Like the spinal stretches, the fascial stretches are
quite different than any other stretches you may have done. But your body will
quickly become used to them. You’ll develop a practical understanding of how
they work and learn to adjust each one so it’s maximally effective for your own
body.
Say you’re used to stretching your hamstrings
(back-of-thigh muscles) the way everyone does: propping your leg up on a bench
and leaning forward over it with a rounded back. Although you are getting some
stretch in your hamstrings, you’re also getting a pull in the mid- and lower
back, which diffuses the stretch—it doesn’t focus precisely on the hamstrings.
By contrast, the Ming Method hamstring stretch feels much more profound, because
it’s intensely localized in the hamstrings.
After you’ve done the hamstring stretch a few times, you’ll
notice real changes. When the hamstrings are tight with their fascia all
bunched up, there’s excess tension in the tendons. In response, the little GPS
computers shut the muscles off to prevent you from tearing something. But once
a few stretching sessions
have reshaped those muscles, the hamstrings start contracting properly, the GPS
system kicks in and starts working right, and the muscles are stronger. Your body
becomes more responsive to mental commands, you feel lighter on your feet, and
you are less tired. If you’re a runner, your times improve.
General Instructions for Fascial Stretching
The fascial stretches are done differently than the
spinal stretches. Instead of holding for one sixty-second period, you hold for
two shorter periods with a rest in between (totaling sixty seconds in all).
This makes them easier to do.
Don’t Overstretch
The most important rule to remember when doing fascial
stretches is that if you overstretch a muscle, you can tear it. Keep in
mind that these are very scientific, efficient stretches. You put your body in
a position that gives one targeted muscle an extremely vigorous, focused
stretch. To avoid injury, you absolutely must start out very slowly and gently.
Here’s how to keep your stretching safe:
> The muscle being
stretched should not hurt. If the experience is extremely uncomfortable,
especially if you feel searing or burning pain, you’re pushing too hard.
> If the stretch is
totally comfortable, you’re not pushing hard enough.
> You want an
experience that’s exactly in between the previous two descriptions: definitely
a little uncomfortable, but not really painful.
> When you put your
body in the preparatory position for a stretch, never take any of the movements
(e.g., turning your head, rotating your torso, pulling your shoulder blades
together) to the limit. Go only to 80 percent of your ability, and save some flexibility for the stretch
itself. If you try to push farther a muscle that’s already at its max, you may
injure yourself.
My advice is: always err on the side of caution.
Take each stretch just to the point where you’re slightly uncomfortable and
hold right there, gently, for the remainder of your stretch time. Then stop and
save any further effort for the next day. Each day, increase the stretch ever
so slightly—in increments so small that they’re barely perceptible. Ride the
line between slightly uncomfortable and too easy, and you’ll be in just the
right place. Advanced practitioners of yoga and Pilates, gymnasts, professional
dancers, and others whose disciplines create an understanding of the dynamics
of stretching can start out somewhat more aggressively. But remember even
advanced practitioners can injure themselves if they stretch too forcefully.
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