ADHESIONS AND BEYOND : with Isabel Spradlin
When people find out I’m an educator about the abdomen, most of them immediately have specific stories or questions for me. On our recent rafting trip, a dedicated Ironman triathlete asked me to tell him about the diaphragm muscle. After boring his pants off about the placement, function, and potential dysfunctions of this awesome abdominal muscle, … Continue reading …
Using the breath to move the abdomen was the topic of last week’s Abdominal Adhesion Newsletter, so it seems fitting this week to give you a second edition of your favorite post! (Yoga and Abdominal Adhesions is by FAR the most popular post on my blog.) As always, try not to go nuts right away … Continue reading …
Now that my stretching classes are up and running, I’ve been reflecting a lot on what makes an effective stretching experience. My conclusion is that Time and Deliberateness (if that is a word) are the lynch-pins of good stretching. Stretching is as much a mental exercise as it is physical. It’s as much about waiting … Continue reading …
Five things you may not know: 1. Holding a stretch is one of the least effective ways of lengthening a muscle. 2. It is possible to be just as sore after stretching as after exercising! 3. Yoga and stretching are not equivalent. 4. Increased flexibility allows increased strength. 5. Stretching your feet and improving your … Continue reading …
Huh? Yeah, I know, it doesn’t really make sense. . . or does it? Consider this: when you sit down to stretch your hamstrings and wait at least 20 seconds, the stretch usually lengthens, or at least becomes more ease-full. But what do you do when no amount of waiting or even pushing into the … Continue reading …
I know that stretching is a bit of a question mark to a lot of people. It seems so simple, and yet it is filled with mystery! Which, of course, makes it exciting, but also frustrating. I get a lot of questions like, “Why is it that no matter how often I stretch, I’m not … Continue reading …