hips/knees/low back in ways other stretches cannot.

Keep checking, I will post when it is ready on howtostretch.com, my youtube site, and this blog. Thanks!

So, what are your scores?

2010-02-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

If you did the Flex test video, go to howtostretch.com/Flextest.html, score yourself, and let me know how you did.

This will help me with the DVD. It will be more catered to your stretch abilities.

Take the Flex Test

2010-02-02T21:18:00.001-08:00

PLAN B

2010-01-30T20:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, after two months of trying to get the membership portion of howtostretch.com launched, I give up. Don't despair, I have a solution, but first an explanation:

If I do low quality videos they will be smaller files, which when viewed, are poor quality. They show as small movies on the screen. You won't be able to sit on the floor and learn from the video.

The hi def videos are large files that do not upload, unless I purchase a dedicated server just for the videos. These videos would be high resolution which would show well in an expanded version on a computer monitor. However, unless you have a fast connection, you may not be able to view them. This issue has to do with buffering rates. If someone lives in an area without blazing fast internet, they are out of luck.

The solution: Take all my howtostretch videos and make a DVD available for purchase. This way, they can play on a DVD player as well as a computer, so you can sit with friends in front of your TV and take class with me. I currently have the artwork being produced for the DVD, and I have roughly fifteen classes. I will do a few more, then burn a master copy. It will be sent to my DVD production company, and they take about a week to produce them.

You will be able to easily purchase these on howtostretch.com.

So, thanks again for your patience, this will be the best way to get information to you.

Maybe a breakthrough

2010-01-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

I found a new way to upload large videos onto howtostretch.com. I will be working on it this weekend, maybe the break I was looking for to be able to launch the membership site.

Regarding the Membership: for $50, you get a three month membership, with unlimited access to detailed videos on stretching, weight lifting for posture correction, how to deal with specific pain issues, how to correct longtime imbalances due to work duties, sleeping habits, one sided sports (golf, surfing, tennis, etc). I walk you through all the problem areas, with information on the physiology as it may apply, and analysis of how your problem may have originated. New videos will be added every two weeks, currently there are about twelve videos ready, which is good. The issue has been that the uploading to my server has been inconsistent. I am on track tho', stay tuned!

Please tell your friends, btw, I appreciate it!

Stiff neck? Here's a new video for you

2010-01-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

A little something to keep you going..

2009-12-22T15:10:00.001-08:00

Here is a video from the howtostretch membership site. I will do more short videos to keep folks stretching until the site is launched.

Enjoy

Update

2009-12-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I got some good news and some bad:
The good news: I have at least a months worth of classes.

The bad news: My file transfers fail. After upgrading my computer, my hosting server, and getting extra storage, the problem I am having is unreliable transfer of large files. Sometimes it does work, most times not. Tech Support has recommended another file upload client, Firezilla. This week I am dumping all unneccessary data to speed uploads.

So, again, please be patient and hang in there! I will try to get a few Youtube videos up to keep you s t r e t c h e d out until the new membership area opens.

THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE

2009-12-04T15:17:00.001-08:00

I really, really wanted to launch the new long videos the first week of December. It currently takes a day (almost 20 continuous hours) to compress a 30 min video to a format that can be uploaded to my server.

What does that mean? At best, I can do a video a day, I have about ten edited, many more to edit, I guess I will start getting stuff up in the next few weeks. I will post my progress. So, I shoot a video (45 min) edit a video (1 hr) compress video (20 plus hours), load video to website, (does not take long, make a few minutes), whew.

check back, in the meantime, ask any questions, and practice what's up on the youtube channel. :0)

Need some help

2009-11-29T10:12:00.000-08:00

Good morning, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend. I am in need of a little help. I am currrently converting the first class, free for viewers, to a format that can be easily viewed. The conversion process is taking longer than anticipated (almost a day for 30 min of video compression), but from what I read, that can be normal.

When I get it uploaded, I need a few volunteers to view the video (it will be uploaded to howtostretch.com), and email me on how the video looks on their computer.

You can email me at howtostretch@howtostretch.com, and let me know if you would do that for me. (folks will be viewing the video, I just want to line up some viewers willing to give me a little feedback on view quality, etc).

Thanks for your patience

2009-11-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

As I type, I am converting the first stretch class to a different format for my server. This compresses the file so when it is uploaded, many people can view it at once. This was a step I have been working on for a few weeks. Now that I ironed out the process, we are closer to getting my online classes live!

Check back, or check my homepage over the next few days. I hope to get it up by Sunday at the latest.

Free Stretch Class

2009-11-18T08:41:00.000-08:00

This weekend I should have the Free Stretch Class edited and uploaded to howtostretch.com. This will let you take a sample class with me. Just a taste of things to come.

Closer still

2009-11-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

Just an update on what is going on at howtostretch.com. I have the software installed to allow membership, but need to configure it to my needs. This part will take a few days. I have a few videos (30 min long) ready, they still need a little editing touchup and compression. Even before I can set this up, those videos need to be tested to make sure everyone can see them. As it stands, your computer will need Quicktime to view them. You can get Quicktime for free, so if you don't currently have that software, viewing will not be a problem.
I need to install some new RAM I just purchased as well (I cannot believe how cheap 512 of RAM is these days), but that's just to make things easier and a little faster on my end.
Stay tuned, lots of fun stuff ahead.

Upcoming Events

2009-11-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

How to get into Side Splits

2009-11-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

Until the website is fully configured with the longer videos, I will keep posting to youtube. Here's the latest for you to work on.

Closer still....

2009-11-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

I worked on the videos that will be on the membership site, and got them to upload and run as planned. A lot of little steps I never did before (conversion factors, compression, etc), that were not necessary when I upload to youtube, that I did not know about. I do now :0).

My host server is upgraded to a size that can hold all the videos. Things are rolling along!

The process so far

2009-11-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

I have had to do a fair amount of work (who am I kidding, lots of work) to get this project of having a curriculum of classes on the web. Been staying up till the wee hours of the morning sorting out the details. I needed to update my OS to run Quicktime Pro, to have options for video conversions. I can upload the videos in either .mov or MPEG4 files, still playing with which one is going to work better. (if you have any suggestions, I am all ears).
I have been playing with upload options, and I am going to have to increase the storage capacity on my server to hold all the videos ( I have a lot of material. I taught for over several decades!)
I can only upload the membership software and videos after I upgrade my storage. Every day I get two or three things done. Funny thing, as I finish one thing, I see another that I want/need to do, to have this work out as seemlessly as possible for members.
Will keep you updated, keep checking back!

Letting the cat out of the bag......

2009-11-02T21:08:00.000-08:00

so to speak. I am hard at work on my new project, which will be of great interest to those of you who want a more "hands on" experience with me. I am adding a membership portion to my website, and there will be a whole curriculum of stretch classes. Each class will be 30 minutes long, and I will cover many topics. I will also have a curriculum of classes in Tai Chi Chuan, where I will teach the first 13 moves of the short form of Yang style Tai Chi.

The benefits of stretching and Tai Chi go hand in hand. Energy does not flow through locked joints. Tai Chi allows one to release joints held in improper tension. Joints that are stiff, arthritic, injured, weak, and inflexible do no lead one to greater health. Stretching opens the joints, lengthens tendons, and builds muscles in eccentric contraction. Eccentric contraction is what muscles do when you hold a stretch for a long period of time with proper posture. Your muscles get longer, flatter, and stronger, from end to end. By contrast, concentric contraction tightens the muscles from the belly, or center, of the muscle. An example of this is weight lifting. I will cover principles of weight lifting in a video as well, as it applies to stretching, Tai Chi, and energy flow.

When is all this going to happen? I have done much work on it the past few weeks, have a few bugs to work out with uploading videos, so I am estimating sometime in December. Stay tuned, check back often, and shoot me an email if you have any questions!

Squats

2009-11-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

One of the best all around exercises

A new video

2009-10-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

Just posted this one today, you might find some info you were looking for. Also, for those new to the blog, there is a LOT of info in the archives, and on my youtube page.

A cold weather tip

2009-10-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

Just an idea for those of you stretching in colder climates: take a little more time to stretch. When it is cold out, there is less blood supply to the smaller areas of the muscles (specifically, where the muscle attaches to the bone at its origin, and where it attaches at its endpoint, the insertion.) Go a little slower, take a little more time, be patient. If you don't have more time, do fewer stretches for longer periods.

One of the silly things I did when I was about 16, was to train in karate in the snow. Barefoot. Just wearing my uniform. I wanted to be like those Buddhist Monk Martial Arts Masters you see in the movies. I pulled a few muscles, and that was that!

some new info

2009-10-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hi! Been busy with the stretch videos over on youtube, so if you have not seen the new ones, go take a look. I have also given my website a makeover, with a lot of new content. I have upgraded my computer with a second hard drive, which means more space to do more videos and web based teaching. I didn't realize that the blog was still getting a lot of traffic, so I will stop by and update from time to time.
In the meantime, my latest:

New Directions

2009-09-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I am not sure if I am going to continue with posting to this blog. More of my work is going to video, and instead of just posting the info here, it would be great if subscribers/readers of my blog just go to my youtube page and save that page in their favorite places. I have been updating with new videos every two days, more or less, it is easier for me to keep current on youtube due to time constraints (I have a day job!!)

You can visit the howtostretch youtube page here youtube, be sure to save it and check it a few times a week. There will be a LARGE catalog of videos available. The blog will stay online as an archive. Thanks for reading! (UPDATED 10/25/09, see above post!)

TMJ video

2009-09-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

I know, its been too long. More to come, you may want to subscribe to my youtube page (howtostretch), I plan to do several a week to keep everyone updated.

Two new videos for you!

2009-07-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on an entire catalog of videos for stretching, injury prevention and recovery. You can search youtube for howtostretch, see the videos here on my blog, or go to my website and visit the archive.

A video about PAIN!

2009-06-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

New Video: how to get into the SPLITS

2009-05-24T16:45:00.001-07:00

Onward!

2009-05-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

As of now, I am canning the idea of having an interactive feature: the lack of response thusfar shows me that I would be putting in much more effort than it is worth. I will instead focus on more videos, both of the DVD and youtube variety.

In the meantime, new readers (and old!) should go and check the archives on this blog. Some of the questions asked have been topics of older blogs.

The new idea....

2009-05-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

One of the plans is to set up an interactive interface, so I can teach people how to stretch via the internet. I have several ideas, one is in beta testing right now. I am not sure it is going to be the ideal way, but maybe it will work.

A lot of folks ask me questions about stretching, and it is hard for me to answer them without seeing them stretch. I also have a day job :0), so whatever I do, has to be time efficient for me. Answering a ton of emails individually takes up a lot of time right now. Feedback? Ideas? I would like to hear what you have to say.

Lots of new stuff coming down the pike......

2009-05-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

OK, sorry there have been few updates, but I have been busy with projects. Go check out howtostretch.com. I updated it with easier directories, new colors, and (for the moment) did away with the frames. Let me know how you like it.

The Posture DVD is available again, you can read about it on howtostretch.com.

I have a new stretch DVD in the works right now, but it won't be ready for a few months. It will be like no other stretch DVD before it.

I have a new, top secret for now, exciting, interactive feature that will be posted in the next week or so. Be sure to check back!

An Old video of me

2009-03-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a video from a black belt class run by my karate teacher, Mr. Michael Masley, in 1982. I am performing a hyung (form, kata) called Chindo. It's one of my favorite forms.

News for today...

2009-02-24T13:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting in a while. My latest project is to take some old videos I have and convert them to digital. The one I am working on is a stretch class I taught back in 94. Many of you will be able to see details I describe on howtostretch demonstrated. I will post when it is done, will probably post it as the other videos, via youtube.

Stay tuned!

How to stretch..... your hands!

2009-01-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

How to..... stretch your neck muscles

2009-01-24T09:43:00.000-08:00

Some Historical Photos

2009-01-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos I found. In the first one, my karate teacher, Mr. Michael Masley, and I are freesparring in 1978. Mr. Masley was Dr. Sohn's top karate student/teacher. He was amazing. His flexiblity was incredible. Mr. Masley began his studies under Dr. Sohn at age 9, and by age 12, he achieved first degree black belt. At the time, (1963 or 1964 IIRC) Mr. Masley was the youngest black belt in the country. Also, he was tested by Dr. Sohn's teacher from Korea, Master Ahn Kyong Wan. Master Ahn held young Michael to ADULT standards when he was trained/tested. There were no children's classes, no pads on the hands or feet, and he had to fight (spar) adults who were instructed not to "go easy" because he was a young boy.

In the second picture, I am about to begin teaching a class, circa 1994. Note how we started the class the same as recommended under the stretch page on howtostretch.com.

Stretch or Rest a Torn Muscle?

2009-01-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

Let' say you tore a muscle. What should you do? Well, like anything, it depends on the details. If the tear is deep, and it burns when you even approach stretching it, take time off. Massage the muscles, or get a professional massage therapist to work on it. The Homeopathic remedy Arnica Montana (30x strength) is for sore muscles and bruises, and taken as directed, can help that muscle heal. You can also get Arnica gel at the Health Food store, and rub it directly on the area.

If the tear is tolerable, I will often do stretches around the area, to loosen up any tension on the affected muscle. So, let's say I tore my hamstring. When I stand and stretch, the pain is noticeable as tension, burning, and pain. I stop the exercise, and get down on the floor and do seated hamstring stretches. I will follow up with associated hip stretches, and some quad stretches. These do not hurt the affected muscle, but since they are opposing muscles to the torn hamstring, stretching them makes the hamstring feel better because there is less tension on it.

Oh, hot baths, saunas, and steams (like at your gym) help a lot too.

A New Year, a New Look!

2009-01-18T19:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all. 2009 will bring a lot of changes to howtostretch.com. Now we are past the holidays, we finally shot two more videos this week, and they should be edited and uploaded soon. The website has a new look, as I rebuilding it to make it more intuitive and interactive. I might add new pictures and stretches, but I am also thinking about making all additions videos. I will think about it. Any input from our readers?
In the meantime, go check out the website. Let me know what you think!

Groin stretches on Today's video

2008-12-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

A common area of tightness for many, this video begins the process.

This weeks video....

2008-12-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

will expand on the iliotibial stretches from last week's lesson. It should be uploaded either Saturday or Sunday, so check back. In the meantime, please note that if a stretch is difficult to do, it means it really needs to be done. Tight muscles speak in the language of pain, you just get to choose how loud it speaks. When you lift a box and tear a muscle, your muscles will scream "pain". That is different from the pain you feel bending over your leg to stretch that same muscle before your injury ever happens. By the way, if you keep at stretching those muscles that "speak pain", they will lengthen, become more pliable, and will no longer be an issue for you.

If you enjoy this blog, and the videos, please turn others on to it. I created howtostretch.com to help alleviate pain in the world. I know that many people can get feel better from stretching muscles that are tight from either physical reasons or emotional ones. Thanks.

How to stretch your Iliotibial band

2008-11-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

Here's today's video. I have a lot of stretches for this area, this video just shows a few. Post any questions on the blog!

Amazing.....

2008-11-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

how tired you get after Thanksgiving dinner. After everyone went to sleep, I went downstairs to stretch. I got halfway thru my planned routine, and felt like I was nodding off. So I did. Funny how that is. I also find I do stretch better on an EMPTY stomach, and then afterwards, don't eat as much. Maybe I should write a diet book, Stretch Away the Pounds.

Hope all your holidays went wonderfully, we will have a new video up in a few days, so check back! Also, I have been getting a lot of emails lately with stretching questions, I think many could be answered by previous posts in this blog. So surf around, you may find what you are looking for. It is sometimes hard to answer all the emails I get, but I try.

An interesting note

2008-11-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

I launched howtostretch.com in 2000, basically as an archive for my patients and students to refer to. It has a huge life of its own. Yesterday, I was checking my webstats to see which page got the most hits. Wanna guess?

OK, I'll break the suspense. Iliotibial stretches, with 1.1 MILLION hits! When I asked readers to tell me which stretches I should demonstrate on my Youtube videos, the most asked for was iliotibial stretches. Who would have thought such a little muscle could cause such an uproar?

BTW, howtostretch.com is a free site to viewers, paid for by me and supported by the advertisers on the site. So, go visit my advertisers and help keep the site up and running! We appreciate it!

Today's video..

2008-11-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

Got the Macbook back from Apple (port was replaced, glad we have Applecare!), so we are now able to get back to our regular video feature. Today, I discuss shoulders.

Sorry

2008-11-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

We planned on updating the blog with a new video every week, but the port on the MacBook went out. All the videos are on that computer. It should be back later this week, so the vids will be posted then.

Will update, in the meantime, keep stretching!

The REAL reason I started stretching

2008-11-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

When I first started to study karate, I would strain/pull my muscles all the time. This resulted in pain. But, when you are a kid, that kind of pain does not slow you down that much. My Teacher, Dr. Sohn, told me I needed to stretch more, otherwise my skill in karate would be limited. He told me that when he studied in Korea in the 50's, the first thing he noticed as the difference between the Korean students and his fellow Caucasions, was that ALL the Koreans were flexible, and their bodies were not hampered by tight muscles restricting their movements. The Caucasion students, on the other hand, were all tight Americans who could barely touch their toes. When Dr. Sohn returned to the States to teach, he placed great emphasis on body preparation. It took me a few years to value this myself, but when I did, my ability to kick like in the photo became a reality.

Only later on in life did I find that was just the beginning of the benefits of stretching.

Stretching and the Economy

2008-11-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

Worldwide, everyone is feeling the effects of the state of the economy. What does that have to do with stretching? Muscles tighten as part of the fight or flight reaction in the body. The fight or flight reaction is a response to stress in the environment. In primitive times, if there was the threat of an attack, man would experience a change in his physiology to deal with the circumstances. For example, the trapezius muscles (shoulders) would tighten to protect the spine from being pierced by an animal's teeth. The heart rate would elevate to allow an instantaneous shift to running mode. Senses were alert. Then after either a fight, or after the threat has been neutralized because primitive man ran from it, the change to the body would subside and the body would relax and return to its normal state. Most battles were over territory, food, and security.

See the connection? Our muscles tighten as a result of major changes to our environment. The economic climate now threatens our personal territory, food and security. Sure, we don't hunt, we go to the supermarket, and we don't live in a cave, but the human body goes through the same changes as primitive man.

Many people today are waking up to face the day with tighter muscles than before, due to the stress of the times. Help the body return to its natural state by stretching and opening up the tight joints in the body. It will only help.

About that last video

2008-11-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

There are probably a gajillion stretches I could show as a "last minute" stretch. The reason I picked that one is because most folks ask about what to do before going for a walk, run, or gym workout. So, I picked one that is a large scale "stretcher" of hamstrings, gluteal muscles, lower back muscles, groin, calf, and iliotibial bands. The stretch shown really gives you the most stretch in the least time for those areas. It won't stretch the upper body much, and if you added a little upper body stretching, it wouldn't hurt. Next weeks video is a quick shoulder/upper body warmup.

Our second video.....

2008-11-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

This weeks video is here! Enjoy, and leave me some feedback

A couple of details....

2008-11-05T13:57:00.000-08:00

about the stretch in the first video (below).

1. It is best to hold onto something. Taking out the balance component allows you to concentrate on releasing the quad muscle. Also, to balance requires a little tension in some alternate muscle groups, so you may not get the desired level of stretch.

2. As you hold the heel to your buttock, try to feel the leg release from the inside (your femur, or thigh bone) to the surface of your skin. This simple idea allows you to get much deeper stretch sensation.

3. Make sure your hips are level.

5. Breath. It helps to relax no matter what, especially when you are trying to stretch a muscle.

6. Try this: After doing both legs, and rolling your hips as shown, repeat the exercise. You will be rewarded with much greater stretch than you started with.

My Plans for Howtostretch.com

2008-11-04T06:48:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all your positive emails regarding the video, I appreciate it. It seems Web 2.0 is moving towards more interactivity! (Web 1.0 was just looking at pictures). A few folks have asked me to demonstrate/teach specific stretches, and that's a terrific idea. If you have a stretch you would like a video of, let me know.

On the production end, we need to increase the resolution. I find the videos grainier than what I would like. The camera we are using has 3ccd technology, so the videos should present clearer than they do. Its probably a setting we need to adjust.

I may revamp the howtostretch website and embed videos within each catagory. That's a bigger project, but its on the blackboard. Also, I have many, many more exercises that are not on the site at all, so perhaps instead of photos, they will just be videos. The plan is to do a couple of videos a week, and my daughter will edit/title/upload them, and we can launch them on each weekend.

The First Howtostretch Video on Youtube!

2008-11-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

Check out our first Youtube video, we plan to do one weekly (we have shot three so far). Fun stuff!

Today's Project

2008-11-01T09:48:00.001-07:00

We are working on a 3 to 5 min Youtube video to demonstrate different stretches. Should have it done today, and get it posted tomorrow. Check back!

Stand or Sit?

2008-10-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

A lot of folks ask me if its better to stand or sit when stretching. Well, it depends. Lets look at stretching the hamstrings and low back. If you sit, your upper body can be more relaxed, but at the same time, if you are really tight, you won't stretch much. In the lower photo with my back straight, you will probably improve your stretch more if you stay seated on the ground. If your back is curved, as in the upper photo, you may help the stretch more if you stand with your feet together, and let your body hang. Using your body weight to help you stretch is fine provided you don't have any back pain. Why? If you have back pain, it may help to hang over your legs, but when you contract your back muscles to stand up, you may further injure yourself.

So, assess whether you are stretching to alleviate tight muscles or back pain. If tight muscles, really, either way is fine, standing might help you more. If you have back pain, sit and stretch only. The increased feeling of stretch you get will not outweigh any exacerbation of your pain.

But I Don't Want To!!!

2008-10-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

Many times, when we stretch, our body is resistant. The muscles that have tightened from daily repetition of activities does not want to cooperate. If it did willingly, we would all be circus performers, Olympic gymnasts or yoga instructors. So often the body says "But I don't want to!" in regards to stretching.

That's ok. As my Teacher once (maybe twice!) told me, if there is something you don't want to do, that is reason enough to do it. Obviously, in the case of a tight muscle, its tight for a reason, and if it does not hurt already, it is going to. So, taking the "bull by the horns" and insisting on stretching when your body says "no way", you go a long way to undoing what life has a tendency to do to human bodies.

Now insisting on stretching does not mean vigorously forcing a muscle to do what it can't. It means going about your stretching program anyway, with great attention to detail (see howtostretch.com) and seeing your results in time. You will be glad you did.

Fitness that counts

2008-10-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

One of the ideas my Teacher passed onto me was the idea that fitness cannot be onesided. To really be healthy, and live a life as painfree as possible, there needs to be a balance between aerobic fitness, flexibility, and strength. Many people focus on one, perhaps two, of those components. To really experience health, try adding some "missing" training to your routine!

Aerobic conditioning keeps your heart and circulatory system in top notch condition. It promotes sweating to rid the body of toxins, and elevates levels of endorphins to help you feel good.

Flexibility training helps to elongate your muscles, prevent injuries by allowing greater ranges of motion, strengthens tendon attachments in eccentric contractions, and relaxes the mind/body connection.

Strength training maintains or builds the contractile power of your muscles, keeps muscles balanced in power from left to right and front to back, which plays a large role in injury prevention. Strength training with weights done properly attracts calcium to bones, and is essential to prevent osteoporosis in women.

Also, if you ever get injured (like when I broke my arm), you can at least do one or two of the components (ie, stretch and lift, aerobic conditioning and stretch) while you are recovering. Such a program will speed your recovery as well, bring fresh blood to tissues that need to heal.

Back to bloggin'

2008-10-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Greetings. I know its been months since I last posted a blog, however, it has been a longer road to recovery than I planned. Two weeks ago, my mom with alzheimers, passed away. I have been caring for her as well, so time was at a premium for me.

My plan is to outline my recovery, and detail what stretches helped for what issues. Maybe some ideas can help others.

Such a long time..

2008-06-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

Wow, its been a long time since I posted, but life got in the way. I went back to work two weeks after my broken arm surgery, and it was exhausting to do my work as a chiropractor with just one hand. But I did it (I hired someone to work for me, but he flaked out, so I took the initiative to take care of my patients health as best I could). After a few weeks, my right hand improved to where I could use it in a limited fashion. My hand surgeon x rayed my arm, was pleased with my recovery. He cleared me to work part time, since the arm was still showing signs of the break in the xray. Two weeks ago, I had another xray, and I am good to go! There is soft tissue damage, and while it is improving, sometimes my arm and hand are very sore at the end of the day.

Along the way, I have been pretty exhausted at night, both physically and mentally. Writing a blog was not on my list of priorities. In the two months since I last wrote, I have received a lot of questions about stretching by email. While I would love to answer each on individually, I do not have time. It would take hours a night to do so. So what I will do is answer as many as I can as topics in the blog. I will get to each one as I have time and energy.

Sayonara for now.

Reasons to be cheerful, part 3

2008-04-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

You woke up this morning
You can touch your toes with your knees straight.
You can't touch your toes with your knees straight (great, something to work on!)
You are already doing a stretching program to improve your flexibility and posture.
You are contemplating doing a stretching program to improve your flexibility and posture.
You just finished your stretching program to improve your flexibility and posture.
You find yourself sitting in stretching postures, like half lotus at work in your chair.
You've moved aside everything in your cubicle so you can stretch while you work.
You sit on the floor in front of the television instead of the couch, and work on half lotus.
You find it is no longer an effort to stretch, but an enjoyable challenge that is relaxing.
You sleep better at night, you eat less, you wake up feeling refreshed with no body pains.

Why Posture is Important

2008-04-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

How can you improve your stretch, strength, and endurance all at once? Improve your posture. Just what your parents told you, stand up straight! Actually, it is not so simple. When you stand upright, with good posture, you are using the minimal muscle tension possible to maintain that position. If you stand as straight as you can, your muscles are less tense, when you use them you will have greater contractile force, and you will be able to use them more than if they were tight and tired (IE increased endurance).
In fact, many of the issues of tight muscles that people encounter when they attempt to stretch, are due to bad postural habits. For example, lets say you sit slouched at the computer, neck muscles tense to keep your face from hitting the screen. When you go to stretch your neck, it is going to be much much tighter than if you sat at your computer upright, and did not lean forward. As a rule of thumb, if I would look at you from the side, your ear lobe should be centered over your shoulder, which should be centered over your hip, which, if you are standing, should be centered over your knee, and the weight should fall into your feet with a line slightly ahead of your ankle. This is a plumb line from your ear lobe to the floor.
So, if you work on your posture, you will be astounded to see how much your stretch will improve as a result of that. Try this exercise: stand with your back to a wall, all parts of your back touching the wall (hips, low back, mid back, neck), and bend your knees slightly. Begin to feel what a flat back feels like. Now, if you have shortened neck muscles, you may not be able to do that part of the exercise, but just beginning to comprehend what a straight back is in a standing position will help you a lot. Of course, when you move, the curves in your back will return. But working on a straight back against the wall can stretch the ligament that runs down your spine and keeps you from being able to perform certain stretches that require full body flexion.
Check out my DVD if you wish to learn more about the muscles that hinder posture, with how to stretch them out!

A Quote from my Teacher

2008-04-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistance and determination, talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not, the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistance and determination are omnipotent."
Dr. Robert C. Sohn

Food for thought. That's all for today.

A question from Cyberspace

2008-03-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Mark,

I've been seeing your posts for years, and checked out your site
and blog. I'm looking for specific stretching and strengthening advice
for bicyclers, hoping you might point me in a helpful direction.

In brief, I'm 62 and for 20 years have had various lower extremity
issues: hip, knee, foot. Each dealt with separately. Seems likely,
from google searches and a dash of common sense, that they are
actually an inter-related system. My chiropractor says it looks like
I probably pronate, and the inner quad (medial) muscle is probably
weaker than the outer (lateral). He referred me to a personal trainer
and a bike fit guy. They both are entrenched in the 'high-tech
racer' mind set, and I suspect not a good match for me.

I also wonder why riding fixed gear over rolling terrain can actually
help my knee feel improved. Any thoughts will be most appreciated.

Best,
Larry F
Marblehead, MA

Larry, good question. Lets go backwards. Fixed gear riding places the work load more evenly amongst the four quads, the hamstrings, and gluteal muscles, for starters. And that's just in the upper leg. Additionally, fixed gear riding engages your lower leg muscles (gastrocnemius, which is the calf, tibialis anterior and posterior, which are the shin muscles) particularly when you are going downhill, and resisting a fast spin with your legs. So since you are basically sharing the resistance training with your muscles above the knee and below, from the front of your leg to the back, you will stabilize those muscles and help your knees. On a geared bike, we all can avoid this work of knee stabilization by coasting down hills.
Now, I have never met you in person, but I bet you your legs are damn strong. In 25 years of practice as a chiropractor, I have never met a cyclist who had a problem with strength. Now, muscle imbalance is another story. Just from reading your description, I would say your iliotibial muscles are VERY tight. Check out my page on those stretches, tell me if you can get into this stretch. All the way. Like this:

Bet you can't. If you can't, that is good, you have something to work on to fix your issues. Also, your medial quad and inner thigh muscles are often tight to offset the tension in your IT (iliotibial region). So there is a war going on between the inner leg and the outer leg, and your knee, and eventually your back, is the loser.

Check out page one and two of the IT stretches, and let me know how it goes. Good luck Larry, you can fix this!

What I learned from my accident

2008-03-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

In recovering from my broken arm due to a motorcycle accident about two weeks ago, I have learned a few things. We as humans take for granted something called tendon glide. Tendons attach muscles to bones, and they glide in their sheaths as we move our joints. In the case of my tendons in my wrist, I can no longer do this:

Much less this:

In the case of this picture, when I relax my wrist, it barely bends at all right now.

Needless to say, I am hard at work to restore the tendons so I do not have long term issues with my hand. It is really good that I could do all the stretches I could before the accident. There is definitely some body memory. Funny, it will take longer for me to fix the soft tissue damage to my tendons than for the bone to heal.

PS, thanks for all the DVD orders. I am sure there is enough info on it to keep people stretching until the next DVD comes out. The next project will be an in depth class taught by me with many, many more details than on howtostretch. You can order your Posture DVD here.

New Guest Instructor, Kam Singh

2008-03-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

I would like to let all of you know there is a new guest instructor on the howtostretch website. Kam Singh is an accomplished practitioner and teacher of yoga, and sheds some light on a difficult and important stretch.

Also, I apologize to those of you that have sent me questions, I will answer them! two weeks ago, I had an accident on my motorcycle on my way to work. I broke my right arm (I am typing this with my left hand!) and had to have surgery to fix it because the break was pretty bad. Thanks to my years of martial arts training, I know how to roll and fall correctly, and was not hurt worse. I was also wearing proper gear. My break came when my bike hit the ground and the force from the handlebar went into my arm. (just for your info: I was going slow on a side street, someone cut across me, then stopped right in front of me).
For those of you that have ordered my new CD, they have been sent, thanks for your orders. The CD is still available, you can order it here. I really appreciate your orders more than ever at this time, because with a broken right arm I will not be able to work as a chiropractor for a while.
BTW, I did stretch at least 20 mn a day for several days after the mishap on the 12th. Since the surgery on the 19th, I have not stretched, as every time I got on the floor to do so, I would find myself napping. the body needs its energy to heal itself.

THE NEW DVD IS AVAILABLE!

2008-03-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

I have not had a lot of time to post lately, been busy with personal projects. One of those projects is my new DVD, "Correcting Posture Through Stretching".

This DVD is appx 36 minutes long and covers the essential stretches necessary to correct postural problems that haunt many people today. The introductory cost is $18 plus shipping, US sales only for now. Limited availability, check the website for details.

where posture comes from,
how postural defects unfold,
what habits affect posture, and
which stretches can help correct poor posture! The information is clear, direct, and easy to follow. Click here to find out more info.

Many of you have sent me some great questions, they will be answered in the blog because I think a lot of folks have the same issues and would like to learn more. I will only use initials for names to insure privacy.

Side to Side balance

2008-03-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Tim asks:

Through the different stretching excercises, can one access any muscle imbalances ? Would that be one side being tighter than another side ? If both sides seem the same during stretches, could one assume they do not have any muscle imbalances ?

Thanks

Tim

I answered:
Tim
If both sides seem the same, one could assume that the muscles are balanced. That said,
I am going to add my opinion that most people on the face of the earth of some sort of muscle imbalance. Why? Well, one reason is handedness. Right handed folks are going to be using different muscles than lefthanded folks. As a result, there are numerous imbalances in musculature due little daily activities that we do automatically (open doors, brush teeth, use the mouse, for example).

One person might always use their right foot to go up stairs. Their right side of the lower body is going to be tighter. Someone else might carry their baby on their left side of the hip, and the left side tightens more. I have a friend who is a righty, carried her kid on her left hip so she could do things around the house with her right hand. It has taken years to undo that imbalance.
So keep at it, and note the differences if any. And if one side is tighter, spend a little more time stretching that side.

All Body Parts are Related

2008-03-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

One of the more frequent questions I get is, "how do I stretch the .......... muscle" fill in the blank.
Sometimes I am at a loss to tell folks what to work on. Let's take the groin muscles, commonly tight in most people. Usually from sitting too much, the back muscles tighten, and to take the load off the lumbar spine, the groin can and will tighten to take some pressure off. (for example, the psoas muscle, which attaches to either side of the lumbar spine, and goes through the pelvis inside the medial aspect of your femur, or thigh bone. When it tightens while you are seated, it takes weight off of the low back.)

When I say tighten, I do not mean "spasm". A spasm is a complete and utterly painful contracture of a muscle. A tightening of the muscle is a low grade tension, maybe barely noticable, that over time shortens the muscle. So when you finally try to stretch, you don't know what you did that made you so tight!!

Do several different stretches, and you may find that your tight groin can be released by doing the cobra!
The above is just an example. Next weekend we are filming the second howtostretch workout DVD, where all these ideas are demonstrated, with workarounds and tips!! It will be posted in the blog. This week, the first DVD goes to the printer, more on that later!

Goalsetting

2008-02-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

One of the ideas that has helped me a lot in stretching is having a specific goal. If you stretch for general flexibility, that is good, but you will find your program will feel "flat" after a period of time. That is when most folks stop stretching.

I recommend having a specific goal (to be able to get into lotus, splits, plow) as the carrot dangling in front of you. If the goal is to get into lotus, for example, after attempting the position, you will realize the limitations involved. Now, you have something to work for, and work at. You can find all the stretches (not just lotus) that stretch various muscle groups to allow you to get into the position. You will find your own "workarounds" that allow you to realize your goal. For example, I found that really, really, working on my hamstring stretches, allowed me to get into lotus. My "workaround" was to spend DOUBLE the time stretching my hamstrings before attempting lotus. I spent weeks at my "workaround" before pushing myself into lotus. I still like to do that!
PS: the "workaround" is not a license to do a stretch incorrectly until you get it right (for example, in a seated hamstring stretch to let your head hang, your back curve over, your leg bent. ) The workaround is picking associated stretches and doing them correctly.

So, make a goal, find your limitations, and you will find your stretching will improve tenfold!

Got any peaceful easy feelings yet?

2008-02-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

Hey, a few days have gone by since I suggested to readers out there to take up the stretch for peace exercise.

Anybody feeling peaceful yet? Anybody? Anybody? Ferris?

Revisting Pain

2008-02-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

Let us take a look at what pain is. Basically, pain is a signal to the brain that something is not correct with what is going on in your experience. For example, you touch a hot stove, the pain you feel alerts you to the fact that skin tissue is about to be damaged. As a learned response, we retract our hand from the stove. (How do we know that is a learned response? A drunkard will do all kinds of things that hurts him while he is under the influence of alcohol. The state of drunkardness allows parts of the nervous system to forget what it learned. This is verified in the fact that there is a published blood alcohol level, at which levels we know when driving, motor function, and decision making, is impaired).

In regard to body pains from stretching and exercising, there are different benchmarks as to what is a bad pain (injury, tear) from what is a beneficial pain (being sore from stretching to a new limit, microtearing muscle fibers so they are replaced by longer, stronger, more flexible fibers).
That said, if someone takes off in a quick run down the street, and all of sudden, there is a searing pain in the hamstring, they have pulled (ie torn) the muscle beyond its elastic limits. You should not go home and stretch that muscle. Ice, rest, elevation, massage, are indicated in such a case (but not limited to those treatments). Let's say the pain in this case is an 8 out of 10.

Now, if someone takes a yoga class and comes home with sore hamstrings, you have a different issue. The hamstring is elongated, there are microtears in the connective tissue, and when repaired by the body, the muscle will be much improved in resiliency and flexibility. You can go home and stretch that muscle later that day or the next. Let's say the pain is a 3 out of 10.

But what if the pain is the same in the two cases? Let's say in the first case , the pulled muscle is mild, and the pain is a 5 on a scale of 10.
Let's say in the second case (the yoga class) the exertion was more than usual and the yoga student had a lot of pain in the hamstrings. The pain is also a 5 out of 10.

Well, now you have to differentiate between pains. Knowing how each occured is primary. You should probably rest both, but you can return to stretching quicker from the yoga overexertion because the injury happened at slow speeds. If you try to run fast again, as in the first case, the pull you get will most likely be worse. If you try to stretch the yoga injury it will not hurt near as bad as the pulled hamstring from running fast, even if the pains are both level 5.

DVD's and some Tech notes

2008-02-17T11:47:00.000-08:00

A couple of bits of info:

I have been working on migrating howtostretch.com to a better server. This will not affect viewers, it is just an update to make it easier on my end here.

I have a DVD coming up, "Correcting Posture Through Stretching". It is finished, completed, and we are in the process of making copies. This will be available in the next few weeks if everything goes as planned. I will have a run of about 100, so if you want to reserve one, Email me.

In the next few months there will be several other DVDs by me. Stay tuned.

Stretch for Peace, Pt 3, the challenge!

2008-02-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, I can write blogs about stretching all day and all night, but this morning I have an idea. Let's take this idea of how stretching can benefit your health, and make your life more peaceful, off the blackboard and into practice. For you. Today. Right now.
Ready?

Take one stretch off my website, howtostretch.com. It can be one you can already do well, one you have not tried yet, a stretch you have been working on but still find difficult. Whatever. Just pick ONE.
Now, pick two times during the day where you can devote five minutes to practicing this stretch only. Say, 7AM, and 3PM. Maybe 10 AM, 9PM. Does not matter, pick two times. No other stretches, or exercises. No warmups.
For five uninterrupted minutes, practice your chosen stretch. No background music, no TV on in the room. Work on feeling your muscles, what is tight, what releases. Pay attention to your body. Breath into your belly. Relax the tension.
Will you feel more centered and peaceful? Try this for ONE WEEK. Deal? Tell me about your experiences, either post to the blog or send me an Email

Stretch for Peace, Pt.2, practical example!

2008-02-09T14:12:00.001-08:00

This week was interesting. While my wife and I were walking our dog, he was attacked by another dog. This is the second time by the same dog, and yes, the other owners need to address the issue. But that is another topic. Last May, when the dog attacked (appx 60 lb Dalmation), my dog Indy got in front of me, and, having never been in a fight before, proceeded to bark and make noise, while the other dog went for his throat. Indy defended himself well with his big paws, knocking the other dog around, but had his neck punctured, and had bloody rear paws from pushing off the ground. The other dog was off leash, and has attacked at least five other dogs that we know of (post our attack, neighbors came to find out how Indy was)

Tuesday, the other dogs' owner was riding her bike with the dog attached to a zip lead to her handlebars. They were a block away. My wife told me to hustle, we were on the cross street and wanted to get out of view of her dog. Indy and I got out of view. Next, my wife told me to run! The dalmation pulled his owner off her bike, and broke free. I made it two more houses and the dog was on us. I got into a cat stance (from karate, this is where you take weight off the front leg to use it to kick). My move was instinctive, from 34 years of martial arts. I lifted my leg to kick the dog, but he was WAY quicker than I could imagine, and I only succeeded in glancing him around to behind us. As he launched at Indy, Indy pulled back off his collar, and the fight began. Indy went round, with a lot more effort than last time, he knows this dog is dangerous.

I tried to break it up. I did not want to kick, I was afraid I would hit Indy, and he kept running in front of me. I pushed, pulled, yelled and kicked, and next thing you know, I was on the ground. My wife told me I was on top of the dalmation when I fell, he got underneath me. Snapping jaws everywhere. When I was on the ground, I kicked under Indy's legs, pushed the dalmation back a few feet. Indy was in between us. At that point, the dalmation went to leap at Indy, but Indy perceived the attack was at me!

Game over. Indy knocked the other dog on his back, bit him up his underside until he got to the dog's neck, then slammed the dog into the concrete next to me. I was on my side next to the dalmation, Indy had him by the neck. The owner finally shows up (took at least two or three minutes, she had to run up hill one tenth of a mile!), and we get them apart. This is not totally the end of the story, but I will cut to the stretch part now!

Needless to say the fight or flight mechanism worked very well indeed for my self and my dog. Later in the morning, I could feel the muscles that were activated and on guard. I sat on the ground and stretched and found muscles to be sore. I really didn't want to stretch, actually, but did anyway. As I released the tension in the muscles from the attack, I felt separate from the whole incident, it had a surreal quality to it.
Oh, you can see Indy here: Indy

Stretch for Peace, Pt 1

2008-02-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

When I stretch, I feel more peaceful when I get done. I just want to keep stretching, actually, because it feels so good in my body, and so peaceful to my mind and emotions.

Why? Because of the mindbody connection, (see the previous blog below). We remember everything, in our bodies, our heads, and if not consciously, in some deep recess of our mind. There is so much data coming into our senses, we have to pay attention to some and ignore others.

We ignore some of the data by not paying attention to it, and some by tightening up our body. Here's a practical example for you. A few years ago, my then 82 year old mother almost died. We did not know what was going on with her. We spent all night in an emergency room, then she was released. The next night, same thing. There were no beds to admit her. Two nights later, I found her unconscious at her house, we were back in a different hospital emergency room. They still could not figure it out. It was about 2AM, and I was getting nervous that they would not admit her. I was worried she was going to die, I was fearful they were going to send her home with me again. A lot to deal with.
In the quiet of the room, I could feel my muscles in my shoulders start to burn. They were filling with lactic acid, the waste product of muscle exertion. But I was doing nothing, except feeling lots of NEGATIVE emotions. I was not outwardly expressing them, and as I watched the process, I could see how my mindybody was tightening up so I could function with my mother in her condition and the doctors, to not feel what I was feeling.
She survived, and the next day I was sore in areas that were not physically exerted, just tight from an emotional condition. Yes, I did stretch that day, to release the tension.

The Mindbody connection and stretching

2008-02-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

My Teacher often spoke of the Mindbody connection. In fact, he coined the phrase as one word, because the two are interconnected. Let's look at that.

When you feel happy, you feel it in your body. Your chair does not feel your happiness, your pillow does not feel your happiness, your body does. When you feel joy, you feel it in your body. Your car does not feel your joy. Your kitchen does not feel your joy, your body does.

When you feel angry, you feel it in your body. Your couch does not feel your anger, your computer does not feel your anger, your body feels your anger. When you feel sad, your table does not feel your sadness, your fork does not feel your sadness, your body feels your sadness. So, what we feel in our emotional body, we experience in our physical body. That's the mindbody connection related to our emotions and our physical being.

Now, the feelings of happiness, joy, love, satisfaction, are positive emotions, and the body does not tighten up to deal with them. We tend to just experience them for what they are. Positive emotions are light and feel good, so we seek to feel them again and again. True?

However, the feelings of anger, frustration, sadness, fear, are negative emotions, and the body reacts by tightening. This is a primitive way for the body to NOT FEEL those negative emotions. By and large, most people do not want to feel these emotions. So we tense to not experience them.

One of the things I find most beneficial about stretching is how it releases the tension in the body for whatever reason it is there. Whether the tightness is due to an old physical injury, lack of activity, or negative emotions, it does not matter. Strectching does not care, it does not judge, it is just a wonderful method to relax and open up the areas that are tight.