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Stretching Anatomy - Arnold Nelson and Jouko Kokkonen
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Stretching Anatomy
by Arnold Nelson and Jouko Kokkonen
NEW, 160 pages
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About Stretching Anatomy
See inside every stretch—and maximize flexibility! Stretching Anatomy will arm you with the knowledge to increase range of motion, supplement training, enhance recovery, and maximize efficiency of movement. You’ll also gain a detailed understanding of how each stretch affects your body.
Stretching Anatomy is like having an X-ray of each stretch, only better. Not only do you see full-color illustrations of the muscles in action, but you also find out how changes in position can alter the muscle emphasis and difficulty and how variations can improve safety and effectiveness.
Each exercise includes detailed instruction on how to stretch, when to stretch, primary and secondary muscle emphasis, and which muscles are activated for support. Stretching programs provide three levels of difficulty, including light stretching that can be used as a warm-up or to aid in recovery from soreness or injury. And summary movement tables show how to customize stretching programs to focus on key problem areas.
Whether it is increased flexibility or reduced muscle soreness or tension, Stretching Anatomy allows you to see and feel the benefit of proper stretching technique.
About Arnold Nelson
Arnold G. Nelson, PhD, is an associate professor in the department of kinesiology at Louisiana State University. A leading researcher on flexibility, he is considered one of the top authorities on how stretching affects muscle performance. Nelson is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and earned his PhD in muscle physiology from the University of Texas at Austin. He resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
About Jouko Kokkonen
Jouko Kokkonen, PhD, is a professor in exercise science at Brigham Young University in Hawaii. For more than 20 years, he has taught anatomy, kinesiology, exercise physiology, and athletic conditioning, and for 35 years he has coached track and field. Kokkonen's research has revolved around the acute and chronic effects of stretching. He earned his PhD in exercise physiology from Brigham Young and now resides in Laie, Hawaii, with his wife, Ruthanne.
Reviews of this book
”Stretching Anatomy is the most complete guide to stretching I've seen. Its illustrations, tips, and explanations inspired me to stop procrastinating and start getting limber.”
Janet Lee
Deputy Editor, Shape
”The beautiful, highly detailed illustrations in Stretching Anatomy are the best I've ever seen, and the book's advice and exercises are simple, clear, and easy to follow. It's an invaluable resource for anyone—from novice exercisers to fitness professionals."
Sara Kooperman
Owner and Executive Director of SCW Fitness Education
About Stretching
Stretching is a form of physical exercise in which a specific skeletal muscle (or muscle group) is deliberately elongated to its fullest length (often by abduction from the torso) in order to improve the muscle's felt elasticity and reaffirm comfortable muscle tone. The result is a feeling of increased muscle control, flexibility and range of motion. Stretching is also used therapeutically to alleviate cramps.
Stretching, in its most basic form, is a natural and instinctive activity; it is performed by many animals including humans. It can be accompanied by yawning. Stretching often occurs instinctively after waking from sleep, after long periods of inactivity, or after exiting confined spaces and areas.
Many athletes stretch deliberately before or after exercise in order to increase performance and reduce injury.
In the literature described by Michael Yessis, there are many beneficial stretches that can improve range of motion (ROM) in athletes, especially runners. In his review, he cites benefits of stretching:
1. may improve ROM
2. reduce risk of injury during activity
3. prevent post-exercise muscle soreness
4. slow delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
To gain these benefits, Yessis describes different forms of stretching along with their individual benefits. He suggests that one stretching exercise may not be enough to prevent all types of injury. Therefore, multiple stretching exercises should be used to gain the full effects of stretching.
Research by Sharman et al. sought to find what techniques elongate muscles through "proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation" (PNF) stretching. They used around seventy sources to compile their data. In this review, PNF stretching yielded the greatest change in range of motion (ROM), especially short-term benefits. Ballistic stretching was also beneficial in comparison; however, PNF techniques emphasize active flexibility and therefore get better results. Reasoning behind the biomechanical benefit of PNF stretching points to muscular reflex relaxation found in the musculotendinous unit being stretched. More common findings in literature suggest that PNF benefits are due to influence on the joint where the stretch is felt.
Stretching Anatomy
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