Strectching Your Fitness

Stretching can set you right

I work with a lot of runners, helping them to undo the muscle imbalances and alignment problems that develop from all those miles of pounding the pavement. There's no shortage of injuries and pain syndromes experienced by this group, and one of the more common conditions I see are related to their overall structural alignment, or posture.

Runners tend to develop imbalances in the musculature around the hips and pelvis, as well as the upper back and shoulders. The forward-leaning, round- shouldered posture that seems to accompany distance running can be very detrimental to a runner's performance and health, not to mention his appearance.

When the spine and extremities are poorly aligned, there are many unfortunate side-effects. Nerve conduction, respiration and circulation can be compromised, joint range of motion may become limited, and biomechanical stress is increased, often leading to pain and injury.

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