Who knew. Stretching would make you sore

[Janine]

I purchased some Classical Stretch/ Essentrics on the last sale. I had never done them before. I think I'm addicted. I've been doing it every day almost since i got them and love it.
I never would have thought that stretching would make you sore, but boy do I feel it.
Anyone else get sore?

[lrb04]

Yes, it sure can IF YOU push yourself beyond your limit!! Listen to how your body & go slowly. We are all built differently! Now CS I have never done so other girls who do that need to chime in but for regular stretching it has happened to me when I was not listening to my body & went into a stretch to deep!

[toaster]

Not Classical Stretch, but Katy Bowman talks about this in her Alignment Snacks (specifically, "A Real Pain in the Neck"). She says (I'm paraphrasing) that people don't expect to get sore from the movements because they seem so gentle, but whenever you move your body in new and different ways, you have the potential for being sore. Makes sense, right?

[BunnyHop]

Oh, yeah, so true!

I've been doing a good bit of CS lately too, and have to be careful not to take it too far.

[marya]

Love your new avatar, Beth! You look beautiful!

One of my pet peeves about yoga/stretch/flexibility workouts is the lack of modification. You see an instructor (usually solo) easily stretching for what seems like miles across the screen. It looks so easy, and the natural tendency is to imitate her or him in every respect. But that instructor generally has a body conditioned by years of practice.

I wish more stretch workouts would have adopted the method of Suzanne Deason in Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss and Rodney Yee in Yoga for Athletes, allowing the option to see only beginner, intermediate, or advanced versions on screen. Or at least have modifiers on screen at all times, as many cardio and strength workouts do.

[toaster]

Aww, thanks marya! As I said on my checkin, I had to crop my niece & nephew out of the photo. (I would've included them, but we wouldn't all fit!)

I definitely agree with you about modifications--in fact, the two yoga practices you mentioned were two that I started with, and I still use the Yee one! Even now that I am a bit more flexible (but still not THAT flexible), I don't like when a yoga instructor says something like "go to your own level" and then proceeds to show the most advanced version of a move. I'm going through yoga teacher training right now, and my teacher actually encourages us NOT to practice along with the class; maybe this is one of the reasons!

[marya]

Originally Posted by toaster

Even now that I am a bit more flexible (but still not THAT flexible), I don't like when a yoga instructor says something like "go to your own level" and then proceeds to show the most advanced version of a move. I'm going through yoga teacher training right now, and my teacher actually encourages us NOT to practice along with the class; maybe this is one of the reasons!

I concur 100%! I'm actually considering reverting to paper workouts for yoga. Good luck with your yoga teacher training!

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by toaster

Not Classical Stretch, but Katy Bowman talks about this in her Alignment Snacks (specifically, "A Real Pain in the Neck"). She says (I'm paraphrasing) that people don't expect to get sore from the movements because they seem so gentle, but whenever you move your body in new and different ways, you have the potential for being sore. Makes sense, right?

I totally agree with this. I find I'm sore whenever I do something different. (I just said that on another thread!) It can be tempting to judge the efficacy of a workout based on DOMS, though.

As for yoga, I'm seeing a therapist right now who told me that the overwhelming number of injuries she sees in patients are from yoga. Not that she thinks yoga is inherently dangerous, but that instructors either encourage (or don't dissuade) practitioners from getting into positions for which they are either unready or not anatomically designed to get into. She said based on people's individual anatomy, some positions are just not possible (safely) for some people. But since yoga instructors tend to be 'good' at yoga (as in, they can get into the majority of poses) they teach to that and some people just can't do it.

I've never felt pressured by a yoga instructor to do anything, but I do think the class environment can sort of pressure people to do more than maybe they should. You see people around you getting deeper in positions and you think, 'oh, I should do that, too.' And maybe you shouldn't? I think instructors of any method have to walk a fine line between encouraging people to challenge themselves and giving people 'permission' to back off if need be.

[JackieB]

I always get stiff doing new and different programs.

As far as Classical Stretch, the name is so deceptive. I remember my first purchase many moons ago thinking I was buying a really nice stretch to address my back pain. I didn't intend to work that hard, and was really surprised.

I love my CS/Essentrics!

[Sharaz]

I know stretching would make me sore. Specially, my favorite stretching workouts dvd Felix Cane Pole Dance Mastery: Flexibility http://www.amazon.com/Felix-Cane-Pol...EH6X14P0GNV8NX

Right now is hard to get this 1hr routine in, but I do incorporate her stretches post workout. It is advance, but there is a screen that shows beginners version with modification. There is a splits section which I love TOUGH