It is increasingly evident that physical activity is essential for the highest quality of life throughout the lifespan of human beings, however the physical conditions of children and youth had surely been neglected during the past decades.

Due to the lack of physical activity in younger individuals many normal growth and maturation processes can be disturbed significantly. There is increased evidence that physical activity also enhances the health and fitness of children and youth. Physical activity is vitally important in preschool infants, children and youth. As we can see that natural development emphasize primarily on life motor development and healthy growth during the first years of a child’s life.

There is a remarkable growth spurt during certain stages of development of children, which can lead to postural, and bone disorders and anomalies. It is therefore essential to maintain flexibility and suppleness. AIS (Active Isolated Stretching) is a therapeutic stretching technique that will change the body’s state of health and wellness. The fact that many children do suffer from physical conditions and postural problems is well known, which lead to inactivity and the risks associated with inactivity.

Is my child active enough to be healthy?

Due to children’s high energy levels they tend to be more active than adults, however many times they are not active enough. Sedentary lifestyles due to technology do become a very common phenomenon amongst these younger age groups. Children sitting for hours, not doing any exercise or playing will definitely put themselves at risk for postural problems, muscle weakness, obesity, cardiac problems, diabetic problems and other serious physical conditions only seen in older adults in the past. It is therefore important that your children should engage in activity, but they should receive proper physical screening from your physician and exercise specialist before starting any physical activity.

Is there an optimal level of training for children above which musculoskeletal injuries and other physical conditions can occur?

The answer to this apparent question is yes. And indeed, the number of injuries has increased, as the number of children participating in organized sport increases. A statement from the American college of sport medicine (ACSM) indicated that up to 50% of all injuries sustained by children while playing organized sports could be avoided by attention to proper training techniques, safety procedures and proper use of all equipment. Proper training techniques will include aspects like proper physical screening before your child engage in any form of physical activity. These include postural assessment; health screening and family related health history analysis as well as musculoskeletal assessment via Active Isolated Stretching and strengthening. Any child should not engage in any organized sport before all the muscles in his body are in balances, and are able to work together in harmony.

Neglecting these factors can have serious consequences and be the cause of any injury. Not only when your child is still young, but also in latter stages of his life.

What is active isolated stretching?
Active Isolated stretching (AIS) is a new innovative training method used to isolate each muscle before stretching and strengthening. This is proven to be extremely effective for any postural problems, sports performance enhancement, increased muscle growth and development and an overall healthy balance in the body. This in turn will lead to a drastic decrease in any injuries, increase in energy levels and activity, increased self esteem, reduced risk factors for heart disease, reduced anxiety and stress, enhanced bone formation, weight management, more social interaction, greater strength and endurance, improved aerobic endurance and increased skill development.

Over the past two decades, many experts have advocated prolonged stretching up to 60 seconds. A prolonged stretch up to 60 seconds means that a person would move into a stretching position and keep it there for a longer period. For many years this was used as the gold standard for all individuals and athletes. However, after 30 years of research by Aaron Mattes, it was found that a stretch greater than 5 seconds actually decreases the blood flow within the tissue thus creating localized ischemia and lactic acid build up. This also increases irritation and change of injury of local muscular, tendonous, lymphatic as well as neural tissues, similar to the effects and Consequences of trauma, overuse syndromes, and metabolic disease states. This phenomenon indicates that there has to be a better technique for proper stretching. And indeed it was found, now called Active Isolated Stretching. Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) is a stretching method developed by Aaron L. Mattes. AIS utilizes a precise movement to isolate a specific area to be stretched. Once in the proper position, the stretch is held for 1.5 to 2 seconds, released, and then repeated 8-10 times in a set. AIS has been used by thousands of professional and amateur athletes to increase flexibility and performance while reducing the risk of injury. It is also effective in reducing pain in the human body caused by incorrect posture, injury, and inactivity.

What do we aim to achieve?

STRETCHING SA aims to increase the overall level of physical self-awareness under the younger population, and therefore need to examine children regarding their posture and physical capabilities. We also need to educate the younger population how too train their own body’s effectively without the risk of over development, drug abuse for better muscles, and damaging the epithelial growth plates in their bones.

We also call on you as an elder or guardian, not to take this matter lightly, and guide them into the world of physical activity. It is about their health and future. Sport and school sport have grown tremendously in the past decade, and with that the current competitiveness and standard. It is our responsibility to make sure your children compete within their own physical capabilities.

• Joint pains/ arthritis

• Muscle spasms/ stiffness

• Stress, anxiety, headache

• Low back pain

• Neck pain, Shoulder pain

• Weakness of muscle, atrophy

• Facial imbalances

• Inflammations

• Hormonal and metabolic imbalances

• Lymphatic congestions

• Hypertension

• Peripheral vascular constrictions

• Overuse syndromes

• Chronic abnormal posturing

• Chronic atrophy

During the past decade physical exercise and human movement have decreased drastically amongst the population of South Africa and the rest of the world. Except for professional sports people, nobody else would’ve really participated in any physical events. Thanks to the repetitive research and evidence that a sedentary lifestyle can have serious and fatal consequences, physical activity did become a new fag under the younger populations. Although there is still allot of guidance required before everyone would know how to train correctly, the aim of this article will include the elderly population that were left behind in the science of sport and activity.

Sedentary lifestyles can develop due to certain factors, like better technology (remote, car, automatic machinery, lifts/elevators, easier communication systems etc), processed foods and many more. These things are all comfortable, and are seen as a state of ethics for a sophisticated lifestyle. But it has some health consequences. Some of these consequences are fatal, a shortage of any exercise lead to heart conditions, pulmonary & vascular obstructions and problems, arthritis, rheumatoid disorders, neural disorder and many more. When people have a shortage in physical activity, any other movement leads to be painful and unpleasant.

Human movement can be pleasant and comfortable if the body is flexible and capable of moving without resistance from other structures, pains or inflammations. Active people understand the importance of good health, and they will always be looking for new ways in improving their state of wellness by incorporating proper stretching techniques into their daily routines. During our work with hundreds of people, including elderly, we have found that almost nobody knew how to stretch decently.

What about the phenomenon; the older I get the less flexible I’ll become? As you grow older it is known that you will start grunting, shuffling and groaning on every turn and movement. You’ll feel stiffer each morning, and have a bit of difficulty in getting up. Everything tends to stiffen up, but is it really biologically possible for your natural flexibility to change with age?

Increased evidence shows us that the main cause of stiffness and old age is not necessary the fact that you have been around for many years, but rather because of a decrease in physical functioning. This means that a sedentary lifestyle would be the main cause of old age. Sedentary lifestyles leads to muscle atrophy, muscle atrophy is a term used for degeneration of muscle. Atrophied muscle seize to function, they become tough, ischemic, and painful. It is not easy to cause atrophied muscle to regain its full function, BUT IT CAN BE DONE.

How? Via Active isolated stretching and strengthening, over and over again. And think about it, there is enough reason to be able to live longer and healthier on you old day. There’s so much technology to enjoy, from which we are the first ever to have this since the beginning of earth. There is proper nutrition available, healthcare professionals, a pension that needs to be depleted, and many more!

Remember: Lack in flexibility leads to a

1. Decrease in stability
2. Decrease in balance
3. Decrease in mobility

This cause accidents and falls that can be fatal, equally fatal to you is a lack in spinal cord mobility, which leads to compression and impediments in your cardiovascular functioning. That why there is an axiom “move it or loose it”, it is never too late too start exercising. To preserve and prolong quality of life working out is very important.

How much should one exercise?
1. 3 x per week 20 – 30 minutes of stretching
2. 3 x per week 20 – 30 minutes of intermediate walking/ cycling/ jogging/ swimming.
Increase the amount of walking/ cycling/ jogging/ swimming as you proceed.

This message is especially important for elderly, the fastest growing segment of our current population. The “baby boom” generation (those born between 1946 and 1960) represented a spike in the birth rate in the USA after World War II. This definitely doesn’t mean that the USA was the only country experiencing such an increase in population. Many other countries did as well. This means that between the years of 2000-2030 the amount of people above 65 years of age will be doubled. Additionally to this, we have experienced breakthroughs in the medical world as well, making the live expectancy of people longer. The problem in ageing lies in the loss of biological functions. And to put the cherry on the top, it did become much more convenient not to be physically active, its not necessary anymore. Most people only do the physical activities required from them to be able to perform their daily functions, which is not allot. This leads to degeneration of biological functions and systems in the body, leaving change too poor health.

What happens to your body ages, and how important is it to be physically active? As mentioned, there’s a slow ongoing process that we call constant degeneration of all bodily functions that leads to pain, weakness and fatigue. This process cannot be stopped, but it can be slowed down through constant exercise.

Muscular strength and endurance

Muscular strength declines on a tempo of 20% from the age of 50 years old and 30% from the age of 70 years old. This decline is Mainly because of atrophy. (Muscle degeneration). It is therefore very important to prevent atrophy via strengthening and stretching of all muscles in the body

Body fat

Because of a loss of the above-mentioned muscle mass, there is a decline in metabolism; this leads to less energy being released and being used. This excess of energy is getting stored in the body in the form of body fat. An increase in body fat has a couple of negative side effects for elderly people, e.g. increase in the lipid profile, with more LDL-cholesterol. It also leads to an increase in blood pressure and an increased change for heart disease and diabetes.

Bone mineral density and osteoporoses

The bone mineral density tends to decrease drastically from the age of 50 years, especially with woman after menopause. This increases the risk of fractures in the hip etc. there are different therapies available to treat the symptoms properly, but to make sure it stays away one needs to exercise.

Flexibility

Flexibility is one’s ability to move freely through the joints full range of motion. With age flexibility gets impaired by degeneration of joint surfaces and an increase in collagen fibers in the muscle. Proper stretching is very important in maintaining range of motion, preventing all mentioned diseases.

Heart and lung functioning

You loose the function of your heart with 1% each year from the age of 20 onwards! That’s 10 % per decade. At the age of 5o you have already lost 30% of you heart and lung function. Without smoking!

This process can be slowed down with regular cardiovascular exercises. That’s exercises that involve the heart, causing it to beat faster, and putting toll on the lungs by forcing you to breath more.

Vascular system

Through he years your arteries and veins loose their elasticity, and start to calcify. They loose their ability to regulate the body’s blood pressure, and to regulate the blood flow to certain areas of your body. This may lead to hypertension, varicose veins and edema. Exercise helps to maintain the elasticity of you vascular system.

Balance Lack in balance causes falls and accidents. Every one knows the consequences of this. Active Isolated Stretching and strengthening is the best exercise and therapy available to date to impede this degenerative tendency.

Osteoarthritis

This is a degenerative joint disease associated with damage of joint cartilage. Swelling and pain impedes joint motion, and stop a person from doing their daily activities in comfort and pleasure. Medication and Active isolated stretching is the best prescription for this. It is therefore possible to slow down the ageing process of your body. For the sake of your own health, start exercising the right way as soon as possible.