On Sundays, I work for an acupuncturist. He emphasizes the use of stretching in his practice and mine, and I couldn’t be more on board. *Toot toot!

Most of his clients come to me for medical massage – triathletes, yogis, people with scoliosis. They are also train conductors, school teachers, new moms, and administrative professionals.

All of these people could use a stretch. 

If I don’t start or end the day with a few gentle stretches, I feel it. Ooooh I feel it. 

Not only am I physically tight and probably sore or in pain, but my mind, my heart, my emotions are wound as well. Stretching, reaching, slowing down to move, touch, and realize my body is where its at. It’s the quiet that the mind takes when we focus on our body, its capacities, its stagnations. It’s the loudness of our breath, the strength of it, when we remember to activate our core (abs AND back muscles).

It’s the length we create when reaching for our toes, or the ground, or the sky. It’s the shape we make when our eyes meet our fingers as they follow the arc of our own bodies – over and up.

I LOVE STRETCHING.

I include both passive and active stretching in my treatments, and like to remind my clients of a few take-home stretches to do on their own. After #1. Drink mucho water, #2. Self-stretching, is often my most important piece of advice. The other day I was asked, “Can you over-stretch?”

Some important things to address:

Slow and steady wins the race. Like most things, but especially muscles and tendons, the faster something moves, the more force it has. The more force it has, the more likely it is to mess shit up. This is where you can “over-stretch” and cause pain. Be careful. Move slowly. Realize your end-feel (where it hurts and you don’t want to go any further).

Your breath can move mountains. Well, maybe sand castles. But think of it this way – if you stop breathing, your entire body stagnates. Your muscles will do the same. Let them go. Take deep breaths into your abdomen, not your chest. Sink into your body as you exhale. Count 5 breaths before slowly moving out of the stretch (see above.)

Bouncing is fast. Don’t bounce. You are not a red rubber ball. It will not be fun.

Try to do a little every day. Do you sit a lot? Stand a lot? Drive often? For long periods of time? Run? Golf? Play sports? Have back pain? Have neck pain? Have a head? Then there is a stretch for you!!! Yes, indeedly. There is a stretch. Alison, tell ’em what they win! 

No matter who you are or what you do, it’s normal – completely normal – to have muscle imbalances. Simply stated, something is tight. By golly, our necks hold up our heads all day long. Imagine being Atlas, condemned to hold up the sky for eternity. Probably what your neck feels like right now. Unless you’re this guy. I digress…

There are simple, easy stretches you can do at home, starting with the neck. Moving to the arms, back, hips, quads, toes even. Check with your local massage therapist, physical therapist, or acupuncturist. As long as you feel comfortable and remember to stretch slowly, 15, 10, 7, 5, 3… minutes can make a difference in your day.

Do what feels right to you. Some pain can be tolerated, other pain can lead to a sprain or strain. Listen to your body, and if you’re unsure of anything, go get a massage. Someone like me can help you.