Amazon.com Review
Anderson started running and cycling during the salad days of the fitness boom, when the goal was simply to go farther and farther. No one knew what all those miles would do for a body–or do to a body. One day he realized he could barely reach past his knees while sitting on the floor in a straight-legged position. His tight muscles thus revealed, he began a lifelong quest to figure out the secrets of flexibility. His main discovery–and his core message to re… More >>
I liked this book on stretching for several reasons. The first is its simplicity. The pictures and instructions are very straightforward, making it quite easy to do basic stretches. Stretches are given for just about every muscle and limb you’d ever want to stretch and the author has even included some suggested stretching routines for various sports. Whether you’re a competetive athlete, business person or housewife, I feel that this is book will have something to offer everyone making it a very handy and “flexible” book. Also recommend Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff for anyone looking for more specific rotator cuff and shoulder stretches.
Rating: 5 / 5
I’m writing to add to the praise that the other reviewers have heaped on this book. It’s easy to read, and you really do feel better when you do the stretches. I’m a middle aged man, overweight, and not at all flexible, and I’ve found that it helps a lot. If you do the stretches, you’ll literally start to feel better after two or three days. This is the only physical activity I’ve run across that pays off so quickly.
Someone else complained that certain types of stretches weren’t included in the book. According to the text, some stretches were left out because they were risky — people who don’t know what they’re doing might hurt themselves. Perhaps the missing isometric stretches that were mentioned fall into that category.
I don’t have any back problems, but I do several stretches that target the back and spine as part of my daily routine. That’s when I most appreciate the conservative approach taken by the authors, as it seems like there would be a lot of potential for trouble there. The fact that so many people with back problems do these stretches safely, and receive benefits from them, says something important about the book’s approach.
I don’t know if this is the quickest way to become more flexible. I do know that it’s a good way to become more flexible, that it works, and that I haven’t had any problems at all — no pain, no injuries, nothing.
I like it a lot.
Rating: 5 / 5
I’ve used this book for several years in all the sport activities that I have been involved in. From my teenage years to my early 30’s – I have found the stretches in this book to be a worthwhile endeavor. The author provides several stretching routines for a wide variety of activities. Secondly, there are drawings, which demonstrate the correct way to do these stretches. Stretching is an important part of any exercise regime and this book helps out by providing a necessary guide to stretching. The author points out the dangers of overstretching and gives the reader good advice for their regimes.
Rating: 5 / 5
I am a massage therapist who is frequently recommending to clients that they incorporate more stretching into their lives. This is the book I point them to if they ask for a reference. It shows you various stretches for all parts of your body. It also combines those stretches in more than 30 routines for different parts of the day and almost two dozen sports and activities.
The strength of this book is two-fold: first, the illustrations are simple but detailed enough to be useful (something that a lot of books don’t accomplish) and, second, the text is clear, easy to follow, and friendly. The author understands that most of us need to stretch and don’t stretch nearly enough. No guilt trips, no technical terminology, no unreasonable expectations.
This book is written for the general public and also for athletes. I use it myself and recommend it comfortably.
Rating: 5 / 5
If you are looking for a book on stretching, go no place else, this is it. While there are other new theories on proper stretching technique for specific results, or muscle fibers or sports, this book and the techniques it teaches are widely considered the mainstream of stretching technique.
You will find stretches for almost every single muscle in your body. Diagrams of each stretch show proper stretching technique and where the tension should be felt. The book runs through each of the main stretches, suggests a program for everyday stretching, and has a number of sport-specific programs. Yes, the pencil diagrams are corny, but as soon as you get over that, you will realize there is a wealth of information in here.
Should you do yoga or stretching? Yoga w/ a tape or a class is certainly a mind/body event that many people enjoy as a part of their fitness routine. But for a fitness regimen, a 20 minute stretching routine every morning or night has advantages over yoga. Yoga is essentially stretching exercises combined with isometric weight resistance. But yoga can often overextend or place undue stress on the ligaments/tendons and often the positions are not stretching the full length of the muscle, and if they are the positions often stretch the muscle to its limit immediately, rather than gradually, which has been shown to provide better flexibility results. With regard to the isometrics, if you are looking to build strength and/or muscle you need the progressive weight resistance that free weights or machines will provide – the isometrics will not provide significant results.
Stretching on a regular basis (along w/ aerobics and eating right) will leave you feeling relaxed and energized and if there is one stretching book you should own, this has got to be it.
Rating: 5 / 5