Stretching for health and fitness is the latest trend — and businesses are springing up everywhere to help athletes – and nonathletes – understand the importance of stretching. Besides improving health and fitness and reducing the risk of injury, stretching feels good!
It’s a great way to warm up muscles before vigorous exercise, cool down after intense exercise – and get your day started in the morning. On the job, stretching provides relief to overworked muscles – and underworked muscles, too – especially if you have a desk job and sit too much.
New and existing businesses have recently capitalized on the fact that many people can benefit from stretching, but don’t take time to do it.
As a result, massage therapy studios such as Massage Envy now offer assisted stretching sessions and companies such as Stretch Zone have opened stand-alone businesses in cities across the country to provide stretching programs using custom-built equipment.
A friend and I took advantage of a free half-hour session offered by our local Stretch Zone to introduce us to their services and techniques.
It was definitely interesting!
The company designed and uses padded tables like those used for massages with thick Velcro-like straps attached to hold customers firmly in place (no rolling off the table!) and to stabilize certain body parts during particular types of stretches.
And they played Jamaican beach music (reggae) in the background for an energizing but relaxing effect.
The stretch practitioners had us lie face-up on the tables and went through a series of stretches for all parts of the body. They asked us to let them know — by saying a number (3, 5 or 7) – to indicate whether the stretch was light, moderate or intense, and they held each stretch for about five seconds. Then they continued on to the next stretch.
A couple times, they stabilized a leg with a Velcro strip to extend the other leg off the edge of the table for maximum stretch.
I found it awkward and uncomfortable to have someone else stretch me (a muscled young man who looked just like an old boyfriend!), and difficult to have to “rate” the strength of each stretch. When you stretch on your own, you know when you’ve gotten to the maximum stretch and not to go beyond a certain point; there’s no “in-between” stretch involved.
As a result, I must’ve had them overdo something because I had a backache for the next 2 or 3 days and had been in fine form when I went in (having had a 90-minute massage the night before), which was heartbreaking…
So I wasn’t sold on it.
Plus, I do 15 minutes of stretching before I get out of bed every morning and swear that’s the key to feeling good every day — and avoiding the “old lady hobble.”
But my friend enjoyed it and signed up for a series of sessions. (They aren’t cheap: $50 for once a week, and $40 each for twice a week.) A few weeks later, she told me she felt great and was able to touch her toes – which she hadn’t been limber enough to do for a long time.
Give it a try if you think it’s something you could benefit from, especially if it’s a free session! You won’t know if you like it til you try it…
Related blog posts:
- Aerial Adventure Park: A Unique and Exciting Fitness Experience
- Fun New Fitness Activity: Disc Golfing with Frisbees
- Stand-up Computer Desks: Great Way to Get Healthier While Using the Computer
- Escape Rooms: A Unique and Challenging Way to Spend Time with Family and Friends
- A Unique Workout: High Intensity Adult Trampoline Exercise Class
- Take a Load Off Your Seat #2: Adjustable Stand-up and DIY Cycling Desks
- Confessions of an Adult Learning to Swim
- Nothing Makes You Feel Better than a BODY PUMP Workout
- Sports and Hobbies: How Many Can You Squeeze into a Lifetime? 79 So Far…
- Zumba is Exhilarating
- Find Lost Fitbit, Get a Free Replacement
- Fitness Fun with FitBit
- Fitbit Fun: 22 Months Later
- Fitbit Fun — 10 Months Later
- 7 Things You May Not Know about Fitbit
- Fitbling: A Fun Fitbit Accessory
- Fitbit Charge Review (New Product to Replace Fitbit Force)
- Don’t Lose Your Fitbit: A Fabulous Fitbit Accessory to Keep the Clasp from Opening
- 20 Things You Can Do with Amazon Echo, the Cool Digital Assistant and Music Player
- Alexa’s Cool New Feature: Get Fitbit Stats on Amazon Echo
- Polga (Yoga and Pole Dancing) Awesomeness
- Dragon Boating: A Unique and Fun Team Sport
- Aerial Yoga: A Fun and Uplifting Experience
- Nothing Makes You Feel Better than a BODYPUMP Workout
- Ping Pong: Not Ready for the Olympics
- How to Add a Low-Cost Reading Rack to Your Treadmill to Make Walking More Fun
- Sports and Hobbies: How Many Can You Squeeze into a Lifetime? 79 So Far…
- How to Add a Reading Rack to a Treadmill
- Stand-up Paddleboarding: Testing the Water
- Do-it-Yourself Cooling Towels for Summer’s Hottest Days
Stretching is great to do for sure. I think I’d rather do my own though. You are right when you said you know your own body limits. I guess some folks like it and if it works for you then, hey, go for it!
You’re right – guess we’re all different! Thanks for stopping by.
You find the most unusual things to do! Love it.
That’s part of the philosophy behind my blog. It makes me go out and do interesting and unusual things to have something to write about!
I was able to try this too and was not really a fan. Had body aches after. I guess we’re all different.