The Importance of Stretching!

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”

– Dr. Seuss

Some experts claim that stretching is a bad idea and they aren’t wrong! If you stretch too much or attempt to stretch without the right goals or proper instruction, it could lead to disastrous outcomes. Most people are unaware of the components of good stretching. Determining goals and learning what type of stretching that works best for you are most important to avoid pain and injury.

Stretching can not only prevent injury but help to promote health and wellness.

The 2 main goals to consider when stretching are whether you want to just prep the muscles for strenuous activity or whether you would like to lengthen the muscles to increase range of motion and improve movement? If you are getting ready for a work out or about to do strenuous activity the type of stretching that would be better suited for you would be Ballistic, which involves bouncing , or a short duration static stretches, which involves holding a stretch for a short period of time. You also want to make sure that you are stretching target muscles that you will be utilizing. If you are looking to improve your range of motion and optimize movement while recorrecting your posture, then you would be more suited to visit a specialist that can help teach you Static, Active Isolated, and/or PNF stretching that would include the proper movements, adequate amounts of pressure and durations, and tips to avoid overstretching.
The idea behind stretching, either for activity prep or for increasing range of motion, is to avoid injury. Stretching increases blood flow to the area which increases localized temperature making the muscle fibers more pliable and easier to reduce muscular tension. The increase in blood flow also brings nutrients to the area that assists in the recovery of muscle tissue from activity and injury. With benefits like that, it should be an easy choice that stretching is a good move, but remember to stretch smart and stretch well. Always remember to seek professional advice on stretching from professionals such as chiropractors, massage therapist, personal trainers, and rehab specialists!

Your Muscles’ Memory and YOU!

Have you ever wondered how it can be so easy for some people to do certain motions such as holding proper posture, swinging a golf club, or speaking a different language, when it seems so difficult for you? Maybe you are curious about how workouts become easier after a short period of time? The body has a process called Muscle Memory. Does this mean that each muscle has it’s own memory?

Muscle memory refers to brains ability to learn how do a movement, then recall those actions and send the correct nerve impulse down the spinal cord  to the neuromuscular junctions where the nerve meets the muscle telling it how to move. Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., fitness research director at Quincy College in Massachusetts explains that “your brain creates pathways through your central nervous system, and movements become automatic.”
Nerve impulses follow the path of least resistance and this is why it can be difficult and even painful to learn new movements. As muscles weaken, become injured, or are put in compromised positions such as bad posture, they become bound by toxins and scar tissues that limit movement. The fewer resistance in the muscles the easier it becomes to retrain muscle memory and less painful the process will be.

A NeuroMuscular Junction is where the nerve meets and muscle. This is where the brain tells the muscle when and how to move.

Most people suggest working through the pain and difficulty, but you don’t necessarily have to take that route. Therapeutic massage and proper flexibility training helps to break down scar tissue and assists in removal of metabolic waste build up in the muscles. This allows for easier training of the muscle memory, so if you are starting a new workout, wanting to optimize your performance, or more importantly improve your posture try adding regular massage therapy and a good stretching routine into your regiment to improve your memory!

 

Healthy U Radio

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”
–Tony Robbins

As you may know if you follow my blog, and if you don’t you are about to find out, that I am very passionate about providing information about health and wellness to as many people as I  can.  I really feel that as  a  society we don’t take care of ourselves as well as we need to and I don’t feel that it is because we don’t want to ,  but because many of us don ‘t know how go about it properly. As the old cliche’ goes, ” Knowledge is power”  and we need that power to achieve our goals. It is with this thought that I try to convey and teach information through my newsletters, this blog, and even everyday conversation.

I am pleased to announce that I  am able to take this passion of mine to the next level with my very own radio show, Healthy U! The first show is this Saturday the 22nd from 2-4pm and  you can listen online at www.kinetichifi.com, it’s just that easy! The show is scheduled for every Saturday at the same times. Below is the description and mission statement of sorts for Healthy U:

“Welcome to Healthy U, a show designed to promote better health and wellness.  Our health and fitness are important to our livelihood but unfortunately don’t seem to make its way on to the priority list for many people. Healthy U’s goal is to inspire, educate, and support the health and wellness of the community through research and identification of specialists’ right in our own community that provide tips and additional education. The show will be completely interactive so that the listeners and the host can discuss the latest trends in health, fitness, nutrition, and other topics that spread wellness to us and others.”

If you would like to, you can follow the action and contact me with any questions, comments,  or ideas via:

email: healthyuradio@gmail.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/healthuradio

twitter: @healthyuradio

 

Optimize YOUR Workouts with the Right Recovery!

Beach weather is finally upon us and you know what that means, everyone wants to get their best beach body in shape and ready to head out. What this means for most is heading back in to the gym and for others it’s and increase in their workout. Either way, this can put a tremendous amount of stress on your body to the point it can cause pain and discomfort as well as limiting your ability and desire to keep up with your workouts. The most important part of a workout is the Recovery! The above Blog supplies you with 9 great ideas to help with your post-workout recovery. Follow this tips so that you can keep up with your workouts and so that you can move, feel, & BE better!

Pay close attention to #4 and #6! If you have any further questions, please feel free to comment or contact DEFINED: Therapeutic Massage (http://www.definedmassage.com)

Happy Training!

ChiroHealthWellness's Blog

So, you have finally dragged yourself to the gym; you eked out more sit-ups, push-ups, and miles today than you have in the past 5 years, and now you are exhausted, but you want to keep up your new workout regimen.  Recovery after exercise is essential to muscle and tissue repair and strength building.  A muscle needs anywhere from 24-48 hours after a workout to repair and rebuild, especially after a strength workout.  If recovery is not taken, a muscle simply will start to break down instead of build.  Here are 9 ways to make the most of your recovery hours that will keep the muscle soreness at a minimum, boost your energy level, and make your fitness goals a reality:

 

1.                  Rest.  Rest is one of the best ways to heal from illness, injury, and even from a tough workout.  So, kick off your shoes, sit back…

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