Flexibility is important to the muscle as it assists in creating an increased range of motion of the joint. Having flexible muscles can prevent injury, alleviate muscle tension and reduce stress. I like to remind my clients that there is no completion with gaining flexibility. It is achieved gradually with consistent, gentle practice.
When you do stretch, it is best to hold your stretch for at minimum of 30 to 60 seconds without bouncing. When you bounce, your body actually goes into protective mode. In order to avoid tears to the muscle fibers that can occur from bouncing (i.e. stressing the muscle) the muscle actually contracts. Clearly, this is the opposite of what we want when stretching.
In this video, I'll take you through some basic stretches on a mat for your inner thighs, torso, hamstring. In a seated position, we'll do a butterfly stretch, some torso rotation and a variation of the straddle stretch.
Try them out. This should feel good. Breath, relax and be gentle with yourself, it takes time.
Dance, Move, Live!
Patty Rose
Meaningful Movement
www.PattyRose.com
Creator of DanceStrong! (tm) Workout DVD
DanceStrong! DVD Review
Committed to helping people find the inspiration to reach their goals, solutions to wellness, and motivation to move & dance!
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