Warm-ups and Stretches
These exercises two things.
Firstly they support the rest of the program. If I ask you to hold your arm in a certain position then I'll also point you to exercises that make it easier to do that. It's great to know what the best posture or technique is but if there are physical imbalances making these postures too difficult to maintain then we're all wasting our time. They help make it possible for you to do the things you already know you're supposed to do. Secondly some of them will be useful in the management of particular overuse injuries. If you are managing an injury you should do so under the supervision of a qualified health professional. The TuneUp program will complement, not replace, proper medical attention.
There are two ways to use the information presented here. Firstly you can take any of the recommended sequences and use them as written. They are combinations of stretches and other exercises specific for a particular application such as a daily practice or a warm up. Secondly we can configure your own sequence or find just a few exercises that work really well for you. I know if ever I overdo it a 5 minute serratus anterior treatment is all I need. You should do this however in consultation with either me or your health professional.
Stretching
We stretch muscles because they are too short and we want to lengthen them. This shortness could be looked at as either structural, lesions in the connective tissue bind up the muscle, or functional, excessive activity from the nervous system creates too many active motor units. In reality of course there is generally a combination of both and the two affect each other but for now it's sufficient to know that we're trying to overcome one or both of these limitations. The studies of connective tissue and proprioception respectively (coming soon) will give you more information about how this happens.
The nervous system is a quick acting regulator, this means that if we do an exercise and immediately notice a change in muscle length it's been through the immediate action of the nervous system. Changes in connective tissue length will take much longer.
Stretching the connective tissue
As we've already seen the collagen fibres in the myofascia tend to be arranged in the direction of the force applied to them. When localised adhesions in the connective tissue, through scarring or overuse, cause matting of the fibers, the capacity of the muscle to stretch out is reduced. Prolonged tension in one direction, such as that produced during stretching, will encourage new collagen fibres to follow the direction of the stretch.
Reprogramming the nervous system
A quick stretch will create a myotatic (or stretch) reflex that causes the muscle to contract. Slow prolonged stretching is thought to override the myotatic reflex and eventually reprogram it to allow for a lower level of motor activity in the muscle. Some stretching techniques, such as the active techniques described later on, take advantage of the neuromuscular interactions to increase muscle length.
Stretching Safely
Stretching is obviously a good thing to do but it can do more harm than good if not done properly.
- Always warm up before stretching. Any physical activity that involves movement will get blood into the muscles will usually do as a warm up, the Dao Yin exercises in the program are excellent. Don't confuse warm ups and stretches, a stretch is meant to lengthen short muscles and needs to be held for a minimum of 30 to 45 seconds, many warm ups may look like stretches because they take a joint close to the end of it's range of movement but they don't lengthen shortened myofascia.
- Move into your stretch slowly, from a stable position and only go as far as feels comfortable. After a while you may feel like you can push it a little further that's OK. It's OK to feel a strong stretch but not straight away, ease yourself into it.
- Stretching involves taking joints to the end of their range of movement, if a joint is compromised then this will hurt. If you feel pain stop immediately, if it persists then see a health professional.
Passive Stretching
Passive stretching depends on the energy of other muscles to generate tension in both the muscle and connective tissue fibres. It is important that the direction of the force creating this tension is as close to possible to the line of the muscle, between the distal and proximal tendons
In this stretch I'm using the muscles in my left arm to pull my right elbow back. This creates a passive tension in the tricep muscle along the line indicated by the white arrow and in the lateral shoulder rotators (green arrow). This direction is important because collagen fibres are embedded into the connective tissue according to the forces that are applied to it and we want this direction to be consistent with the direction of the muscle fibres.
The Exercises
This section contains all of the exercises that are referenced elsewhere in the program.
It's important that these exercises be taken in the proper context, they are listed here purely for reference, you'll be guided to them throughout the program or by me directly, either through the forum or via an online consultation. Don't work through them without any supervision.
Stretches for the legs and hips
It's important that these exercises be taken in the proper context, they are listed here purely for reference, you'll be guided to them throughout the program or by me directly, either through the forum or via an online consultation. Don't work through them without any supervision.
Hamstring Stretch
- Sit on the floor and spread your legs as far as possible.
- Turn your waist so that you’re facing your right foot.
- Lean forward and flex your right hip by pushing your abdomen toward the front of your thigh, and reach for your foot.
- Keep your back straight, the stretch is more effective and it’s less of a strain for your back.
Hip Flexor Stretch
- Start with your legs wide apart.
- Turn your waist and right foot both 90 degrees to the right.
- Keep your back upright and lunge forward onto your right knee.
- You should feel the stretch around the left groin.
- Stay relaxed and hold the stretch for about a minute.
- Repeat for the other side.
Hip abductor stretch
- Lie on your right side with both legs straight.
- Flex your left hip and knee.
- Pull your shoulder back to rotate your spine back until your knee is off the floor.
- You’ll only feel this stretch if you can relax your hip. If your knee is off the floor and you don’t feel the stretch concentrate on letting your knee fall by relaxing your hip muscles.
- Lie here for a few minutes, allow the myofascia in the hip and leg to stretch and relax.
Stretching the lateral rotators of the hip
- Sit on the floor with your left hip flexed so that it’s in front of you.
- Rotate your left hip laterally so that your foot is pointing out to the left and then flex your knee. Your leg below your knee is pointing directly to the right.
- Lean forward, taking your abdomen toward your left knee, don’t bend your upper back. You should feel a strong stretch deep in your buttock.
This is a strong stretch, not for the faint-hearted or anyone with structural problem in the hip joint. If you this one too difficult, don't do it, the previous stretch for the medial rotators will also lengthen the lateral rotators so just stick with it for now.
Hip Adductor Stretch
- Stand in horse stance.
- Widen your stance as far as possible.
- Bend your left knee and keep the right one straight so that you come down on your left side as your upper body rotates to the right.
- You’ll feel a stretch inside the groin on your right leg.
- Hold for 5 seconds, come up and stretch the other side.
- Do both sides 3 times, holding it a bit longer each time.
Stretching the medial rotators of the hip
- Sit and bring your right knee toward your chest.
- Cross your right foot across your left knee and pull your right knee up into your left shoulder as you turn your trunk to the right.
Stretches for the neck and upper back
It's important that these exercises be taken in the proper context, they are listed here purely for reference, you'll be guided to them throughout the program or by me directly, either through the forum or via an online consultation. Don't work through them without any supervision.
Neck Rotator Stretch
- Turn to your left to look over your left shoulder as far as you can.
- Don’t push this one too hard and only hold it for 10 to 15 seconds initially.
- Repeat on the right side and then again on both sides gradually increasing the length and degree of the stretch with each one
Splenius Capitis Stretch
- Sit and turn to face your right knee.
- Bring your right hand behind your head and pull it further towards your right knee.
- Relax and hold it for a minute or so before stretching the other side.
Lateral Neck Flexors Stretch
- Bring your right hand to the left side of your head.
- Pull your head to the right so that your right ear is coming toward your right shoulder.
Neck extensors Stretch
- Bring both hands behind your head and pull your head forward.
- Don’t overstretch.
Chin Tucks
- Stand with your shoulders relaxed and your head up.
- Look straight ahead and stick your neck out in front as far as it will go, stretching the back of your neck.
- Still looking ahead bring your head back as far as it will go.
- This is a strengthening exercise as much as a stretch so you need to repeat these two movements at least ten times.
- Increase the number of repetitions as you build strength.
sue's thoracic stretch
Stretches for the shoulder
It's important that these exercises be taken in the proper context, they are listed here purely for reference, you'll be guided to them throughout the program or by me directly, either through the forum or via an online consultation. Don't work through them without any supervision.
Anterior shoulder stretch
- This will stretch pectoralis major and minor, and coracobrachialis. If you keep your arm straight you’ll stretch the bicep brachii as well.
- Stand in a doorway and brace your elbow against the door jam.
- Open the front of your chest by turning your body to the opposite side as your arm pushes into the door jam.
Tricep and medial shoulder rotators stretch
- While either sitting or standing point your left elbow to the sky.
- Grab it with your right hand and pull to the midline.
- Push your left elbow forward into your right hand for six seconds.
- Relax, count to two, then stretch some more.
- Repeat twice.
Rhomboids and medial rotator stretch
- To stretch the right shoulder bring your right elbow across in front of your chest and rotate your shoulder so that your right hand is under your left arm.
- With your right hand pull your elbow into your body to stretch the back of your shoulder.
The Long Pole
It's important that these exercises be taken in the proper context, they are listed here purely for reference, you'll be guided to them throughout the program or by me directly, either through the forum or via an online consultation. Don't work through them without any supervision.
The first of the pole exercises serves as both your warm up and warm down.
- Start by selecting a pole. I'm using my favourite ratan pole that my mate Rusel gave me. If you don't have one of these you can get any sort of pole from the hardware store, it needs to have a bit of weight so around 3-5cm (inch, inch and a half) in diameter will suit most people, and cut it to about your height. Mines a little longer than that but Rusel always did like to throw me a bit of a challenge (for which I'm eternally grateful).
- The video best demonstrates the first warm up exercise. It's fairly straightforward and will get you used to the repeat back and forth movements of the pole. Focus as you start on allowing the pole to move according to it's own momentum and using your hands and arms simply to guide it.
- Pull the pole into your abdomen with one hand by rotating your shoulder medially, working your pectoral muscles as well as the medial rotators. Your lower abdomen that acts as a fulcrum as you catch the pole with the other hand to open the chest and shoulder on that side before pulling it back in again.
Now that we're warmed up we can get started.
- You go into this one straight from the warm exercise. As you catch the pole in front of your abdomen turn your hand to face palm up and lift the pole above your head as it continues to swing around, make sure that you get it up in time before it comes around to hit you in the head.
- As the pole continues to swing bring the leading tip down in front of you so that the other end comes up behind your shoulder. The pole then continues to swing around behind and tucks up under your arm and the leading tip is now behind you. Check the video for this one.
- At this point your shoulder is rotated medially and pulled in behind your back. At this extreme point it will slow down and bounce back the other way, through the same course until you catch it with your other hand swing it around above your head again and repeat on the other side.
- Once you're comfortable with this one the next step is to continue the movement behind your back rather than stopping and bouncing back up. To do this simply bring your free hand around behind you as the pole makes its way around to the back and catch it. It's momentum will bring it back up above your head where you swing it around and catch it with your other hand to repeat the movement. Make sure that you catch with both hands facing behind you.
- Finally repeat this movement in the opposite direction. As the pole swings around above your head instead of catching it have your hand facing against the direction of the pole and allow it into your hand before pushing it back the other way.
- Start with the pole securely in your hand the leading tip out in front and your arm to your side at about 45˚.
- Bring that leading tip across the front of your body and then roll your wrist so that it comes up behind you and the pole rotates in a sagittal plane to your side. As it continues around you'll need to catch it with your other hand, make sure that it's pointing up and your shoulder is medially rotated, again just check the video.
- Once you've caught it allow it to complete it's rotation before guiding the leading tip across your body for the same movement on the other side. The trick here is to just aim to get that leading tip in the right position, in front of your body just far enough to the side that it won't hit you as it straightens into the sagittal plane. If you can get it in the right spot and time your wrist rotation well there'll be little if any strain on your wrist.
- Your 'attack ready' stance is a modification of the horse stance that has your feet no wider than shoulder width apart, as you start your exercise you'll want to slightly widen your stance to get a better grip on the ground. The pole is held in your hand kind of like a really big pencil, between your thumb and first finger with your hand gripping the pole as in the video
- From there take the bottom tip of the pole behind you so that the top leans over the front of your shoulder. With your other hand take the pole and bring it across your body as it rotates and what was originally the bottom of the pole becomes the leading tip and moves towards a point in front of you and to your side, similar to the previous exercise.
- Once in this position the pole will want to spin, allow that to happen and bring the leading tip up under your arm, this time so that it appears above your shoulder ready to be caught by the other hand and taken over to the opposite side.
- Make sure that the pole spins in a sagittal plane or it'll be hitting you in the head.
- This exercise will move your shoulder in the opposite direction to the previous one. This laterally rotated and abducted position is the easiest one in which to dislocate your shoulder. Under normal circumstances this exercise won't be able to produce enough force to do this but if you're ever had a shoulder dislocation, or are at risk of having one then DON"T DO IT. The forces created require some stability of the shoulder, and when done safely will increase that stability, but if you're prone to dislocation you'll require much less force to injur your shoulder and it's simply not worth the risk. Seek competent medical advice before attempting any of these exercises.
- So start in stance and bring the top of the pole around behind you until it is in the by-now familiar position to your side and just in front of you. From here allow it to a half revolution bringing this leading tip to the top and your shoulder into a fully abducted and laterally rotated position.
- Now bring your other hand across your body to catch the pole in the middle, just below the level of the elbow on the arm that is currently holding the pole. The next revolution will have you bringing the leading tip (at the top now of the circle) across your body to the other side where it can rotate to repeat the movement over there.
- The main difference that you'll find with this movement is that the pole is moving in the opposite direction to the previous two.