Monday, July 15, 2013

Stretching Is Boring!

It is going to be super hot here in Central Ontario the coming week.  Well, super hot as far as I am concerned, over 30°C!  I can't even function normally in heat like that so how the heck am I supposed to work out.  I didn't really think I would miss my gym membership until winter time.  I guess I just forgot about the blazing heat!  Lots of bike riding and weight lifting and less running I guess.  I can deal with the heat riding my bike, but not running!

This past weekend I did what amounts to three separate douathlons! (Biking and Running that is) but only one of them was truly back to back.  Friday I left work early and rode my bike about 20k before going to the gym to meet with Jodi and then ran before dinner.  Saturday I ran just shy of 8k, worked out, went to two hours of karate wrapping all that up at 11am and then biked 26k just before dinner again. Then yesterday I rode just over 21k and then right away ran 5k along the main strip in Bridgenorth.  It was exhausting but amazing!  I was secretly hoping for a bit of rain Sunday so that I would be forced to relax, but not happening.

Ok, yeah the title.  I was told Friday by Jodi, and previously many times by Jenn the chiropractor and Sarah the RMT that I need to stretch more.  I confessed to Jodi that since leaving the gym and not having the 'stretching station' I have done very little, just my legs after runs.  Hmmm  coincidence that my ankle and knee injuries happened after I stopped going to the gym?

Jodi and I both agreed that stretching is boring!  It's way more fun to be running and jumping and lifting things and generally being amazing than it is to stand and stretch various muscles.  It does kind of prevent injury I guess which is a very good thing.  And to that end I am going to be sure that a more complete stretch is part of my routine at my home gym.  I'd much rather do something boring for a few minutes each time I work out than be hobbling around for weeks on end after hurting myself!

Do you stretch? How do you make it interesting?

Being interesting is important I find, like my whole do 50,000 push ups thing has gotten side tracked because it stopped being interesting!  And it got warmer in our house so I was getting sweaty doing like 500 push ups in an afternoon.   That's a whole 'nother discussion though I think.


2 comments:

  1. Hi Chris! I love yoga--which involves so much intelligent stretching that the different ways a single pose can lift, push, pull, balance, and flex my body at the very same time is--so incredible!! It's like the most brilliant exercise ever! And I have gotten so much more flexible since starting yoga, which as you say, helps prevent injuries. So I have to say I find stretching quite fascinating.

    Our Iyengar yoga instructor Jason is the most ripply muscle-defined guy ever. You'd appreciate him and his fitness. We could see his shoulder definition from about 25 feet away--it is like sculpture. He is great stretching personified. So maybe you're not stretching with someone who inspires you to do awesomely with it.

    Plus, trainers in general don't know stretching form or stretching exercises very well. I see all sorts of trainers in my own gym teach people terrible form for stretching, though I cannot speak for your experience since once in a while, I see a trainer who is great at stretching instruction.

    I did notice that you are doing stretching *after* your runs--which, in my opinion, is the correct order, since stretching is the more "extreme" exercise. So very smart for that. :D

    :-) Marion

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  2. Very informative article.Really looking forward to read more.
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