Because it seems that everyone is saying things are so bad, it is extremely hard to be able to remember what is good.  Even when we do look at the things we have, sometimes we focus on the negative aspects.  I have a roof over my head, but the carpet needs to be replaced, the sidewalk needs to be fixed, the stairs squeak..the list goes on and on.  I am no longer focusing on what I have to be grateful for, but I am focused on the imperfections.  Instead, I need to be focusing on  the fact that I DO have a roof over my head, in spite of all it’s imperfections.  It is a real house with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, shingles on the roof, a garage for my cars, a large back yard and a safe place, not only for my belongings, but for my family also.  Now I am focused on what I have to be thankful for.

You may be thinking that maybe your house or apartment isn’t as large as so and so’s, but you do have  a roof over your head.  I have lived in countries where a discarded refrigerator box is someone’s home.  It is a very humbling experience to see that.

I take a lot of things for granted.  For instance, I never realized that not everyone, everywhere had washers and dryers until I visited Bolivia where the majority of the people still wash their clothes by hand and hang them out to dry, regardless of the weather.  I didn’t know that not everyplace has running, hot water and/or a bathtub, until I lived in Brazil and had to bathe my kids in a large plastic tub.

The things that I take for granted and consider necessities are actually luxuries for a lot of other people, whether in our country or in other parts of the world.

So what is there to be thankful/grateful for?  Take a look around you and see what you do have.  Remember to focus on what you do have, in spite of all the imperfections.  A great way to help you remember the things that you are thankful for is to keep a gratitude journal.  This could be something as simple as a notebook or an appointment book with dates.  Take some time each night to list 5 things that you are thankful for.

Here is an example of what I could put on my list:

1. A bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup (small thing).
2. A roof over my head (large thing).
3. Time spent with friends and family (non-material).
4. Sunshine or rain (something that is truly out of my control).
5. My health (in spite of all the imperfections, I am fairly healthy).

Take time each evening and write down the things that you have to be grateful for.  Whether it is large or small, it truly doesn’t matter, but take the time to recognize and rejoice in the things that you DO have.  Focus on those things and feel gratitude in your heart for them.

You will be amazed at how different your day will be.  When you see things with gratitude in your heart, your mind will be sharper, your step will be lighter and your day will be filled with wonderful things.

We can reach out and touch someone; anyone actually, throughout the world via email, phone, chat rooms, instant messaging, MySpace, FaceBook, etc.  This list goes on and on.  We could live our lives through a virtual world and actually go days without seeing one single person in real life, if we wanted to!  We are connected through our ever expanding technology more and more.  Technology is great; however, it leaves out one very important aspect that is crucial to our survival–physical touch.

Of all of the senses, touch is the very first one to develop.  As babies, it was through touch that we made sense of the world.  Study after study has shown that touch is important to a baby’s development but it is also crucial to its survival.

Touch is not only a biological need but touch is also a communication tool at a very basic level.  Not only can touch communicate more love in 5 seconds than words can in 5 minutes, it can also communicate more hate and anger.  However, for the purpose of this newsletter, I want to focus on the incredible healing power of touch; on loving touch; on safe touch.

Infants deprived of touch, even when they are getting adequate nutrition, will fail to grow properly.  As children grow, their need for touch just doesn’t disappear; it remains constant and strong.  Touch deprivation in adolescence usually leads to early and inappropriate sexual activity.  Even senior citizens that have become isolated by a loss of their partner and/or friends become depressed not only because of their loss of social interaction, but because of the loss of loving touch from another.

Why do we as human beings crave the touch of another?  Whether in giving or receiving, touch is as essential to human survival as is food.  No other form of connection can be as powerful and universal as touch.  Dr. Tiffany Field, head of the Touch Research Institue, says with confidence, “Everybody needs a steady dose of touch, just as much as diet and exercise.”

Unfortunately, we live in a society that doesn’t encourage touch.  Touch has been degraded and labeled as ‘bad’ because, unfortunately, there are people in this world that will always try to take advantage of another.

As adults, the need for touch doesn’t magically disappear and appear again when we are senior citizens.  That need remains strong and it is usually misinterpreted.  Our need for touch is often passed over or we think that it is related to stress.

Safe, loving, nurturing, non-sexual touch is often in short supply, but high in demand (even though we may not know it).  The only appropriate situations for non-sexual touch is in greeting another person, sports, healthcare and professional touch (hairdressers, cosmeticians, estheticians and massage therapists).

What do we do when we need to be comforted or touched?  We often misinterpret this need as sexual desire, hunger and frustration.  We might seek out sexual situations only because sex requires touch.  We may also turn to food to help satisfy the need for touch.  If we can’t have someone soothe our outer body, then food will certainly soothe our inner body.

We try to satisfy our need for touch in all sorts of ways.  Some ways are more successful than others.  Because we operate on auto pilot, we don’t notice the times when we are being touched and getting our need for touch fulfilled.  We only know that it made us feel better. 

Ways to help with touch deprivation are:

• Ask your partner, or someone who you know and trust, for a hug; or if you are feeling particularly out of sorts, ask them to hold.  No strings attached.
• Get a haircut.  Feel the sensations as they wash your hair and massage your head.
• Get a manicure or a pedicure.  Again pay attention to the sensations as they massage your feet or hands.
• Get a massage.  This is my personal favorite.  Where else can you receive safe, healing, nurturing, non-sexual touch in an environment that is quiet and calming.  Pay attention to the sensations as all the tension and stress seems to melt away from you body.

Touching is an absolutely beautiful, heart-opening and connecting act.  The truth is–touch heals and touch is love.  Touch is the way that a parent can express their love to a child; touch can bring comfort to someone who is grieving.  Loving touch can soothe your soul.  Hugging someone who is having a bad day can have more impact than soothing words.

Touch can be soothing, caring, healing, comforting and reassuring.  So, go ahead–reach out and touch someone.  Give someone a hug, a pat on the back, hold a hand or caress their face.  In that moment when you are touching and giving to someone else, you will also feel touched and connected and you will feel just as good as they do.  However, if you are the one in need of touch, don’t be shy, ask someone you know and trust to give you a hug or hold your hand.  Or take the time out of your busy schedule and get a massage.

Without touch, a baby dies, the human heart aches and the soul withers.~~Phyllis K. Davis

Connective Tissue or Fascia–What is it?  In a healthy state, connective tissue is a fluid like substance that is in every aspect of your body–muscles, bones and cells.  Look at the picture of  ”Mr. Muscle Man” below:

Do you see the “white” areas?  These are large areas of connective tissue.  What the picture fails to show is that not only do you have large areas of connective tissue as seen above, but connective tissue is also in every muscle, every bone, every organ and every cell.  It helps separate your organs and keep them in place.  If you didn’t have this connective tissue or fascia, then when you stood up, all of your organs would fall into your legs.

Under a microscope, fascia resembles a spider web.  It is like the ultimate body suit covering you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, there is no beginning and there is no end.  The entire body is connected to every other part of the body.  It is interwoven like threads in fabric–a continuous weave of material.  Like a pull in a sweater, damage to one area of fascia can affect other distant areas in your body, even years later.

How does fascia affect you?  In a normal healthy state, your fascia is relaxed, soft and flexible.  It has the ability to stretch and move without restriction.  So as you move and stretch, so does your fascia.  However, over time your fascia becomes restricted.  How does this happen?  Well, there are many types of trauma that can happen to you.  There is physical trauma which could be a fall, surgery, car accident or abuse (any type of abuse–physical, mental, sexual or emotional).  Emotional trauma can be just as harrowing and painful as its physical counterpart which could be associated with abuse, changing jobs, divorce or a death in the family.  (Please note that these traumas, whether physical or emotional, are NOT all inclusive.)  Along with these traumas, there is also inflammation or even habitual poor posture that can have a cumulative effect over time.  Your fascia becomes tight, restricted, less flexible and less pliable and can become a source of tension throughout the rest of your body.

A good example for this would be a rubber band.  When the rubber band is new, it is flexible, pliable and can move any way that you want it to move.  Now take the same rubber band and put a couple of knots (trauma) in it.  It still has the ability to move, but the movement is far less flexible than it was previously.  As time goes on, then the rubber band gets even less flexible and pliable and actually can become brittle and weak, therefore, making any type of movement very restrictive.

So when you have these fascial restrictions, it places an exorbitant amount of pressure on everything in your body–muscles, joints, bones, etc.  This pressure can cause pain and restriction of normal motion.

How Massage and Bodywork Can Help–I attended a conference this past August on Myofascial Release which was put on by John F. Barnes, PT.  He is the founder of Myofascial Release (MFR).  MFR is a whole body approach and follows what the body is in need of.  MFR works with the connective tissue/fascia of the body.  MFR is different than a normal massage since it works with the fascia and not just the muscles.  MFR uses gentle, sustained pressure in the area of restriction and is held anywhere from 2-5 minutes.  By using this sustained pressure, it allows permanent elongation of the tissue.  As these layers are released, pain is decreased and you gain greater flexibility and ease of movement.  For more information regarding MFR, please visit www.myofascialrelease.com.

Since MFR is a very subtle technique, I combine it with massage.  I know you have heard me say that when you make changes to one part of your body, you are making changes to all of your body.  By incorporating MFR and massage, then I am helping your body relax and accept the changes that are being made.

What does MFR feel like?  As the restriction is released, it can feel like taffy lengthening or butter melting.  There could be a burning or ripping sensation (think ‘Indian burn’ from your childhood), a pulsing, tingling or release of heat.  You may feel these things right away or it may take longer.  You may also feel these sensations in other parts of your body besides where I am working–remember that fascia is everywhere in your body and connects one aspect of your body to every other aspect.

There may be times when I am doing MFR that you, the client, may feel emotions like crying, sadness, anger, etc.  This happens because memories (traumas) that are associated with the restriction are triggered.  If this should happen, please stay present with what you are feeling and breathe into the sensations and emotions.  Healing can occur more readily if you allow yourself to feel your emotions.  Remember that the massage room is a safe and sacred space.  I respect your privacy and confidentiality, and as such, anything and everything that happens within those walls remains confidential and private.

Is MFR right for you?  If you have been a regular client of mine, chances are that I have done some sort of MFR on you.  Again, it isn’t something that I would spend a whole session doing; it is incorporated with regular massage.  If you don’t remember me doing this particular technique and would like to try it, please let me know and we can incorporate it into your next regular massage.  I also have some books that could be helpful in answering any questions that you may have.

Renewing your body’s resources…this is a vital aspect of getting back on track, whether it is after one stressful event or days of ongoing events.  There may be several of these ideas that feel right to you or there may be only one, but the idea is to pick one that works the best for you and then stick with it.

1.     Meditation.  This doesn’t have to be some long, uncomfortable process.  All you need is 5 minutes.  5 minutes to quiet your mind and breathe deeply.  Picture yourself where you would like to be…the beach, the mountains or on a cruise.

2.    Make some time each day that you are totally focused on you.  Think of the things that you always seem to put on the back burner because there isn’t enough time in the day.  Long, hot, bubble bath; going to a movie all by yourself (and splurging for the popcorn and drink of your choice); reading; spending time in nature; working in your garden or just going for a walk.

3.    Relax! If you are at work and only have a few minutes, take that time and sit back in your chair, close your eyes and take some deep breaths.  Again, picture yourself where you would like to be.

4.    Move your body.  It doesn’t matter how stressful of a day you have had, take some time to exercise and move around.  You will feel better if you do.

5.    Talk to a friend.   If things seem a little daunting and you just need to get things out in the open, call a friend.  Tell them that you don’t need anything fixed, you just need to vent for a few minutes and then you will probably feel better.  If what you are feeling is more than a friend can handle, then call a therapist to help you.

6.    Laugh!!!   Do you have a favorite movie that you know will make you laugh no matter how many times you have already seen it?  Get it out and watch it!

7.    Massage—obviously since I am writing this article, I do have to mention massage.  Here are some ways that massage can help:

a.     Massage triggers the relaxation response—this is the physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional response to stress…slows your respiration, calms your nervous system and reduces your heart rate.

b.     Releases endorphins which are the body’s natural painkillers.

c.      Relaxes tight and tense muscles.

d.     Refocuses your attention on the here and now.

e.     For one hour (or however long your appointment is for), you don’t have to do anything, but be!   That time is yours—use it rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit. 

These are just a few things that you can do to help you alleviate some of the stress that you may be feeling.

Relaxation is a skill that can be learned.  Take a few minutes now and make a list of the things that will help you with your stress, then you will already know what will help you relax when the next stressor comes along.  Be aware of the areas where your body holds stress.  This awareness can help you recognize early stress warning signs such as shoulder pain or lower back pain.  You can then act to take control of your response. 

Ø  Water makes up greater than 2/3 of the weight of your body

Ø  The brain is 75%-95% water (each of the articles that I read for this newsletter had different opinions on this, so I just put in a range).

Ø  Blood is 83% water.

Ø  Bones are 22%-35% water (again a difference in opinions).

Ø  Lungs are 90% water.

As you can see, we are mostly made up of water.  Water is as important to your body as gas is to your car.  Neither ‘vehicle’ can run without it. 

What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough?

When you become dehydrated, your body instinctively begins a rationing process to each organ.  The brain, which is the most important organ, gets the most water; while the skin, which is the least important, gets the least amount of water.  Your body will do what is has to do in order to survive, so the most important organ gets the most water. 

Have you ever been plagued by fuzzy short-term memory or having trouble with basic math?  How about feeling lightheaded or dizzy?  Daytime fatigue?  Trouble focusing on smaller print or your computer screen?  Believe it or not, these things can be triggered by a mere 2% drop in your body’s water supply.  It is estimated that 75% of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration.  That statistic amazes me because water is so readily available to each and every one of us; we have access to drinking water almost everywhere we go. 

Here are some other statistics*:

Ø  In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

Ø  Even mild dehydration will slow down your metabolism as much as 3%.

Ø  The biggest trigger of daytime fatigue is lack of water.

Ø  One glass of water deters hunger pangs for 98% of the dieters observed in a University of Washington study.

Ø  Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79% and bladder cancer by 50%.

*Excerpt taken from The Importance of Water to Human Health.  http://watershed.net/water-importance.aspx

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

At a minimum, you should drink half of your body weight in ounces.  For instance, let’s say I weigh 130 lbs. (ok, that would be my dream weight, but a girl can dream, can’t she?)  I weigh 130 lbs, so, at a minimum, I should drink 65 ounces of water a day.  That basically equals out to 8 eight ounces glasses.  That is a minimum.  If you exercise daily or it is hot outside, then you need to drink more.

I know what you are thinking—you don’t drink a lot of water, but you do drink coffee, tea, caffeinated beverages or alcoholic beverages, does that count?  Unfortunately, no!  These beverages have a diuretic effect; they actually steal water from your body, so you need to drink extra water to compensate for the water that was ‘stolen’.

Still not sure if you are drinking enough?  Frequent trips to the bathroom got you down?  The best indicator that you are drinking enough water is when your urine is pale yellow to clear.   A dark yellow color is a sign that you are dehydrated and your body is concentrating the urine in an effort to conserve water.

Here are a few extra tips:

Ø  Drink water before you feel thirsty.  If you are thirsty that means that you are already dehydrated.

Ø  Drink a few extra glasses of water before you exercise and make sure that you drink frequently during your workout and after.

Ø  Water helps to maintain the muscle tone and lubricate the joints, helping to reduce muscle fatigue and soreness during exercise.

Ø  Carry a water bottle with you.

Ø  Drink frequently throughout the day to prevent dehydration.

Ø  Drink twice as much as it takes to quench your thirst.

Water is good for you, plentiful and inexpensive.  DRINK UP!!!!  It does a body good (oops, sorry I think that was a commercial for milk).

Maintaining a healthy back is vital to your overall health.  As your own ‘information super highway’ runs through your spinal cord—sending messages that affect every aspect of your health—you want to do everything possible to facilitate its proper function.

In this issue of my newsletter, I am going to focus more on lower back pain.  In future articles, I will address neck and shoulder pain, and hip and leg pain.

What is low back pain?

When I talk about low back pain, I am addressing the areas from below the ribs to above your legs.  This area is the connection between the upper and lower body and it bears the majority of your body’s weight. 

Types of low back pain

There are 3 types of low back pain.

1.    Acute—most back pain is acute and goes away in 4 to 6 weeks.  However, if it lasts more than 3 months, then it becomes chronic.

2.    Recurrent—this is what happens if your acute symptoms come back.  Mostly everyone that has had acute back pain will experience a least one episode of recurrent back pain.

3.    Chronic—this pain last longer than 3 months and bothers you the majority of the time.

What causes low back pain?

Most back pain is caused by overuse, strain or injury.  Most people have hurt their backs playing sports, working in the yard, lifting something heavy or an automobile accident.  Aging also plays a part in lower back pain.  As you age, your bones and muscles lose their strength which increases the risk of injury.

Improper sleeping positions, pregnancy and a sedentary lifestyle (sitting for too long at your desk or on the couch) can also be contributing factors to low back pain.

Other causes of back pain are:  arthritis, broken vertebrae, illness or spine problems (scoliosis).  Since I am not a medical doctor, chiropractor nor osteopath, my main focus for this article will be in regards to overuse, strain and injury.

I think I would be remiss if I did not include two other components that can lead to lower back pain.  They are stress and emotions.  Research has shown that people who experience anxiety and depression can have significantly increased low back pain.  Simply feeling stressed or emotionally overwrought can heighten your sensitivity to pain.  Discomfort that may be merely an annoyance to one person can seriously affect the daily life of another person who is stressed.

What are some of the symptoms?

Depending on the episode, back pain can cause a variety of symptoms:

·         Dull, burning or sharp

·         Can be felt at a single point or over a larger area

·         Starts gradually or suddenly

·         Muscles spasms and/or stiffness

Treatment

Regardless of the symptom and if you have not experienced any back pain before, I recommend that you see your doctor to rule out a herniated disc or something serious. 

However, most back pain will improve with the following:

·         Ice—for the first 2-3 days.  Use an ice pack, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, for 2-3 hours. After a couple of days, switch to heat.  Use a heating pad (moist heat is the best), 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, for 2-3 hours.

·         Take an over the counter pain medicine like Tylenol or ibuprofen.

·         For the first day or two, rest.

·         As soon as possible, get back to your normal activities.  Staying in bed too long can actually weaken your muscles and make your problem worse.  Do be mindful of your activities and limit them to your pain tolerance.  If it hurts when you do something, stop the activity.

·         Gentle exercise—walking is the simplest and probably the best exercise for the lower back.  Start with easy walks of 5 to 10 minutes then increase your time as needed.  Stretching is also good.  Again if it causes you pain then don’t do it.

·         Massage is well known for kneading away tension and relieving the pain in the muscles that are injured.  It also relieves any areas that are tightening up or “guarding” in response to the pain you are feeling.  Massage improves your circulation and increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your tissues.  Using stretching and relaxing strokes, massage can be quite effective for restoring the normal range of motion and for easing muscle spasms.

It is said that your body remembers everything, even when your conscious mind forgets.  Your body especially remembers things that have a high emotional content for you.    Your body stores your happiness, your sadness, your traumas, your triumphs, your anger and  elation, your joy, your sorrow, your guilt and grief, your fears, your hopes, your past, your present and your potential. 

It doesn’t matter how your body remembers everything, it could be a joyful experience or a traumatic one.  What matters is how you hold onto the memory and how you perceived that experience.  The memory or trauma could be as horrifying as a car accident or as simple as being told you were stupid because you fell off your bike and scraped your knee.  How the situation was perceived by you and what feelings and emotions you attached to it are important.

In a car accident, you are fully aware of the physical trauma that you received…a broken leg, bruised ribs and stitches.  You are taken to the doctor to help you heal these external wounds and you can also be sent to physical therapy to help you regain the proper strength in your leg.  What is very often neglected, and is never asked about, is the ‘emotional trauma’ of the car accident.  How did you feel about it?  Not physically, but emotionally.   The horror you felt as you saw the car crashing into you; the fear of being hurt or the anger you felt toward the other driver.  These emotions can be just as powerful and painful as the physical trauma, but in order to survive the ordeal, you tuck them neatly into a corner of your mind to deal with later or forget about them altogether.  So what happens to those powerful emotions?  They simply go away, don’t they?  Emotions are designed to move through your body, not be ignored or suppressed.  Resistance or denying that the emotions exist can cause those emotions to lock themselves into your body, eventually leading to physical pain. 

How Emotional Waves Look

In the book Muscular Retraining for Pain-Free Living, author Craig Williamson does a wonderful job of describing emotions:

“Emotional feelings occur in waves, just as movement in the ocean occurs in waves.  An ocean wave is a movement that passes through the water; an emotion is a movement that passes through a person.  The surface of the ocean can be calm until a wave passes through and disrupts that calm.  After the wave has passed, the surface will be calm again.  Similarly, emotions can emerge, rise, fall, and then fade away.”

So your emotions are meant to ebb and flow through your body just like an ocean wave.  Emotions have a powerful effect on your psyche, as well as your body.  Your ability to respond emotionally is an integral part of who you are.  You can allow the emotions to flow through your body until they fade away or try to control them, suppress them or deny them completely.

The Surf of Your Emotions

Positive emotions such as happiness, joy, hope, highest ambitions, and triumphs are easy to express.  You enjoy them, you encourage their presence and allow them to ebb and flow through your body until the wave is complete.  You welcome these emotions with open arms and share them with everyone around you.  The positive emotions are easy to surf on because the wave is smooth and very exciting because they are comfortable and welcome to everyone.

Negative emotions such as anger, fear, sorrow, disappointment, sadness, and resentment aren’t as welcome as their positive counterpart.  When you experience a negative emotion, you feel the effect of that emotion very deeply.  The wave of a negative emotion is entirely different.  The surf is choppy, windy, violent, and rough to ride on because you usually don’t allow the wave to go through its natural course.  Most of us try to stop the wave soon after it begins or try to deny that the wave even exists at all. 

When an emotion arises, it exists.  Now that the emotion exists, it cannot be wiped out or turned off.  Just like an ocean wave, the wave of your emotion has its own momentum and its own energy that is on a mission to complete itself.  Just because you supress this emotion at the beginning of the wave, does not mean that the emotion goes away.  The wave is still waiting for you to allow it to run its course.  In the meantime, until you finish riding the surf of that particular negative emotion, it remains stuck in your body which could eventually cause pain.

How Can Massage & Bodywork Help

Your body, your psyche, and your mind work together as a team, with information constantly passing back and forth between them.  Together they attempt to maintain health and well-being.  I mentioned earlier that your body remembers everything that has a high emotional component for you.  If the negative emotional wave was stopped or denied then those emotions will become stuck in your body.  When your body is touched in a healthy and safe environment, it has a chance to relax and unwind from everyday stress.  In the process, some old feelings and emotions that have been stored have a chance to resurface.  The emotional trauma from the car accident now has a safe place to be released.  Honor your body’s innate wisdom to restore itself to balance and harmony.  Allow the emotions that resurface to flow through your body so that the wave can rise, fall, and fade away in a comfortable, healing environment.

My goal is to provide that same healing environment for you and also to provide a safe and healthy touch in order for the stored emotions to travel unimpeded through your body.  As your body relaxes and begins to release stored tensions and emotions, the surf becomes a little less choppy because the wave from that particular emotion was allowed to run its course. 

Often the most effective things you can do for yourself, your health and your well-being are the simplest and most natural. Stretching is one of those things that you can do to help yourself. If you lived in an ideal world, you would probably be stretching throughout the day. You do it automatically when you wake up in the morning or have been sitting too long. It just feels good! But all too often you are too “busy” to take the time to stretch. Stretching can be an integral part of your life, whether you are an avid athlete, weekend warrior or stuck in a small cubicle all day at work.

As you know, you are born with fantastic range of movement when it comes to flexibility. Think of a small baby that is able to suck its toes. So what happened? As you age, your muscles and your range of motion in your joints can be minimized. This can put a damper on any day-to-day activities or a very active lifestyle.
So, what are the benefits of stretching?

1. Increased flexibility and better range of motion of your joints. Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Good flexibility is known to bring positive benefits to the muscles and joints. It aids with injury prevention, helps to minimize muscle soreness, and improves efficiency in all physical activities. A regular stretching program can help lengthen your muscles and make daily activities easier and more enjoyable.

2. Improved circulation. Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Blood flowing to your muscles brings nourishment and gets rid of waste byproducts in the muscle tissue. Improved circulation can help shorten your recovery time if you’ve had any muscle injuries.

3. Better posture. Chronically tense and tight muscles contribute to poor posture, which in turn can affect the functioning of our internal organs, not to mention our appearance. Good posture can minimize discomfort and help keep aches and pains at a minimum.

4. Relaxation and stress relief. Stretching relaxes tight, tense muscles that often accompany stress. The feeling of relaxation brings a sense of well-being and relief from tension.

5. Prevent injury. Preparing your muscles and joints for activity can protect you from injury, especially if you have tight muscles or joints.

Now that you know the importance of stretching, here are some stretching essentials. They are:

1. Warm up first. Stretching your muscles when they are cold will increase your risk of injury. Warm up by doing your favorite exercise at low intensity for five minutes.

2. Target major muscles groups. Focus on your calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders when you are stretching. Also make sure that you stretch the muscles and joints that you routinely use at work or play.

3. Hold each of your stretches for at least 30 seconds. It takes time to lengthen tissues safely. The stretches you are doing should be held for at least 30 seconds and up to 60 seconds for really tight muscles or problem areas.

4. Make sure that you stretch both sides. Joint range of motion needs to be as equal as possible on both sides of your body.

5. Don’t bounce. Bouncing as you stretch can cause small tears in your muscle, which can leave scar tissue as the muscle heals. This scar tissue tightens the muscle even further, making you even less flexible and more prone to pain.

6. Focus on a pain-free stretch. You will feel some tension when you stretch. However, if it hurts, then you have gone too far. Back off to the point where you don’t feel any pain, then hold the stretch.

7. Relax and breathe freely. Don’t hold your breath as you are stretching. Taking deep breaths can facilitate the stretch.

8. Stretch before and after. Light stretching before you start an activity followed by a more thorough stretching regimen after your workout is your best bet.

How often you stretch is up to you. However, it is recommended that you could stretch as often as you exercise. If you don’t exercise regularly you might want to stretch at least three times a week to maintain your flexibility.

If you spend a lot of time at a desk, it is vital that you take a few minutes each hour to get up and walk around, stretch your hands and forearms—move around so that your muscles have a chance to lengthen and not in a contracted state all day long.

No gym required. Stretching is something you can easily do anytime, anywhere—in your home, at work or when you are traveling. Aim to stretch 3 times a week. If you can’t get a full workout in, you can still benefit from stretching at least that often.

If you are interested in specific stretches for specific muscle groups or a specific activity, please don’t hesitate to ask me, I have some books that can help with different stretches.

So take a moment now and tune into your body. Chances are your body is begging to be stretched.

Stretching is not advised if you have certain types of injuries. Don’t stretch strained muscles unless you are under a therapist’s direction—you could cause further harm. If you have an injury or have a chronic condition, you may need to alter your approach to stretching. Talk with your doctor or physical therapist.