Now that we have figured out how to change some simple things in our lives, let us move onto bigger and better things. Our last observation was the Placebo effect, and how it can negatively and positively affect ones life.

Now let’s explore some things you can physically do to start making a change. If you follow(and do) the first 4 posts, you can use this next information together with those and probably get by the rest of your life. Not optimally mind you, but you will definitely have the upper hand over your couch potato neighbor.

I am timidly going to assume that you already know the difference between your chest and butt muscles, I hope that I do not need to cover this.

When you first wake up, there are two important steps to take, right away. First is to drink a glass of water, which I have already stated in another post. The second thing, and equally important is a good stretch. I am NOT talking about the typical yawn and stretch that you see on TV after someone wakes up. I’m talking about serious, get down and dirty, stretch ALL of your muscle groups thoroughly.

You can try and get away with traditional style stretching. Push a limb as far as it will go, hold for a moment then relax. Go through each muscle group, starting either at the top and work down, or vice versa, doesn’t matter. With years of practice, this will eventually yield some results. It is a painfully slow and agonizing way to try and improve your body and increase your muscle flexibility.

How would you like to see dramatic stretching ability RIGHT NOW? We live in a society in which speed takes precedence over quality. Fortunately for you in this case, speed IS quality.

Believe it or not, there is a technique out there that will show you results withing a few minutes. I was able to almost double my toe touching ability the FIRST time I tried this method, both sitting down and standing up. Rumors go that these techniques originate from the ancient monks of Spain, but who knows?

The technique is called “Isometric Stretching”. The word isometric basically means equal measurements, or in our case, equal pressure. The general understanding is that you stretch a limb to a certain point, then tense the muscles that are hurting as hard as you can, for a few seconds. Once you release the tension to the muscles, you gain slightly more flexibility.

Example: Sit on the floor, legs straight out, and try to reach as far as you can go. Once you hit your limit, your hamstrings should be screaming at you to stop. Now tense up those hamstrings by trying to push your legs through the floor. Count slowly to five or ten, and release the tension. During this time you still maintain the previous stretch position with your arms, do not go back to a resting position. As soon as that tension is released, stretch just a little more. Surprised at the results? You probably just increased your stretch by one or two inches, maybe more. Now repeat this process again, and miraculously you gain another one or two inches. Believe, Perceive, Repeat. Soon you will be stretching farther than you ever thought possible, in less than 10 minutes.

You can do this with any normal stretch position that they teach you in school, just add the tension/relax to the end of it. Make sure to maintain and hold your position while you tense the muscles, otherwise it doesn’t work. Try this on your arms, chest, back, calves, thighs, ribs, stomach, even toes and fingers/wrists. Be very careful with your neck though, I over stretched it one day and had a kink for a week… KINKY!

Another stretch: Sit upright on the floor, with you heels touching each other. Bring those heels as close to your groin as possible. Place your elbows on your legs, and try to touch your head to your feet…. oooo.
Once you reach the limit, use your elbows as resistance while you try to close your legs together. Flex your legs upwards, trying to push your elbows as hard as you can. Now release the tension, and pull your head just a little bit closer to your feet. Feels good doesn’t it? Next time, make sure to tense the back muscles, outer thighs, and arms simultaneously.

Those of you that know me, know that I’m pretty bulky and not a likely candidate for being flexible. Even still, I can touch my head to my toes in the last stretch. It takes me a few times to repeat the stretch/release process, but eventually I get there. (ten minutes tops)
I touch my toes with very little difficulty, I get close to the splitz, my ears can touch my shoulders without moving them upwards, and I can bend my thumbs to my forearms with no problem.

But WAIT, there’s more! A little secret that I would like to share with everyone, a modification to this ancient practice that I made myself. I have combined a self-hypnosis technique with the Isometric Stretching technique to further enhance the stretch, and also reduce muscle fatigue. As I am tensing the muscles, just as I release I place all of my focus and intent directly at the most sore spots in my muscles. While I have full conscious attention to those spots, I “tell” them to relax. Match your breathing to your heart rate, feel the soreness, and imagine that it dissolves as you say “relax” to them in your mind. Slow your breathing, slow the heart rate, relax…. believe, perceive, repeat.
That tension and muscle resistance retreats just enough for you to stretch a LOT farther.

Amazing results in one freaking day. I wish I had known this method of stretching when I was younger, would have made sports a lot easier.

I wish to conclude this post, but I still am not done yet.

Would you believe me if I told you I am actually tricking you to exercise? Not only exercise the muscle you are stretching, but just about your entire body. Think about it, when you tense up those muscles, you are in reality creating resistance.
Resistance = Work = Strength. And when you use another limb to hold a stretched limb, it must remain flexed to prevent movement… more Work. I can even expand on this more and say that flexing in a stretched position COMPOUNDS the effectiveness of your labor because it strengthens the muscles in that stretched state… meaning that they will stay flexible AND stronger LONGER.

When you do traditional stretch until it hurts and stop method, your muscles snap right back to the original position without very much improvement when you are done. The next day you can try it again and you are back at square one, and you will probably be very sore as well.(because you are ripping the muscles) With the Isometric method, the flexing tension actually reshapes and restructures the muscles to better suit your needs. You won’t feel too sore the next day, and you will notice remarkable improvement and gains quickly.

Besides stimulating your muscles, what other benefits do you perceive from this form of stretching, combined with clean water? When you stretch, it is only your muscles being manipulated, but your entire lymphatic system, glands, arteries, veins, organs (sexual organs as well), and improves circulation.

Heavier breathing will increase oxygen levels in your body, which likewise increases your energy levels and anti-body strength (those white blood cells that kill intruders).

Sweating will help regulate body temperature and also cleanse out pores and skin cells (not without water though, very important)

To further get things moving, right after your stretch is done, briskly rub your hands all over your skin. Rub as hard as you can stand, getting every part where the sun DOES shine. This action will push blood through any clogged capillaries, which just happen to be the feeding tubes to most of your cells. You will notice an intense rush of heat when you do this, don’t panic as the increased temperature will help those buff anti-bodies to kill off any residual invaders (like unwanted bacteria)

Now in conclusion, a large glass of clean water, and 10 minutes of Isometric stretching every morning and a brisk rub down will start to replenish, strengthen and rebuild your road to better health. simple

Believe, Perceive, Repeat

-bryan