I have read how it is recommended that you stretch every morning and once during the day, as opposed to twice during the day. However, what exactly is meant by morning stretches? Since I am back home from college and only have a part-time job, I usually sleep in. Is it enough to stretch before breakfast, regardless of when I wake up, or do I have to wake up early? Finally, what exactly are the benefits of stretaching early? Is setting a limit for the day really that important? What am I lsoing out on if I stretch twice during the day, as opposed to once before breakfast and once in the afternoon? Thanks!
Stretches done in the morning. :bang: If you want to kick high, do dynamic stretches, such as various leg movements etc. Otherwise don't bother, who likes to stretch in the morning b4 breakfast anyway? "Early" is whenever you wake up. Read my 1st sentence. As long as your not going to fight before you are able to do that stretching you r ok.
Well, I really want to kick high. I don't think that is a fight I am ever going to pull a head-kick, but knowing that I could if I tried would definitely give me a boost of confidence.
Perhaps you read T. Kurz also ? .... according to Kurz, "if you want to perform movements requiring considerable flexibility with little or no warm-up, you ought to make early morning stretching a part of your routine". In order to do this properly, you need to first perform a general warm-up and then begin your early morning stretching by first performing some static stretches, followed by some light dynamic stretches. Basically, your early morning stretching regimen should be almost identical to a complete warm-up ... only difference is that you may wish to omit any sport-specific activity/ http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/stretching_5.html#SEC57
It's good to stretch in the morning to fend off the angry ninja assasins who are waiting to eliminate you when you go for your morning paper. Didn't everyone know that?
Hang on KC I think you're confusing two different people. Your posts suggests that Kurz advocates static stretches before dynamic stretches - quite the opposite actually. No static movements before dynamic, even sitting or bending is out. The early morning stretch doesnt have to include a warm up as long long as you start slowly - but you should do some joint rotations and mobility exercises followed by your leg raises. The purpose of the early morning stretching is to reset the nervous regulation of the muscles so once you reach your max height you should stop. After a while you will be able to display that height throughout the day.
helps your circulation. this will give you better brain work throughout the day but also less sore muscles and aches. the stretching will also reduce any tension or pain you had from sleeping or the previous day. stretching in the morning will also give you flexibility for the day. if you are in a fight, hopefully you stretched before (even if it was in the morning!)
How important are stretches in the morning? Very important in my opinion.. For cops, firefighters and paramedics or those whose duties require them to perform duties of a physical nature it's an insurance policy against overextension..I stretch every morning, and during the day if I can do ith without anyone seeing..
my dad has severe arthritas from working at pepsi for his whole life doing physical labor. though the companie's over-productive work methods probably helped to cause his illness, so did his lack of stretching. if you want to walk like a gimp, don't stretch. if you want sore muscles to turn into carpel tunnel or strains, then don't stretch hehe.
Well if the art you take requires flexibility, you should stretch in the morning so if during the day you are put into a situation where you must apply this art you are flexibly ready.
its also nescessary before workouts. reduces injury and increases performance, which probably is needed in any martial art (unless the art itself is stretching or passive like t'ai chi or qi gong)
Ah... I knew someone would catch that True, Kurz does place alot of importance on regular morning stretches in order to gain but more importantly to retain your flexibility. However, if you click on the link I provided in my post you'll note that I was quoting Brad Appleton's Stretching FAQ ... ... perhaps an error? I noticed this a while back and finally found a thread to bring this up! Kurz does recommend that no isometric static stretches be done in the morning because they are too exhausting to the nervous system. "The purpose of this stretching is to reset the nervous regulation of the length of your muscles for the rest of the day." ANd this is what dynamic stretches do. This session should take ten to fifteen minutes. I stretch every morning and it has helped me to better prepare for my workout later in the day. (I do however perform static stretches in the morning following a good jog for a few miles AND some dynamic stretches.
You wouldn't believe how much it helps you. Not stretching is setting yourself up for injury. I used to think it didn't matter that much, but after 2 months out with a knee injury, stretching has sorted the problem. Over-tight hip flexors is a very widespread problem and is often the cause of knee injuries such as bursitis. STRETCH!
I have been doing the morning dynamic stretching routine that is suggested in Kurz's book and it has improved my flexibility a great deal over just doing the static stretches at night. Before doing the morning stretching, I was only able to side thrust kick at ankle or lower calf height but now I can kick above the knee or even low to mid thigh height. This improvement came with only doing this routine for a month now. I also notice that I have much less pain in my knees and hips since I started putting more effort into stretching.
yeah yeah yeah ... I heard you I've started out with that approach in the morning for years but have since developed my own personal recommendations and they seem to be working well for "me".... but I would advise 'beginners' to follow a good and proper stretching routine complete with a good warmup prior..... such as Kurz's method
