166 Flexibility - is stretching the best option?

Stretching can be very polarizing. Some people love it - and some people hate it. Those of us who have some inherent bendiness often end up in a yoga class while others, who feel as stiff as the Tin Man, avoid stretching classes at all costs. But why is there such a focus on flexibility? Should it even be a goal? Does it actually have an effect on health and performance? And the most important question - is stretching the best way to improve flexibility? In today's episode, I'm covering all things flexibility - including... How to improve your overall flexibility What your nervous system has to do with muscle tension And why you want to choose strengthening over stretching on your path to becoming flexible (and pain-free) All the links: 30 days to more strength + flexibility with the Mobility Mastery Toolkit Functional crawling patterns (AE Wellness YouTube) Wrist and forearm massage (AE Wellness YouTube) Hip CARs (AE Wellness YouTube) A Comparison of the Immediate Effect of Swedish Massage vs Passive Stretching on Range of Motion in Overhead Athletes (Asian Journal of Kinesiology) Ylinen, Jari, et al. "Effect of long-term neck muscle training on pressure pain threshold: a randomized controlled trial." European Journal of Pain 9.6 (2005): 673-681.APA Ylinen, Jari J., et al. "Effects of twelve-month strength training subsequent to twelve-month stretching exercise in treatment of chronic neck pain." *The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research* 20.2 (2006): 304-308. Stretching versus strength training in lengthened position in subjects with tight hamstring muscles: A randomized controlled trial (Manual Therapy) Movement Mavens has the tools and strategy to support you on your path to enjoying life without pain - www.aewellness.com/mavens www.aewellness.com/podcast - Show notes, links and more. Join the free Body Nerds FB community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aewbodynerds/ Come hang out with me on Instagram @hollaformala : https://instagram.com/hollaformala/ TikTok @ aewellness Bodywork Starter Guide - learn the 6 places you need to roll right now for quick relief, plus the reason why what you've tried so far has only given you a temporary fix. Download the guide for free now at www.aewellness.com/bodywork 818-396-6501 is the Body Nerd Hotline - how do you build consistency and/or where are you getting stuck? Drop me a line and let me know your body nerd hacks - you might just hear your voice on a future episode! Today's episode is brought to you by AE Wellness Mobility Assessments. Not sure what you should be doing for mobility? Instead of trying a bazillion things and spending hours a day, get strategic coaching with a Mobility Assessment... with me! You'll get your personalized mobility workout plan with the best mobilizations and activations for you, plus all the videos organized in custom playlists to keep things simple. Save $50 off your Mobility Assessment when you use code BODYNERD at www.aewellness.com/mobility/