Passive Stretching
And its benefits
For those of you that have been sleeping under a rock (or just didn’t hear lol), we have added a new mobility class on Saturday mornings at 8:15 AM!
The class will be 30 min and will go through different passive stretches to target muscles that were used over the course of the previous week.
If you aren’t spending time outside of class stretching and/or working your joints through their full range of motion, you will likely find yourself “tight” and/or “immobile”.
In this class, we will spend an extended period of time in different poses. In our cool-down stretches after class, they are usually prescribed for 30-60 seconds. Many of you don’t usually hold the stretches for the true duration. This class will force you to hold each stretch and to really focus on your breathing and relaxing your muscles. If you are really tense or pushing the stretch more than you need to, this can do more harm than good.
The idea of passive stretching is to push yourself into a tolerable position and relax. After a period of time, you will notice you will be able to go a little bit further and still tolerate it. This will truly relax your body.
Stretching can help significantly with flexibility, but there are several other benefits that you should consider.
- Increased range of motion - this will give you more freedom of movement and can allow you to be stronger in an increased ROM.
- Improved blood flow to muscles - improved circulation increases blood flow and can aid in your recovery time and reduce muscle soreness.
- Improved posture - we as humans spend a lot of time sitting, with our shoulders rolled forward. Stretching helps loosen tight muscles which will allow you to be more balanced.
- Relieves Stress - If you are stressed at all, there's a good chance your muscles will be very tense. Stretching will allow you to calm your mind and release some of that stress that you are holding.
With all of these awesome benefits, why wouldn’t you give the class a try? It will be a great time to focus on your body and clear your mind.
If you have any more questions, please ask Ariel or Matt. We hope to see you this Saturday for the very first class!