STRETCHING IS BORING...

Whenever I discuss flexibility with clients who have a limited range of motion in any muscle or muscle group, my first suggestion is always to increase the amount of time they spend stretching.  As a trainer, I'm always going to include a warm-up and cool-down period before and after a session, but that does very little to increase a client's overall flexibility long-term, especially if they are not taking time on their own to focus on problem areas.

That being said, I couldn't agree more with the response I often receive from clients when I suggest more stretching: "It's boring, and I don't feel like it's 'working out.'" Well, it is boring, and it's not working out.  However, your body will never reach it's full potential if you're not properly stretching, and not actively working on increasing your flexibility.  There are probably thousands of sites, listing thousands of stretches that you should do every day.  The list goes on and on, and as you sit in front of your computer for 30 minutes deciding what you should be doing, you'll become overwhelmed, and probably never even attempt a single stretch.  Here, I'm going to give the simplest ways to include extra stretching in your workout routine, that won't bore you to death.

1. IF YOU DON'T DO YOGA, YOU SHOULD! AND IF YOU THINK YOGA IS STUPID, YOU'RE STUPID!

The practice of yoga is thousands of centuries old.  Thousands!  Yoga is different in that it requires the body to work in synergy, while stretching and strengthening several different muscle groups at one time.  As my best friend Jackie would state during our yoga sessions, "You're vinyasa is nothing more than a push-up in disguise!" This is true, but it's also so much more.  I'm not going to go into a diatribe of all the benefits of the practice (muscle recovery, mind-body connection, decrease of injury, increased endurance, blah, blah, blah), but if you're interested in a quick read, you can find it here. The point is, if you work out regularly, if you strength train, if you run marathons, than you should also be doing yoga.  If you're not, your workout routine is incomplete, and you are selling yourself short of ever achieving the results you are hoping for from your routines. More than anything else, this will increase your flexibility and strength all at the same time. And as anyone who has ever gone to a slamming yoga class will tell you, whether Bikram, Baptiste, Hatha, or other, when done right, it's anything but boring.

2. FOAM ROLL UNTIL TEARS COME ROLLING DOWN YOUR FACE.

What is a foam roller? If I'm to answer honestly, I'm convinced it is a tool designed by Satan, and handed over to Physical Therapists and Personal Trainers alike as a reminder that even the most flexible people can use some more stretching.  This is a foam roller:

I know, it looks so innocent.  They come in all shapes and sizes, some with bumps, and some without (insert dirty joke here).  A foam roller essentially does what an $80 an hour masseuse does, but better and more painful.  The basics you need to know is that you have tiny little muscle fibers that connect your ligaments to your muscles, and muscles to your bones. This object puts intense pressure on those tiny muscle fibers and ligaments, and releases tensions and stress; this is known as myofascial release.  I am not going to go into intense depth and technical verbiage here, but if you want to read a nice succinct article about how it works, and the overall benefits, you can find that here. When you have particularly tight muscle groups, you will find that foam rolling can be painful...like, tears rolling down your face painful.  However, the benefits are insanely high, and done regularly, you'll notice a substantial increase in your overall flexibility and strength.  The foam roller may not entirely replace the message therapist, but I can tell you as someone who has had multiple messages, that no masseuse has ever achieved the muscle release that I experience with foam rolling except one, and she was a sports athletic message therapist who used to work with the Red Sox.   You can find foam rollers relatively cheap on Amazon, so don't let price be the thing that stops you from adding this to your warm-ups and cool-downs.  

3. STOP PRETENDING LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO STRETCH ON YOUR OWN.

The reality is, even if you find that perfect website, with every stretch, and how it's beneficial, you still have to execute the stretches to gain the benefits.  If you know you are someone who won't do the stretches on your own, then enlist professionals.  Every Beachbody program includes either a stretching DVD or a Pilates/Yoga DVD.  Why?  Because fitness professionals know that in order to have a complete fitness program, you have to stretch.  So, whether you purchase a program, pick up a DVD at Walmart, or use ON DEMAND from your cable, there are so many options now to help you stay focused and engaged with your stretching.  Just like any other workout, if you are not actively involved in the 'work' than you are not receiving the full benefits.  Sometimes, just doing the movement at the same speed as a video, and with other people, will help you really focus in on the work that you need to be doing, as well as decrease the likelihood that you'll get bored and quit half way through.  

So the question becomes, are you going to feel as accomplished after a stretching session as you do after a hardcore strength or cardio session?  Most of the time, the answer is no.  It's still going to feel tedious and slow, but the increases you will see not only in your flexibility, but also in your speed, power, and strength by simply investing one day to the practice, should  be what motivates you through those tough stretching days.  Start adding one of these approaches once a week, and within one month you'll see results you didn't know you could achieve.  Stretching is boring, yes, but so isn't the plateau that you will reach if you decide not to regularly incorporate it in your fitness routine.

BE STRONG. WORK HARD. EAT CLEAN. 

Maria