Flexibility
A flexibility program is a series of exercises which combine both
static and dynamic movements designed to increase the range of
movement about a joint. Staying flexible as we age is a major factor remaining mobile and active into our senior years. Therefore A good flexibility program is an
essential part of the Baby Boomer Longevity Solution™.
Mirabai Holland’s Fabulous Forever® Easy Stretch and Stress Reduction & Moving Free® Flexibility are designed to provide all the flexibility essentials.
Two types of flexibility.
Static Flexibility: Range of movement around a joint in a held
position (split)
Dynamic Flexibility: the ability to use a range of movement around the joint while moving (a split leap in the air)
The Stretch Reflex
You start to do a straddle stretch sitting with your legs apart in a v-shape and everyone goes “ooh”  That ooh is your response to your muscle spindles which are the part of your muscles that don’t contract but sense what your muscle is doing and report back to your brain. Spindles are sending a message to your brain “better take the tension off the muscle or someone is going to get hurt.” That is when the stretch reflex kicks in. Anytime the muscle fibers are stretched too far or bouncing up and down (ballistic stretching) protecting by tightening the very muscles you are trying to stretch. However, if the stretch is held long enough in a static position the GTOs (Golgi Tendon Organs) kick in. They are sensors which sense the tension on tendons and are found on tendons where muscles attach to bones. They say “Hey this is a-okay” and allow the muscles to relax and actually stretch further. So static stretching is better than ballistic stretching because it allows enough time for the GTOs to kick in.
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DO’s & DON’TS