Our bodies aren’t designed to regularly push heavy weights, but they aren’t designed to sit all day at a desk either! It’s time to start prioritising stretching and mobility for long term health and pain free movement.
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I’ll be the first to admit – I’m not very good at stretching after I exercise. For my whole life with both organised sport and gym workouts I’ve been so diligent and warming up properly, increasing my mobility and activating my muscles before a session. But when the time comes after the session to cool down and stretch post workout, I often neglect it. Put simply, I just don’t prioritise it! I should make the time, rather than deciding that other things after my workout (eg. work, the rest of my weekend) are more important.
In addition to not stretching well enough after I workout, I work an office job. Sitting at a desk all day can cause a lot of problems with mobility, such as shoulders rounding forward resulting in a tight chest and weak lower back. I’m basically an injury waiting to happen! And in fact when I recently did injure my shoulder while preparing for a powerlifting competition, I have found a lot of lingering tightness in particular on my injured side.
I look at my dear grandma and see how she struggles to stand up straight, and shuffles along hunched over her walker. It’s hard to always make the best decisions for your future self, but right now I’m motivated to keep making daily, weekly decisions to improve my mobility for my long-term health. So when Tess from Health Inspiration Canberra reached out to me an offered the opportunity to try an assisted stretching session, I thought it would be nothing but good for me.
I had never heard of assisted stretching before I went to visit Tess! She started by asking my exercise routine, my occupation, if I had any previous injuries and if there was an area in particular she should focus on today. Due to my shoulder injury I suggested stretching through my upper back and shoulders, and you can see a sped up snippet of the work she did below!
Tess was very gentle, but also pushed enough to get stretching benefits. On a number of occasions she relieved the pressure, asked me to take a big breath in and out, and pushed the stretch a little further. There’s no oils, creams or need to take off your clothes; Tess does everything with her hands and massage balls.
I think assisted stretching would be a great option for those that regularly engage in physical activity (and perhaps don’t stretch as much as they should) or older individuals who struggle with mobility and require assistance. Health Inspiration Canberra is located in Griffith and sessions can be of varied length – meaning you can even pop in during your lunch break. The assisted stretching session made me realise how tight I am through my body, and I need to make a concerted effort to be aware of my posture and recovery at work and after my sessions. Otherwise, I’ll be back for more!
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Em Wizz Fitness 