I have several books on stretching and have used them for years but this book is the best by far! The descriptions are so well written and the diagrams are so good that it’s almost like having a personal trainer with you as you are doing the stretches. The book covers every muscle group and area of the body and there is a great chapter on back care which we can all use.
I need to stretch every day as I have arthritis and associated aches and pains. This book helps me stretch with ease and pleasure. If I don’t stretch every day I spend most of my day in pain.
Get this book!It is worth the small investment and it will pay you back 100 times over with increased mobility and less discomfort in everything you do!
Stretching is the safest way to keep your whole body in balance. Not only is it a great way to warm up, cool down, and prevent injuries, but it can also be used for non-impact toning and strengthening routines. Stretching can be done anywhere, anytime, and can serve as both a stress reliever and therapy for dozens of physical conditions, from strains to sports injuries.
This invaluable guide includes:
Simple step-by-step instructions
Dozens of dedicated stretch routines designed to alleviate specific conditions, such as back pain and TMJ
Hundreds of easy-to-follow illustrations
Useful for serious athletes and fitness professionals as well as novices
About the Author
Barbara Templeton is a professional yoga instructor and stretching expert. She teaches over 350 stretching techniques often combined with yoga to hundred of students. Illustrations are by her husband Jamie Templeton.
Here’s a stretch you may already know by a different name: “the lunge”. Whatever you call it, this easy exercise is a classic hip opener. Keep your hips free, and as an added benefit, stretch the fronts of your thighs with the Runner’s stretch. As you hold this stretch and inhale, observe your spine lengthen toward the crown of your head.
Find a soft surface, or use a mat or blanket. Move to your hands and knees. Step your right foot forward between your hands, knee over your ankle, your shin straight. Extend your left leg backward, knee raised, toes rolled under so that you are resting on the ball of your foot as you inhale.
Hold the lunge for four deep breaths, pressing your left heel back as you inhale. Press your hips toward the floor as you exhale. Gaze forward. You may bend your back knee to work your hip. Protect your vulnerable knees by ensuring that you keep your right knee over your right ankle. Optimally, place your palms on either side of your front foot; if that doesn’t work for you, make fists with your hands.
Move back to your hands and knees, then repeat steps one and two with your left leg forward and right leg back.
You may perform the lunge with your back knee down on a mat or blanket. Place blocks under your hands if you need to raise the floor closer to you.
Do not attempt the half-back or full-back stretches if your back is sore, injured, or if you have sciatic pain. Bend your knees if you feel any tightness or strain in your lower back. Stretching your back with the “Gentle Half-Back Stretch” helps counteract your back’s natural tendency to tighten as you age.
Standing with your feet hip’s-width apart. Let your arms hang at rest beside your body.
Sweep your arms to the sides and up over your head as you breathe in. Look up at your fingers as they lightly touch. Drop your shoulders away from your ears. Pause for a moment.
Glide your arms out to the sides, exhaling. Lead with your arms - not your chin - as you bend your knees slightly, and slowly bend forward placing your torso halfway up. Your back is like a table. Arms remain out to the sides, elbows slightly bent. Pause.
Inhale your body back to standing - arms stretched over your head.
Fold again, as you exhale.
Repeat steps 1-5 again then hold the half-forward bend four long breaths. Chin towards chest, flat back. If your back and arms become tired place hands on thighs but keep your back flat.
After the third exhale, s-t-r-e-t-c-h your arms to the side raising your torso to the standing position.
Arms to your sides as you exhale. Relax.
Flat back means that your back is as flat as a table. With time and practice you will be able to feel the difference between a flat and rounded back. You may try this stretch by a mirror to check for a flat back.
Bicycling your legs is a playful way to warm up your body without placing any strain on your back. Rotating the large bones and muscles of your legs quickly raises your heart rate and body temperature, strengthens your abdominal muscles and lubricates your hip and knee joints. Rotate your legs evenly and smoothly, as if you were actually riding a bicycle.
Lie on your back, arms beside your body, anchoring you for stability. Draw your knees towards your chest as you exhale.
Rotate your legs forward, making full circles as if you were riding a bicycle. Keep breathing as you move. Start with thirty cycles, eventually working your way up to fifty.
Now reverse the direction, rotating your legs backward, cycling in the same manner as step two. Continue to breathe as you move. The reverse direction may seem awkward, so concentrate on moving as smoothly as you can. Begin with thirty circles, then progress slowly to fifty.
Observe yourself closely as you bicycle backward. Can you move as smoothly as in the forward rotation? Are you remembering to breathe?
Hold your knees and rest for a moment.
Sore back? Support it by placing your hands under your low back, palms down, elbows slightly bent out to the sides of your torso.
