Boca Raton-based yoga instructor Brie Mazin conducts a class at a pop-up location. ‘Stretching gives you more range of motion in your joints,’ she says. Photo provided
By Jan Engoren
Whether you’re an athlete, weekend warrior, gym rat or somebody who just wants to stay healthy and flexible and maintain an active lifestyle, remember that seven-letter word, s-t-r-e-t-c-h.
Stretching — that automatic thing we do first thing in the morning, along with starting the coffeemaker — turns out to be a crucial component to maintaining our health and well-being.
According to the Mayo Clinic, stretching can improve flexibility and, consequently, range of motion in your joints. Better flexibility may relieve stiffness and soreness, enhance your physical and athletic skills, improve posture and circulation, and reduce injuries.
Robert Klein, 54, a chiropractor at the Boca Clinic for Integrative Medicine, understands the importance of stretching but jokes, “Keep me in business. Don’t stretch.”
Klein was the chiropractor for the FAU women’s basketball team from 2001 to 2015 and has been in practice for 28 years.
He became a cheerleader for stretching after he realized that the players he was treating most were the ones who did not stretch before games.
“That’s when I really became a believer,” he says.
“Stretching is one of the best things you can do to prevent injury and to continue doing sports or activities you enjoy,” he says, comparing it to preventive maintenance on your vehicle.
In his own routine, he stretches in the morning three to four times a week, at the gym or at home, focusing on his lower back, hamstrings and quadriceps.
Stretching can be either static (holding a position for a few seconds) or dynamic (a stretch performed with movement). In the past decade, centers such as Quantum Stretch Therapy in Delray Beach and franchises such as Stretch Zone have offered practitioner-assisted stretches and their own proprietary techniques.
On your own, or in a class, both Pilates and yoga are great ways to stretch and maintain flexibility in your muscles and joints and improve balance.
Brie Mazin, 41, of Boca Raton, has been teaching yin yoga and vinyasa-style yoga for 13 years. She teaches at several Greenwise locations, at the Harvest Patio in the Town Center Mall and at other pop-up locations throughout the area. Keep up with her at FloridaYogaMama.com.
“When you stretch your muscles, you lengthen them,” she advises. “Stretching gives you more range of motion in your joints. It keeps the muscles soft and flexible, aids in blood flow to the muscles and brings more oxygen to the body.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete, play pickleball or are on a walker,” Mazin says. “Muscles tighten from repetitive motion or sitting all day, and stretching elongates the joints and muscles.”
She compares the need to stretch with the need computers have to reboot. “Stretching is a reset for your mind, muscles and connective tissue,” she says. “It’s the shutdown and reboot for your body.”
Her favorite stretches include those for the hamstrings and a hip opener called the “butterfly,” where you lie down, bring your legs up and feet together, letting your knees open to each side. This releases tension in the lower back, sacrum and inner groin.
Reaching for your toes, either sitting or standing, is also a good stretch for the hamstring muscles.
Boynton Beach tai chi instructor Helen Carson follows the Mayo Clinic recommendations to complete a five-minute warm-up with low-intensity walking, jogging or biking before stretching.
“I like to get the qi and blood flow going with energy-gathering moves,” she says.
Those include mindful breathing, gathering the energy with the hands, gently moving like the wind, reaching up to the heavens and down toward the Earth.
“Once we are warmed up, then we do more physical stretches,” says Carson.
Her tips include stretching while you are still in bed — stretch your legs, roll your ankles, turn your head from side to side, stretch your arms overhead, try the “Happy Baby” and roll from side-to-side.
Other tips from the experts:
• Take a break every 30-45 minutes throughout your time at work to stretch.
• Strive for symmetry and focus on equal flexibility on both sides.
• Pay attention to major muscle groups such as calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders.
• Stretch in smooth movements, without bouncing.
• Hold your stretch for 30-60 seconds, but release if you feel pain.
• Incorporate stretching into your routine — at least two to three times a week.
And don’t forget that other seven-letter word: b-r-e-a-t-h-e.
Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.
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