Fitness Industry Lie #2 – Stretching Will Make You More Flexible

When do we feel stiff and inflexible…? When our body is not balanced, like after an injury or after a surgery, or when we are under severe stress. So, here’s the million-dollar question…. Can stretching balance your body physically, mentally and neurologically to keep your joints supple and flexible? The answer is NO! To get more flexible we must optimize the primary movements we were born with and balance the Autonomic Nervous system to properly regulate our muscle tone.

Our Primary movements are the simplest movement programs that are encoded in our DNA to serve as protection and survival mechanisms which makes them very reliable. Neuroscientists don’t know the exact origin of these movements and why they appear in our body during the fifth week of pregnancy to start the development of our brain and nervous system. Yes, you heard right… Primary Movements starts our neurological development. So, these very specific movements, when performed strategically, can balance the Autonomic Nervous system and get your muscle tone properly regulated, which will make you more flexible.

Muscle Tone is the tension your muscles generate at rest, not how toned your muscles are. Your Muscle tone is regulated by the Autonomic nervous system and depending on its state, can be up regulated, as in Fight or Flight stress response, which will make you very stiff and inflexible or down regulated, as in Fear Paralysis state, which will make you very weak and stiff because of the instability of the joints due to the muscle weakness.

Now that I have your attention hurry up and schedule in person or virtual session with me and let’s get you started on a safe and super effective training program!