Remaining limber and agile is very important, and when you stretch using the correct techniques, you will feel younger and freer at any age. Dear Friends,
Today's interview is with leading yoga, Pilates, and fitness instructor, Stefanie Turner. Her 14-day course, Beneficial Stretches for the Inflexible, is designed for anyone at whatever age, from beginners who want to learn how to stretch properly to students who want to build on and improve their stretching movements with a trusted and experienced trainer. So, let's get started.
Course OverviewPeople often overlook the importance and benefits of learning the right stretching techniques to lengthen and strengthen muscles gradually, correctly, and safely. With this 14-day course, led by fitness trainer, Stefanie Turner, you'll learn a series of simple and fun 20-minute routines that will increase your flexibility, head to toe, regardless of your fitness level or ability. As you progress through the fundamental stretching movements, you will also integrate a variety of techniques including yoga poses and self-massage for greater overall body health. All you need are a few minutes of focus a day to heal, protect, and strengthen your body.
- Receive a new lesson every day for 2 weeks (total of 14 lessons).
- Have lifetime access to the course for reference whenever you want.
- Select the amount you can afford, and get the same course as everyone.
- If you are not 100% satisfied, you may request a refund.
How much do you want to pay?$15$35$50
This is the total amount for all 14 lessons
Interview With Stefanie Turner DailyOM: Why is it important to improve our flexibility? Is stretching beneficial to our mind?
Stefanie Turner: Improved flexibility has so many benefits to the body! Decreased muscular pain, improved range of movement, and better posture are the main three. As a result of these benefits you may also experience better balance and see improvements outside your day-to-day movement patterns, such as improvements in physical performance in sport. In other areas of physical training such as strength training, you may also find benefits, like being able to go deeper into different positions and functional movements. You may even feel better mentally as you feel less tension in the body, and as a result, your mood improves. Studies have revealed that there is a very great connection between the mind and the body. Mindful movement and breathing has a very positive effect on the body's nervous system, moving us out of the "fight or flight" mode that is associated with stress. When this relaxation mode is triggered, our bodies move into the "rest and digest" response which improves our emotional well-being. As a result of mindful movement, like the ones being taught in this course, our bodies and minds connect and bring us into a greater state of relaxation, resulting in a calmer state of mind.
DailyOM: As we age, we tend to be not as flexible as we used to be. Can anyone improve their flexibility at any age?
ST: As we age, muscle degeneration and decreased mobility are very common, however, flexibility can certainly be improved at any age. The exercises in this course are designed to combat the ailments of a sedentary lifestyle. Quite often people need to shift their mindset around the capabilities of their body. The human body is an amazing instrument that has the ability to heal itself at any age! With the right attitude towards practice, persistence, and patience, and the knowledge of how to stretch properly, people of all ages and from all walks of life can surprise themselves at how much improvement in mobility and flexibility they can gain! If you can approach this course with the knowledge that consistent practice is key and gently challenge your body as you progress through the lessons in this course, you may find that you can do more and more every day, and go deeper into postures over time. For older adults, combatting muscular degeneration is the key to remaining mobile for as long as possible. Stretching is very beneficial as it leads to increased circulation and blood-flow around the body, which can contribute to providing a greater quality of life and healthier aging. Remaining limber and agile through stretching is very important, and the more you practice the correct techniques, the more improvements you will see and feel, at any age.
DailyOM: Tell us about the types of stretching exercises you teach in this course.
ST: In this course, I teach a variety of techniques. Many are influenced by yoga and all are grounded in science. It is important to note that stretching many muscle groups often involves also strengthening opposing muscle groups. This concept is known as reciprocal inhibition. Reciprocal inhibition is the process of muscles on one side of a joint contracting to accommodate relaxation (or stretching) on the other side of that joint. Throughout this course the ultimate aim of all types of exercises is to achieve greater balance and synchronicity in the whole muscular system to accommodate smoother movement. Another major technique I teach in this course is myofascial release. Myofascial release work is so beneficial as it helps to relieve tension in the tissues that surround and support the muscles throughout your body. For myofascial release work, it is great to use props such as massage balls and foam rollers. If you do not have access to these props you can use your hands to manually release myofascial tension; however, the use of these props is highly recommended for this course.
DailyOM: Are some people naturally more flexible than others?
ST: Yes, some people are more flexible than others, as we all have different body shapes, sizes, and genetics. It is very common for different people to have different limitations too, and this is heavily influenced by lifestyle factors such as occupations and sports. For example, someone who loves to run for fitness may suffer from tight hamstrings and tight pecs as a result of the muscular requirements of running. They may have been running for many years, and therefore have severe muscular imbalances due to their sport. The fact that they are so actively engaged in physical activity is wonderful, but if they do not do anything to balance out the imbalances in their body, they may start to suffer from injuries or feel very immobile when they attempt other activities. From their years of running, they may feel like they are not as naturally flexible as others, but this is not the natural state of their body. This is the conditioning they have acquired. With practice and persistence, it is totally reasonable for them to achieve greater flexibility, just as a person who does not run often would be able to practice daily and achieve greater fitness at running. The human body is a very adaptable instrument that can be molded and altered with conditioning over time. I truly believe that everyone can improve their flexibility with practice, patience, and know-how.
DailyOM: How often should people engage in flexibility training?
ST: People should stretch whenever they exercise as a general rule. Stretching should form a part of your warm-up and cool-down routine. Keep in mind the kind of exercise you will be performing and tailor your choices of stretches to that activity. For example, after warming up the body with some light aerobic exercise, if you are going for a walk, it would be a good idea to incorporate some calf and hamstring stretching into your warm-up. You may also like to do some hip-flexor stretches. The more physical activity you do and the more stretching you perform on a day-to-day basis, the more intuitive you will become on what your body needs to perform at its best. Stretching every day or multiple times a day to help relieve problem areas is also a great idea. For example, if you work at a desk every day, you may find you start to get a tight neck and shoulders. Try getting up out of your seat at regular intervals throughout your work day to stretch what you feel is getting tight. The amount of flexibility training you wish to do is also dependent on your goals. For example, if you are an athlete, such as a gymnast, you would spend much more time doing flexibility training than say a power lifter. For the general population, flexibility training at least 2-3 times per week is an ideal amount if you do not have sport-specific goals or need to manage muscular pain or a specific injury.
DailyOM: Please share with us about how your course flows through the 14 lessons?
ST: I designed this course by dividing the body into three main areas or sections: muscles that run along the back line of the body, muscles that run along the front line of the body, and muscles that run down the lateral lines of the body. By doing so we cover all the directions of movement that the body moves: forward flexion (forward bending), back extension (bending backwards), lateral flexion (bending sideways), twisting, and axial extension (lifting upwards with the spine). At the start of every lesson, which focuses on a different direction of movement and section of the body, we do a simple test of mobility in that direction to test our starting point. At the end of the lesson, we retest to see and feel for any progress. This constant testing and retesting are practiced throughout the course so that our progress is measurable, and we can learn about our bodies specifically in terms of our personal mobility. Getting to know your own body is essential in learning how to improve your personal mobility and flexibility to help with your individual needs. This is the main goal of the course: to help you recognize and overcome your personal and individual limitations in flexibility and mobility.
DailyOM: What do you hope students will achieve from your course -- physically and mentally?
ST: In this course it is my hope that students walk away with the knowledge of how to stretch intelligently. Knowing how to work with your body as opposed to against it is vital in improving your flexibility. New research is always emerging about the most beneficial ways to improve flexibility, so there are a few stretching techniques that were all the rage many years ago that are now proven to not be beneficial at all. Ballistic (bouncing) stretching, for example, is one of these techniques that people may have learned in the past, but is now proven to actually be damaging to the muscles and body in some cases. So it is my goal in this course to re-educate and teach some of the latest techniques in movement that will help you on your way to being freer in your own body. Teaching my students how to work smarter, instead of necessarily harder, is always my goal. I also hope that students take away helpful mindset tools such as learning how to calm the mind through the use of mindful movement. The mind-body connection is a powerful one, and I hope that this course inspires further exploration and practice of mindfulness to aid the physical body.
In establishing a strong mind-body connection throughout this course, I hope to inspire an understanding of the practicality of intuition into the body's needs. If students can really tap into a greater understanding of their individual body, they can start to cultivate more trust in their body and its capabilities. Ultimately, it is my wish that students realize that through positive mindset and understanding, coupled with persistence and patience, a greater quality of life can be achieved through flexibility.
How Does It Work?Starting today, you will receive a new lesson every day for 14 days (total of 14 lessons). Each lesson is yours to keep and you'll be able to refer back to it whenever you want. And if you miss a lesson or are too busy to get to it that day, each lesson will conveniently remain in your account so you won't have to search for it when you're ready to get back to it.
Free GiftAs a free gift, when you sign up for this course, you will also receive the award-winning DailyOM inspiration newsletter which gives you daily inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day. We will also let you know about other courses and offers from DailyOM and Stefanie Turner that we think you might be interested in.
Get Started NowWe are offering this course with the option of selecting how much you want to pay. No matter how much you pay, you'll be getting the same course as everybody else. We simply trust that people are honest and will support the author of the course with whatever they can afford. And if you are not 100% satisfied, we will refund your money.
How much do you want to pay?$15$35$50
This is the total amount for all 14 lessons
Practice, persistency, and patience are great things to keep in mind when it comes to understanding our body's needs. With the aging process, our body's needs naturally change with time, and this course and the stretching methods taught by Stefanie will be great companions to that process -- both physically and mentally. Until next time.
Be well,
DailyOM
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