Special Note for Elderly People

Since older people can be quite dehydrated, with tight, inflexible tissues, they must be extra careful. Be very gentle, and be sure not to stretch so hard that it causes a searing or burning sensation.

More Tips

> Take your shoes off before stretching.

> Since the fascial stretches aren’t used to release spinal compression, there’s no special benefit to doing them just before bed. You can do them at any time of the day.

> It’s essential to make sure that all the components of each stretch are in place. The positions of the head, feet, hands, and so on lock down specificparts of the fascial chain. If any part of this chain isn’t held in tension, you won’t properly stretch the particular fascia you’re focusing on.

> Relax your face. Clenching the jaw actually distracts from your ability to focus on the area being stretched. The only muscles that should be tight are the ones you’re contracting to hold the position.

> The instruction to keep the head in neutral position is not the same as chin-tucking the head. It simply means that the chin is level—not tilted up or down—and the head itself is not tilted to either the right or the left.

> Since everyone’s body is different, you need to play around slightly with each stretch to make it work for you. I explain in the instructions how to make small adjustments to modify the stretch for your unique body. I also tell you what the stretch should feel like, and you can use that as a guide for experimenting. Remember, you will not get this feeling the first time you do a stretch. Just keep adjusting until you do.

> For the sake of simplicity, you should always do a fascial stretch on both sides of the body, even if one side is tighter than the other. There are two reasons for this. First, stretching the more flexible side first prepares your body mentally for stretching the other side, giving you confidence that the stretch is achievable on the tight side. Second, the nonactive side of the body learns the ropes from the side that’s stretching and can release more when its turn comes. So stretching the flexible side first actually makes it easier to stretch the tight side.

You can do this stretch either seated or standing. Hold your right arm out along your side, about 15 inches away from your hip. Bend the wrist backward and rotate the arm so the inside crease of your elbow faces up and away from your body.