Unusual Ways to stretch

[Mark5]

Sometimes the mind has to be tricked to get the most out of a stretch.

The rope trick:

Lying on my back I can raise a straight leg 45 degrees... too stiff.  When alone I wrap a rope around my ankle and SLOWLY pull my leg to the point of Resistance and a bit more. Done wrong I hit a wall of resistance. Done right I feel a stretch like gently pulling salt water toffee. Once any pain begins (a little pain - NOT A LOT)  I relax and drop my leg......repeat 10 or more times, slowly acquiring full range of motion.

Best done with another person instead of a rope. This person HAS to be sensitive enough to feel the muscle sheaths stretch. If not they will hurt you.

Passive Resistance:  Requires two people.

I raise my leg half way to the point of resistance. My partner grabs hold of my leg and tries to push it the rest of the way.....I resist  him until he says relax. Then quickly working together we go through the stretch.  RESIST>>>>RESIST>>>>RESIST>>>ASSIST.

This is the fastest, safest, least painful way I know of.

Acrobat Massage:

A real mind blower from the circus.  A friend hangs his patients upside down and works their muscles. Not being bats we don't have any compensatory patterns when upside down. The mind is out of the picture.

Hot and Cold:

Requires really hot water, such as a hot spring, or hot tub turned up to around 110 deg F. (or a sauna).

Nearby there has to be a source of cold, either a snow bank, or water.  By cold I mean 45 deg F or below.

It's simple, one jumps from one extreme to the other and stays there as long as they can. At first this may only be a few seconds, later when one can no longer feel the difference between hot and cold its minutes.

This is my favorite way to relax.  The end result is a "full body stone"  - don't attempt to drive or work. Become a jelly fish and get a massage, stare at a tree or something. Divorce....what divorce?

Warning: Submerging your head in freezing water is OK. But, not the hot.  The brain likes it cool.