If stretching had a theme song it would be “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” by Simon and Garfunkel. You may know the words:
Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy
When you stretch you should move slowly; breathe and hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds. At first you may actually need to watch a clock to know how long 30 seconds is, but as you get more comfortable with stretching and more in tune with your body, you instinctively know how long to hold the stretch. For me, it’s about four or five deep breaths. Keep your mind focused on the stretch and on breathing slowly and deeply. Don’t think about all the things you have to do today or what you’re going to cook for dinner, just stay focused on going slow and feelin’ groovy!
To help prevent injuries, start each stretch in what I call the comfort zone — the point in the stretch where you just begin to feel mild tension in the muscle. Start out by stretching for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths before trying a second repetition. As you increase repetitions, it helps if you imagine every exhale you take as allowing you to move an inch deeper into the stretch. Believe it or not, the slower you go in the beginning, the more quickly you’ll see results!
Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy
When you stretch you should move slowly; breathe and hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds. At first you may actually need to watch a clock to know how long 30 seconds is, but as you get more comfortable with stretching and more in tune with your body, you instinctively know how long to hold the stretch. For me, it’s about four or five deep breaths. Keep your mind focused on the stretch and on breathing slowly and deeply. Don’t think about all the things you have to do today or what you’re going to cook for dinner, just stay focused on going slow and feelin’ groovy!
To help prevent injuries, start each stretch in what I call the comfort zone — the point in the stretch where you just begin to feel mild tension in the muscle. Start out by stretching for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths before trying a second repetition. As you increase repetitions, it helps if you imagine every exhale you take as allowing you to move an inch deeper into the stretch. Believe it or not, the slower you go in the beginning, the more quickly you’ll see results!
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