How to enjoy the stretching?

(wersja polska - TUTAJ)

"The brain likes what it likes"

What does it mean?

It simply means that we will either consciously or unconsciously always strive for the activities, things, and so on and on that we really like, which make us happy, which give us pleasure, and those we treat as an "enemy" will be avoided - such activities will cause mental and physical pain.

What impact does it have on your stretching sessions?

Many people associate stretching with pain, with something very necessary, but unpleasant, which in turn tightens the muscles by sending stimuli to the brain blocking the unwanted activity.

When a person who stretches has a negative attitude to the stretching, what happens is:

• she or he is afraid of the pain,

• she or he dislikes this action

The person can forget about any long-lasting, long-term positive effects.

It will also be very difficult for a person to maintain regularity in training sessions or stretching sessions, because the brain will always look for excuses not to do anything, which is simply uncomfortable for him/her.

What is the remedy to this?

It may sound trivial like a cliché, but simply make your stretching session a pleasure, something you cannot wait for. Here are some tips how to do this:

1. Learn about stretching – get to know it

This knowledge will help you understand how much your stretching sessions can give you and in what way, it will make you know better the stretching process, and yet each one of us like to know things in general, and with the knowledge we immediately feel better.

Find out more especially about the benefits of stretching. These benefits can become an additional motivation, which is needed for every activity we undertake.

2. Make your stretching sessions a ritual

Daily routine - life can be overwhelming unless it is made up of tiny or/and larger rituals that make the life taste much better.

The ritual is even when the most ordinary activities become a celebration (through the way of preparing yourself to them), the desire for the best / most beautiful performance possible, we make out of these ordinary things a small feast and it makes this very special and enjoyable for us.

To make the stretching a ritual you should:

• At the very beginning it is necessary to start thinking about it this way,

• Make the time for this special activity, and make the special time for this session, find the right place for stretching - whether it is your home or out when you have group workouts,

• Make sure you put on something that fits well - something comfortable, something you like,

• Do not be really late for the training - at the last minute and then stay a moment longer after the workout to relax

3. Never force yourself / overstrain or push yourself

Everywhere you look there are orders / prohibitions and the brain is rebellious when it comes to obey the restrictions.

Do not let anyone push you, whether it is someone or you yourself in stretching - ordering or banning something.

Everything is meant to be your own voluntary decision, and as soon as you feel you do too much or someone pushes you – you should stop, never be afraid to say STOP. Stretching is very specific and it is definitely better to do a bit less on a day when you simply do not feel up for full range of activities instead of forcing yourself and this in turn may lead to a chronic injury, such as overstrain or even tearing a muscle.

4. Make yourself feel comfortable

The brain / the body likes when it is pleasant and comfortable.

So while being in a session / or before / or after your stretching session do anything that makes you feel good:

- buy a thick mat – a softer one

- Splurge yourself with a comfortable outfit - preferably not too tight in any way

- make sure that anything you wear is not pulling, anything you wear should not definitely be unpleasant for you,

- In difficult positions look for solutions that will ease them - pillows under your knees or your ankles, under the thighs or your hands

- remember that nothing you do to make you comfortable is not considered ridiculous/ silly and even if you need to have a favorite mascot with you do not feel bad, just place it next to you, so you can feel better an happier when you stretch.

5. Treat your own body as your best friend

Instead of straining and showing impatience - show understanding and patience

Instead of nagging - smile and say that everything will be fine and it is just the matter of time and hard work to achieve the goals you have in mind.

Smile instead of having a sad face

Take care of yourself – this means a good diet, regular sleep, etc.

After all, this is what the best friends do - don’t they?

6. Do not compete with yourself

Do not try to prove yourself, let it go, distance yourself from it, start laughing at yourself, any strangeness of your own body, even if all you do does not go the way you would want and expect.

Remember that when you want something too much your body tightens, and when your body is in such a state you will be unable to increase range of motions and there will be a risk of an injury – and you really do not want this to happen.

7. React as you please

Do not hold back any reaction - you want to grunt – do it, you want to cry - cry,

Laughter, crying, shaking, grumbling, screaming, squeezing something – these all are normal reactions and simply let go and let yourself fell the FREEDOM.

8. You do not feel like stretching? Just don’t

Do you feel like lazy bones or a couch potato? Have a day off - enjoy it and have no guilt no complaints that today you are missing your workout. There is nothing worse than acting by force.

9. Treat stretching as an adventure

For years I used stretching as a tool of torture, as a tool to prove myself and the others that I CAN and yes I had a lot of injuries and I did not feel well in my own body.

Since I started treating stretching as an adventure it all changed for better (in the form):

• Finding tendons, ligaments, muscles, or even single bundles or fibers,

• Looking for a position that will stretch the specific muscle,

• watching closely my body - all reactions occurring in the body,

• Watching how I am changing under the influence of healthier and better physical mobility - also psychological reactions

I found out that stretching became fun and became my real friend who makes my body super mobile happy and healthy.

10. Enjoy and be happy as a child

The child enjoys every little thing and therefore the child is happy and the body is healthier.

Let yourself enjoy the feeling of stretching, even if there is no progress

Let yourself be happy with every millimeter and do not feel stressed that it's ONLY a small millimeter – it is still a millimeter!!!! Be happy, because it is your achievement – your goal reached!!!

Let yourself also enjoy the fact that you are going to your stretching session and generally laugh as often as possible – let all the things connected with the stretching make you laugh, because it will load the body with hormones of happiness - endorphins and this is why the body will be healthier, and the more beautiful body is more eager to take part in the stretching process.

ENJOY YOUR STRETCHING !!!