OldGuy678
25 de octubre de 2014
I finally am getting it
Let me make something very clear from the onset. I prefer lifting weights to stretching with a strap. I have been lifting since my early teens, and am lifting regularly once again since I retired. During my younger adult years I also ran, primarily on pavement. But I seldom stretched because I don't like stretching. Over the years I gave up various activities because of pain, stiffness, and inflexibility. I stopped running in my thirties because my knees were sore enough to interfere with sleep at night, and made using the stairs very unpleasant. I stopped doing barbell squats and deadlifts for similar reasons, e.g., difficulty getting out of my car. In my sixties I began to experience serious hip pain while walking in London. I doubt that these various pains were due solely to not stretching, but after two episodes of physical therapy, I am finally getting it. I need to stretch despite not enjoying it. In fact, my not liking to stretch is probably related to my needing it, just like neglecting my hamstrings and working my quads both contributed to and was due to, strong quads and weak hams. Sometimes avoiding an activity is a clue to what I need to work on more.What does this have to do with the OPTP strap and the instruction booklet that accompanies it? I cannot stretch my quads by grabbing my ankle and pulling my leg back and up, because I can't reach my ankle that way. A towel around my ankle helped some, but was hard to hold on to. An old belt looped around my ankle helped some, but was fast becoming uncomfortable. This strap comfortably loops around my ankle and is long enough to bring across my back and opposing shoulder where I can slip my hands through the loops for a strong grip. I am able to bring my heel(s) closer to my glutes (fanny) so I feel a stretch in my (quads) thigh. Best of all, I found that when my knee hurt after a workout, stretching my quads immediately decreased and quickly eliminated the soreness. My thought is my knee hurt because my strong and tight quad pulled harder than my weak hamstring, thereby contributing to poor tracking of my knee. Stretching my quads and strengthening my hams is beginning to lessen this imbalance.The strap turns out to be the same brand as used at PT, although I have never used it there. The strap I received appears well-made, with many loops for getting strong grips for better leverage. The printed guide that came with the OPTP strap is a gem. It contains more stretches than I have been taught at PT. The photos that demonstrate the moves are in color and of high quality. The instructions are well-written and edited. I have found an alternative in the guide for a stretch that was problematic for me. I am hopeful that with stretching, attention to proper form and symmetrical muscle development, I will be able to once again walk a lot, perhaps even jog a little, and certainly lift regularly. Perhaps all those women over the years were right about my not getting it, although to be fair, they weren't referring to muscle imbalance.Ver másVer menos
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