Cary Raffle Certified Personal Trainer - NYC

I have two questions for you Are you happy with your current level of flexibility? What are you doing about it? Most people I meet are not happy with their flexibility. Even people who are really flexible seem to want more. Yet, its the last thing most people spend time on. I have even been guilty of this myself. This issue is meant to slightly change the way that you think about flexibility, and give you a step by step approach and some specific tools that can lead you to results - if you take the time and do the work that is needed. You'll probably have questions so feel free to ask . THE PROBLEM WITH MOST PEOPLE'S FLEXIBILITY PROGRAMS The top 5: not doing the stretches that are right for YOU; doing the same few stretches over and over again; not stretching for long enough; using brute force instead of your brain to stretch the muscles; and, neglecting the strengthening component of a flexibility program. So many people try to improve, don't see much progress and every ...

STATIC STRETCHING The most popular form of stretching, where you hold a muscle in a stretched position and gradually allow time for it to extend. Hold for 20-30 seconds, shorter is not effective, longer is not much more effective. ACTIVE ISOLATED STRETCHING is a progression from static stretching, appropriate if you have no postural distortions. These stretches typically are performed in 1-2 sets of 5-10 repetitions, each repetition is held for 2-4 seconds. Some require assistance, be very careful with these, I dont recommend having someone who is not trained assist you with them. SAMPLE AI STRETCHES DYNAMIC STRETCHING is for the fit, and is actually more like exercise than a stretch, and includes lunges, pushups with rotation, walking sideways with a resistance band. PNF (AKA Neuromuscular or Contract Relax) STRETCHING PNF means Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, and it basically tricks the brain into lengthening a muscle. A trained professional will alternate between stretchi...