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StretchingSA will set you straight on some exercise urban legends…

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Sometimes in both amateur and professional coaching, athletes will rather rely on information obtained from each other’s own experiences. Our Australian colleagues will call this “Aboriginal Coaching” – That is information and advice that is shared by the campfire from one warrior to another. And, rightfully said, there is nothing wrong with this, BUT this is the case for as long as the information is accurate. And that’s the problem, allot of these conventional wisdoms tend to be wrong. Even worse sometimes, this misinformation has been around so long sometimes that is has some credibility as well!!

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Benefits of active isolated stretching

In spite of our best attempts to avoid the inevitable aging process, we succumb to a constricted flexor posture in our torso and four extremities. Fortunately, through proper stretching and restoration of flexibility, we can maintain a healthier homeostatic, pain free state, and enjoy a better quality of lifestyle within the three dimensional physical plane. “Aaron Mattes”

It’s been over 50 years since flexibility techniques started to develop, and although the first pioneers did a tremendously good job at laying the foundations for us, both science and clinical studies took us a step further in understanding the true physiological benefit of stretching and what a proper stretching technique will have too look like.

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Intensive training in young athletes

In the past decade an increasing number of children are taking part in organized sporting activities, undergoing intensive training and high level competition from an early age. Although there are evidence found by researchers that training in young children may foster health benefits, many are injured as a result of training, and often they are injured quite seriously as well.

At our stretch therapy practice we see these children and sometimes dealing with these injuries are far from simple.

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Is Your Working Out, Working You Into An Injury?

Article Written by Butch Phelps

Working out to stay fit is becoming more and more popular. Unfortunately for it to reduce healthcare costs more people will have to participate in exercising their bodies. The benefit to working out regularly is it improves the density in your bones which reduces osteoporosis and osteopenia, Strength training improves muscle strength and stamina. Cardiovascular training, like running, biking, and walking improve the health of your heart and lungs. So there is direct proof that exercise is needed to maintain a healthier body.

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Flexibility boosts performance

There are a number of components with regards to exercise and I have chosen to devote this article to an exercise which I believe is sorely neglected but perhaps one of the most fundamental aspects to exercise and boosting one’s performance. In fact over the past years it has been my experience while treating some of the top athletes in South Africa that flexibility plays a greater role in performance than supplementation. It’s a shame that many of these individuals including a lot of amateur and professional soccer, rugby, cricket, cycling and running participants have little if any, idea about stretching and the role it plays in performance enhancement. The notion that taking the latest ergogenic aid or steroid will be all that is necessary for maximum performance is absurd. I hope that this will entice the professional athlete, regular sport enthusiast, or anybody suffering from musculoskeletal disorders to make stretching a major part of the exercise or recovery programme. Obviously the kind of stretching adopted for maximizing flexibility plays a vital role in determining to what degree one will experience increased performance. Active isolated stretching and assisted stretch therapy stands out as the safest and most effective stretching technique too accomplish just that.

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