Stretching

[Guest guest]

As a divorce counselor for stretching, I recently made a video about not

stretching.

From a neurological perspective, when we push or go for greater range of motion

by trying to stretch, we actually push past the set limit of the muscles we are

stretching. The result is: the brain sends a message to re-contract back to

the set point.

However, if we target the brain's cortex, we can effectively increase the length

of the muscles and remind those muscles of their function.

This 2 for 1 approach involves resetting muscular length in the neurons of the

alpha-gamma loop. I realize this is heady stuff so the video I made will show

how we can use our muscles - since muscles have no will of their own and are

subject to signals from the brain - to reset the resting rates or the levels at

which contracted muscles continue at.

By using our own sensory-motor loop with a conscious approach to simple

movement, we lower the tension levels and create chemicals of relaxation. By

repeating the process, we are merely resetting and self-correcting our movement

system which is vital to moving well.

Here's the video:

You might enjoy this NY times

article:http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/the-right-reasons-to-stretch-be\

fore-exercise/

Just an fyi. I overcame my fibro mainly on account of regaining function in the

muscles and this approach continues to serve me well. Tomorrow I plan to go

skiing and once again marvel at how I used to live in the cave of despair yet

now have come through the looking glass. I'll be sure to sing as those skis

slide ever so wonderfully over the gift of snow.

Let them not say we get worse in winter, we can find ways to keep moving well...

even in the gray Pacific Northwest.