Restorative Bodywork July 2005 Newsletter

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Restorative Bodywork Massage Therapy Newsletter
http://www.RestorativeBodywork .com
July 2005 Newsletter
Please forward this to your friends!

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In this issue:

* You might as well S-T-R-E-T-C-H!
* Whole Foods seated massage schedule
* Back in the office...

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S-T-R-E-T-C-H!
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Take advantage of the heat

The summer is upon us - myself and most of my friends find the heat and
humidity challenging, but we can take the lemons the warmth is giving
us and make some tepid lemonade. Hot and humid weather gives us a
great opportunity to improve our flexibility as long as we are keeping
ourselves properly hydrated.

When I was younger I was quite inflexible. As a child I was told that
some people just are not able to perform acts of flexibility like the
splits or even bending over and touching your toes. I know now that
that is incorrect. In my teens and 20's I worked on stretching my
muscles; not understanding the relationship between strength and
flexibility, I thought you either had one or the other. However, to be
truly strong, a muscle must be able to perform its full range of
motion; to reach full range or flexibility of a muscle, the
counterbalancing or agonist muscles must have the strength to support
the stretch. Now in my 40's I am stronger and more flexible than
ever and have set myself a goal of doing the splits before I reach 45.
(almost there! - to the splits, I mean, not 45:) So with that said, I
encourage you to let go of any preconceived notions of your flexibility
and go forth, take those warmed up muscles and stretch!

Stretching can be broken down into two categories: Dynamic and Static.

Dynamic stretching improves the flexibility of your muscle in motion.
Do not confuse dynamic stretching with ballistic stretching (bouncing)
which is bad and wrong. Dynamic stretching is moving the body and
gradually increasing range of motion and speed of movement with
controlled arm and leg swings that take you to the limits of your
reach. Ballistic stretches force the body beyond its range and cause
injury. You can use dynamic stretching as part (not all) of a warm up
for an active or aerobic workout. Pick a direction and swing your arm
or leg slowly or twist your torso in sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. Work
to the point when you feel your muscles are enlivened; do not work to
your point of fatigue. A fatigued muscle is less elastic and can be
easily injured.

Static stretching happens when you hold a position - move your limb to
the furthest point of its range and hold the stretch for at least 30
seconds. Passive stretching is similar to static stretching - the
difference is that you assume a position and hold it with another part
of your body - for instance picking your leg up and holding it in place
with your hand. Static stretching is beneficial after a hard day at
work or after exercise when you can take a few minutes and surrender to
gravity, breath deeply and allow your muscles to adjust to and relax in
the stretch. I find many clients (including myself) are challenged by
the seemingly simple static stretch - we are so used to doing that we
do not know how to not do. Perhaps we need to convince ourselves that
not doing is doing something.

Active stretching is a form of flexibility training which I find
particularly effective - it's part static and part dynamic. Like a
static stretch, move into a position, say sitting on the floor in a
forward bend - head saying hello to your knees. The difference is as
you relax into the stretch you engage the opposing/counterbalancing
muscle group to the one you are lengthening for a deeper stretch. For
instance, in a forward bend you would engage and contract your lower
abdominal muscles to bring yourself forward a bit more. Contracting
the agonist (counterbalancing) muscle encourages the antagonist
(stretching) muscle to let go. This can be a physically difficult way
to stretch - if you try it, start with holding the stretch this way for
just 10 seconds. Stretching gurus recommend working each muscle this
way for only 15 to 30 seconds per stretch.

Some things to keep in mind:

Stretch a muscle only when warm.

Remember to breathe as you stretch.

Isolate the muscles you are trying to stretch. Stretching one muscle
at a time is easier on you - you do not have to overcome resistance
from more than one group of muscles. Less is more.

Consider the order of body parts you stretch - if we think of our
bodies' center as our hips or lower abdomen, we want work from the
furthest point in. Stretch arms before shoulders and chest, back and
sides before hips, calves before hamstrings and shins before quadriceps
- stretch your hips and groin last as a general rule. Remember that a
stretch designed for one muscle group may make demands on others. Have
you ever tried to stretch your hamstrings and felt like the back of
your knee was going to explode? If so, try rotating your ankle and
stretching your calf - see if that has an effect on your hamstring
stretch.

Be careful not to over stretch! If you are sore the next day you may
have done too much!

Our thoughts can either help or hinder a stretch. If we think we are
inflexible, we will be - if we believe we are flexible, elastic beings,
we are.

Massage aids flexibility and strength. A tight, overworked or
fatigued muscle is inflexible. Massage increases circulation, helping
to warm a muscle before a stretch. Massage relaxes muscles; relaxed
muscles are more easily stretched. A little massage of the muscle
group you are about to stretch can go a long way to improve
flexibility.

I'm happy to help you build a stretching program - bring your
questions about stretching to your next bodywork session!

-Dorea D'Agostino, LMT

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Seated Massage at the Symphony Whole Foods Market
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I'll be at the Symphony Whole Foods Market for seated massage sessions
in the Whole Body section on these Mondays from 11 AM to 1 PM:

8/8
8/22
8/29
9/12
9/19

drop by! Sessions are $1/minute, 5 minute minimum

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Back from vacation
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I'll be back in the office Tuesday July 26, 2005 - Take care of your
health & yourself & book an
appointment either on the web at:

http://www.restorativebodywork .com/book-an-appointment.php

or call 617.852.4513.

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The End
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