Stretching Do's and Don'ts 2.0

Stretching is a largely misunderstood term. People stretch for different reasons whether it's too rehab your body, prepare for exercise, relax, gain flexibility, or just because they enjoy it. There are also many different forms of stretching, some that are safe and effective, and others that are dangerous and outdated. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to stretch, stretching can be a really healthy activity if you are doing is correctly. In my previous stretching post Stretching Do's and Don'ts I talked about the difference between Dynamic stretching and Static stretching and how they are currently being utilized in athletes. Let's do a little refresher on that:

Dynamic stretching is when you move your body through a comfortable range of motion to help warm up the muscles, lubricate the joints, and awaken neuromuscular connections (get your brain involved). This is not to be confused with Ballistic stretching which is an archaic means of stretching were you swing your limbs past the point of comfort with the intention of increasing flexibility. Ballistic stretching is dangerous and ineffective. Dynamic stretching also won't increase flexibility.

Here, Nina demonstrates a popular dynamic stretch for warming up the lower body with focus on the hip flexor and hamstrings. This stretch is useful for many activities, especially those that include running, skating, climbing, and swimming.

Use a wall or a partner for support while you gently swing your leg forward and back 10 times. Switch legs and repeat. You can also turn to face the wall and swing your leg side to side to warm up your outside hip and groin.

Hamstring Stretch

Static Stretching is the most common type of stretching. You will find this style of stretching in many yoga classes, on sports teams, and prescribed by physiotherapists and kinesiologists. It is when you hold a position for about 30 seconds without bouncing or pulsing. The idea is to move your body to a place where you feel a gentle stretch and hold it there until the muscle(s) relax slightly. If you stretch daily after exercise you will notice increased flexibility in that muscle over time, and decreased
muscle soreness.

Hip Flexor Stretch

If you are stretching as a part of injury rehab or prevention, READ THIS next paragraph:

There is growing evidence to support that the most optimal way to static stretch is to hold the stretch, just at the point where you feel a gentle tension in the muscle but no sharp pain, for 30-60 seconds, rest, then repeat 5-10 times. By holding the stretch any longer or deeper (as in some types of yoga) you may overstretch your muscle which puts your joint at risk and may damage your ligaments, or it may actually cause the muscle to try to protect itself from overstretching by contracting and tearing.


Stretching should be an enjoyable experience and a part of everyone's exercise routine. Relaxing and breathing should be a big part of it. Having modest flexibility helps to keep your joints healthy by lubricating them and feeding them nutrients. As you age you will have less muscle injury and a lower incidence of arthritis. Stretching the muscles helps to flush out waste products from exercise and decrease muscle soreness. Technically you can just move your body into a place where you feel a stretch for it to work, but it is important to be aware of body mechanics to stretch safely. The body likes to move in specific directions so keep those in mind as you stretch, or you can take the guesswork out of it and have a professional teach you tried and true safe stretches. And be aware that having too much flexibility is not a good thing either.

If you want to know how to safely stretch a particular muscle or group of muscles please feel free to comment on this post or contact me directly.

Fun with Slacklining

If you've never heard of a slackline before, you're not alone. Slacklining originated with rock climbers and has since become a sport of its own. A slackline is basically a 4 inch wide line tightened between two trees. It is like a wide tightrope but can have some incredible applications. You can simply stand on it or walk on it. Or, when you get really good, you can start to incorporate crazy balance poses, or even bounce on it like a trampoline adding in flips and tricks.

Greg shows us how to get on the slackline in Penticton, BC.

Some people have even taken it to the extreme and created High-lining. This is when the slackline is strung up across a gorge or river high above the ground. It takes a high level of understanding in order set this up safely (I'm certainly no where near this). Most people will use a safety tether but there are some who will walk across with no protection at all.  Some of my favrouite youtube.com videos include appearences by "Sketchy" Andy and Dean Potter.

Tips to get you started:
1) Getting on - I have found that the best way to get on a slackline as a beginner is to stand next to it with one foot on the slackline. Make sure this foot isn't weighted or you will find that it will shake uncontrollably! Hop up off the your other foot on the ground and reach your arms up high. Keep your knee slightly bent and your upper body tall. Also, look forwards, not downwards (I find looking at where the end of the slackline meets the tree works best for me). Make sure you breath and maintain a postitive attitude.

2) Staying on - I promise that you will be shaking in the beginning. This is normal. Don't get frustrated. Try to balance on one foot for 5 seconds. If the line is shaking a lot, you can also try to make a T with your feet, bringing your heels together to settle the line. After you feel balanced, take a step forward onto your other foot and try balancing on that one.

3) Walking - Once you have gotten comfortable balancing on one foot at a time, you can eventually start to quicken the time between each foot and before you know it you'll be walking.

I'm looking pretty shakey here. Notice my right arm is down. I would have been more successful by keeping both arms overhead and making small adjustments for balance.

Even something as simple as walking on a slackline will take a long time so keep up the positive self talk and enjoy the journey. Other basic moves you can do are: walking backwards, turning 180 degrees, jumping on the slack to mount, tree pose, and sitting on it.

What is the meaning of life?

This is a picture of my friend Bianca and me heading out to climb in Red Rocks, Nevada, a couple years ago. She is currently on an amazing personal adventure in Europe and sent this picture back. The message is so profound yet so simple, and answers that big question I sure we've all asked ourselves at one time or another: "what is the meaning of life?"

I've attempted a good ole fashioned "soul search" on many an occasion. Sometimes there is an "aha!" moment when the world becomes translucent and in that instant it all makes beautiful, inspirational sense. As I've grown up and formed more and more opinions about people and the universe, those "aha!" moments became more and more elusive. Perhaps this is a part of being an adult and losing the magic that kids seem to see so easily. It is when you grow up and realize that Santa and the Easter Bunny don't exist, and that you're not going to be an astronaut or a superhero in your lifetime. It is when you accept that your journey of life is going to be a similar, more modest (due to current economic states and housing prices), version that your parents had.

It can be depressing to think about it. If you've ever let yourself believe that what you are doing now in life is the best it's going to get, then you're sabotaging what it could be. I've been struggling with my self-talk in absurd amounts recently as I'm still battling the problems in my pelvis and back, and the uncertainty of my (hopefully) future career. I can honestly testify that having and injury or an illness that prevents you from seeing hope in doing the things you love to do, that bring you joy and inspiration, and lift you up when you fall down, is the hardest obstacle to overcome. I crave running through a shady forest on a hot, sunny day, climbing a mountain to see the view, dancing without limitations in my room to loud music, and playing a game of catch on an empty field. I can't do any of these right now and it brings me to my knees. I feel trapped in a prison and only half living.

But I'm not the only one with problems, and feeling lousy really sucks. Focusing on the negative of what I can't do is turning me into someone I loath to be with, but unfortunately I am stuck with me. Back when I was 17 years old, I was pretty sure I had "found" myself and knew who I was. I seem to remember thinking I was smart and strong and capable. Now at 27 years old I realize that those traits don't really belong to us, they are merely what we want to be. And the fears and limitations we put on ourselves determine whether or not we possess those qualities we desire. If you want to be strong, choose to be strong. If you want to be smart, choose to be smart and take the appropriate actions towards it. All the obstacles in your way a week, a month, a year down the road looks impossible now. So take it one day at a time. Focus on what you can do today to move forward and be proud you're not standing still. Most importantly, have faith you can do it.

"Fear knocked at the door.

Faith answered.

No one was there."

-Unknown

My old martial arts instructor had a saying: "whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve." The hardest part is believing. Because I can't do the things I love to do now, the logical step is try to love the things I can do. I looked back into my memory banks and realized that there were in fact, many things that I thought about trying but gave the backseat to. Maybe it's time to let those ideas drive for a while. A change of scenery is never a bad thing, right? Maybe I'll learn a new language or a new instrument. Maybe I'll learn new cooking skills or start a book club. Maybe I'll do all of those things and more. Most importantly I am going to learn about my injury and devote my time and energy every day to take steps toward bettering my health. If you're thinking, "hey, I'm in a similar situation and would like to start moving forward, I just don't know where to go or how to get there", then I'll be your point you in the right direction:

Step 1. Gather resources (family, doctor, friends, google...).
Step 2. Make an Action Plan (set simple, measurable, achievable goals).
Step 3. Determine what obstacle lie in your way and brainstorm ways to overcome them (remember your resources).
Step 4. Wow, you've already taken 3 steps forward! Keep on walking and creating possibilities.

"Today, be more brilliant than anticipated, more courageous than expected, and more human than is commonly seen."

- Robin Sharma

Remember, life is about creating yourself.The only limitations are the ones we place on ourselves. And even though life brings many challenges, every hurdle in your way is in opportunity to create something powerful to jump over it. Never, ever give up. And never forget how powerful the tools of imagination and perseverance are. As children we naturally used those tools all the time. Can you believe that you ever learned how to walk or talk or tie your shoe laces? Those were mega accomplishments back then. It might be time we learn from the children we were and keep dreaming big. Maybe I'll never be an astronaut, but I heard somewhere that it's OK to dream big and fall short. This is because if you aim for the moon and don't quite make it, you'll still land among the stars, and that's pretty rad too.