Photograph by Sunstreak Productions, Inc.Finding Alternative Ways to Stretch ...........................................................
Traditional stretching — holding a position for 10 to 30 seconds — isn’t the
only way to make your muscles more flexible. Here’s a look at a few other
popular methods.Active Isolated stretching ..................................................................
Some exercise experts theorize that conventional stretching techniques can
damage muscles by pulling on them too hard, too far, and for too long, caus-
ing muscles to tighten up and spring back to prevent ripping and tearing.
This automatic defense mechanism has many technical names too long to
pronounce, but in laymen’s terms, it’s referred to as the rebound reflex.Active Isolated stretching,or AI, is a method designed to avoid the rebound
reflex. To do an AI stretch, using a rope or stretch band, you tighten the muscle
opposite the muscle you’re targeting for a stretch and then move the targeted
muscle into a stretched position and hold it for about two seconds — that’s
right, two seconds — just long enough to elongate the muscle without trig-
gering the rebound reflex. The theory is that when you contract,or shorten, a
muscle, the opposite muscle has no recourse but to relax and lengthen. You
repeat the process 8 to 12 times in each position before moving on to the
next stretch.Figure 6-8:
The butterfly
stretch
targets
your inner
thighs,
groin,
hips, and
lower back.
Chapter 6: The Scoop on Stretching 79