Active Isolated Stretching

So... you had some heavy deadlifting, or a million squats for time.  Then as the day goes on you feel your hamstrings, quads, butt, & low back just tightening up... Or even worse, the minute you are done with your WOD.


This has happened to everyone and of it hasn't, they are not working out hard enough, jk (no really you aren't)... 


Okay, Enough about them, let's get back to pain engulfing your lower half. What can you do to help decrease the pain?  Stretching is probably the best way to start  and today I am going to talk about a certain type of stretching which I use a lot is AIS, or Active Isolated Stretching. 


This type of stretching goes in this sequence: stretch, contract, relax, and stretch technique. You stretch the muscle that you are trying to lengthen, then contract the opposite (or as we call the antagonist muscle) for a 2-3 seconds, then relax and as you are relaxing you will try to stretch the desired muscle a little more than originally...


So how does AIS differ from traditional static and dynamic stretching?
Three main principles of AIS that will help anyone understand this method of flexibility.

1.) active isolated stretching uses the body's own laws to facilitate the results. The stretches are held for only 1.5-2 seconds, and are completed in repetitions.

       The reason for this is that when a stretch is held for longer than two seconds, a protective mechanism called "myotatic stretch reflex" is triggered. This reflex happens in the body under many normal circumstances. However in elite performance, injury rehabilitation or the desire to instill lasting changes in the body, this reflex is undesirable.

The aforementioned is true because when the myotatic stretch reflex is initiated (by holding stretches for more than approx. 2.5-3 seconds), the muscle being stretched will begin to contract, creating what is known as an eccentric contraction - something we do not want to happen.

Allowing the myotatic stretch reflex to occur while stretching causes oxygen to be depleted from the tissue being stretched. Reduction of oxygen is the opposite of what you want to happen in a rehabilitation or performance situation.

2.) stretches performed in this technique are "active"-- meaning the person being stretched is ACTIVELY moving their own body part with their own muscles, before any assistance with a rope (if done alone) or a therapist (if treated by therapist) is initiated.

This active movement causes "reciprocal inhibition" (Sherrington's law). Simply put, when a muscle contracts, another muscle called the "antagonist" (the opposite) muscle is shut off.

The perfect environment to stretch a muscle is when it is relaxed. Active Isolated Stretching achieves this concept with every stretch.

3.) Breathing... In this concept, we are talking about optimizing the oxygen content of the muscle and surrounding fascia (connective tissue). The person should always be exhaling during the "work phase" of the stretch, or while the myofascia is being stretched.

Breathing in this manner will allow the maximum amount of oxygen to be delivered to the region being treated.

The originator of these technique is Aaron Mattes. Click the link to learn a little about him and his reasoning behind AIS...
http://www.stretchingusa.com/aboutAIS.cfm

Here is another link about AIS and a few other instructional videos on how to person AIS

http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/training/active-isolated-stretching.html

So start stretching and BREATHING people!

So here it goes....

So this is my first blog on my new Massage blog...

What should you expect? Well first off, TONS & TONS of information on massage, stretching, muscles, crossfit, and MANY more topics and concerns when it comes to staying healthy, healing and prevention of injury....

I haven't really come up with how I am going to go with this so it will definitely be a learning as we go kinda thing, so please bear with me...

So a little about me :)  I'm Adrian and I am a die hard crossfitter, at a local box Crossfit 239, and a license massage therapist here in SW florida. I have been a crossfitter for 3 years and a massage therapist for 5, and both are pretty much my life...

well besides my amazing fiancé, Anthony, and the love of my life my puppy, Brindle. 

I have a degree in Athletic Training from a local university, FGCU, and I have worked in a few, great none the less, physical therapy clinics. Being in that kind of setting, I have learned so much which have really helped me understand the human body... i.e. injuries, biomechanics, preventative exercises and stretching, and so so so much more. I have worked with many crossfitters for the last 2-3 years, that I also have crossfitted with, and have helped them over come many years of pain or just the acute pain and injuries from Crossfit's WODs.

The great thing about me being a crossfitter and a massage therapist is that I TRULLY UNDERSTAND and have probably HAVE FELT the same exact pains... I understand the movements that we go through, the execution we give, and the pain that is felt among every crossfitter out there.

It's actually a true statement when I say, "I know how you feel"

I believe our body is a big kinetic chain, if one thing if off (hurt or injured) everything is going to be affected. Let me explain in leman terms, you twist your ankle and then you start limping. Then after 2 days of limping all of a sudden your knee and hip are so achey that it just fells like someone stab you in your back. And then you asked "This is all because of my ankle?" My answer "Yup all because of your ankle you now have low back, hip, and knee pain"... "geez" is your next response...

But Yup thats how the body works. If one thing is off everything will be off. Now, its not always muscular.... it could be a bone and ligament issue, or a strained tendon... (which if you didn't already know is the band of tissue that attaches the muscles to your bone, its a pretty important tissue... if that tears you have no tendon to help activate that muscle to move that bone that you are trying to move, example your bicep. Think about it, or check out the image below...) You are going to have an issue more than just that one particular thing, the body works as a whole... not individually as you think. Your body will do what it needs to do to keep it as whole as it can, and yes that can cause your body to bend and tilt in ways just so it thinks it's helping itself. It's pretty amazing and painful.

http://kescott45.wordpress.com/2006/09/04/the-kinetic-chain-–-why-your-back-hips-knees-lower-legs-ankles-and-feet-hurt/

^ Great article on The Kinetic chain of the body...

Well I'm going to end with this, but next time I'll definitely discuss things that will help YOU as a client, a crossfiiter, and a normal human being understand why you may feel pain where you do, but why I am pressing a muscle no where near that location, or what can YOU do for yourself as in stretching, self-therapy, or WHERE you can go to help alleviate this pain that you are enduring...but no one deserves to be in pain...

till then... Stretch it out ;)