autostretching0005

prtrrrtrs show. Tiahtened muscles need to be ■i to 'normaF length. And even if you are ^rd uninjured, you should stretch your mus-- e get older, our muscles tend to work less gfrc-ertr.: stretching can counteract this to some jod let the body keep its vitality longer.

^—t;: —.essage of this book is that stretching the helps health. Anybody can use it. The g techniąue described is called Autostretch-

^TSODUCTION

v~ —z i> a natural pait of life. We use att least 430 to move our bodies. To work well, these :_-c:es r.ave to be supple and strong. They also need l rg: rower. But these days, many people spend d: :: rreir daily life sitting down; they don’tmove _ - This can harm muscles and connective tissue ^—u.ve them tight and/or weak.

£ rody knows that it’s important to exercise r rrer.rdi and stamina, but lots of people forget -_r?leness - that is, muscle stretching. The ar. be unnecessary stiffness, sometimes even >■ to joints. cartilages, tendons and muscles. *tsi - reople lack strength and stamina and need to improve these. But many morę have with tiaht muscles; sooner or later, the

trc a safe way to keep or regain normal ■■ and suppleness.

-tr ar: >e who are receiving treatment for prob-r- > movement, this book is an excellent way sarpori and prolong the effect of treatment.

.r therapists, doctors, physical education trrrs and coaches may use this book as a com-z to Muscle Stretching in Manuał Therapy, ara // AlftaRehabForlag, 2ndEdition, 1988). ^—*e lust chapter gives a short description of how ujrs and joints work, and also a deeper insight rte benefits of stretching.

do muscles tighten up?

= are many reasons why muscles contract and rcrter. stiff and tight:

•    rea ■ ;• work or hard physical training

•    poeci} coordinated movements

•    poor posturę

•    asat of activity

•    tzceoionous and/or one-sided movement

•    r _r. and pain

-ren a muscle is madę to work intensively, it r=socd$ fairly ąuickly by contracting - getting

short. If the muscle isn’t stretched after this work, it stays short, gets tight and prevents the muscle on the opposite side of the joint from working properly. This other muscle then moves less and may even be weakened.

If a shortened muscle is left untreated, you change the way you move. This means that the joint has to work in ways it wasn’t madę for and can’t take. Also, blood vessels are squeezed - circulation is impaired. Sooner or later you’11 notice various symptoms.

How do you know a tightened muscle?

If you sit still for too long, you get stiff and want to get up and move around. This is instinct. One of the first symptoms of shortening, tightening muscles is that you feel stiff. Others are fumhling and feeling tired. It may hurt when you move, or you get aches, even when you are at rest. You might even get cramps. Usually, however, you dont notice that you’ re getting stiffer and stffer - hut people around you do! Maybe you’re just a little below par.

Effects of lasting muscle shortening:

Shortened muscles in neck or shoulder may gi ve you vague discomfort where those muscles are, but also aches and pains in your head and/or neck, radiating down your arms, hands, chest and back.

Stiff arm muscles can cause pain and numbness in your arms, hands and fingers, and make you fumble and feel clumsy.

Tight hand muscles can make the hand hurt and feel weak-^writeFscramp^or send aches radiating up your shoulder and neck. You can’t use your hand with the precision and control you’re used to; it may get generally shaky. In extreme cases, the hand sim-ply won’t do its work any morę, which can be a catastrophe for people like musicians.

If muscles around the rib cage get too tight, they can give you pains that resemble heart pains, and also pain radiating down your arms.

Stiff muscles in your lower back may cause back pain and make it very difficult to move.

Shortened muscles around the hips are very com-mon. This can give you pain in the hip area, but also vague pain in your groin, stornach and back, radiating down the front or back of your legs and all the way into the feet.

Tight muscles in thighs, cahes and feet can give you local pains, but above all they ruin the way you walk. They can affect your pelvis, back and neck as well. Cramps in legs and feet are often symptoms of shortened muscles.

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