autostretching0009

hen. how much, and how often should you

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*c object of all stretching is to limber up. So you fe>- -ld stretch before cm actieity, to check how your n_-cles are feeling; you'll notice if they are tight or er cer. Pain is a bad sign: be careful. Tight or tender B-Tes are prone to injury if they are worked hard. sc-ecially if the work reąuires speed - like running c __tch a bus. Athletes test their muscles during _~'.ups. Maybe they notice a linie lightnessorfaint ces of pain, but sometimes they go ahead and r- rete anyway, in spite of these warning signals. u hen injuries happen - and then they can cer train nor compele for a long time.

Bet most importom is stretching as treatment after r - :ivity. a workout session or a competition. Then r>-: muscles are surę to be shortened and need a ! • o stretching to get back to normal.

2 \ou have been inactive fora long time, you may jec to stretch every day for several months. For : .rally supple people a few times may be enough. L • ou should always go on stretching until you see :mprovcmcnt.

Jl IDE

to use this book

•_ Jon't have to read this book from beginning to rc ->cfore you stait. Look up whatyou need for your individual stretching program. There are K. _res. explanations and instructions on each pair

ro ces.

-e table of contents on page 4 you'll find sections _ceJ AUTOSTRETCHING FOR... and then the - as parts of the body. Turn to each section's ter to find the movements you have problems

Exaniple i.

You are plagued by a stiff shoulder. Look at page 4 and find The Shoulder'; see which pages describe stretching exercises for shoulder muscles. The section register, in this case on page 12, lists thern according to problem. Look up the pages describing problem and exercise, read thern carefully. and test yourself.

Example 2.

Your neck is stiff. Look for 'The Neck' and you'll find all the exercises for the neck. Try out which ones suit you - maybe Neck 1 or 8. and why not Shoulder 12.

Example 3.

If you have trouble with forearms and hands- maybe after a spell of gardening work - choose Elbow 3 and 4, Wrist 1, Fingers 4.

Example 4.

You've been jogging hard, or maybe shopping all day in uncomfortable shoes; and now your feet are killing you. Try Hip 3, 8 and 9; Knee 1, Ankle 3,4. 5 and 6; Toes 2.

Example 5.

If you wear fashionable winkle-picker shoes with pointed toes, you're probably painfully aware of the base joint of your big toes. For this problem try the Toes 2 exercise.

Some of the exercises are suited to claily use. like Shoulder 12, 13, Elbow 4, Wrist 1,2, 3, Hip 1,5,9A and Ankle 8.

Body type, fitness and mobility vary from person to person. Stretching exerciscs are often done in groups, but this doesn't suit cverybody. Find out yourself if an exercise is good for you. To find the