Proper Stretching - A Mandatory Addition to Your Lifestyle
by Hakika Dubose
When most people do any physical activity, one topic of discussion is always talked about or thought about: to stretch or not to stretch? This has been a constant debate in recent years. Most articles primarily focus on static and dynamic stretching, but a woman by the name of Hakika Wise has developed a new form on stretching. A type of stretching that actually benefits the body, and it is called is The Kika Method®. Your body must be in a completely relaxed state, in order to receive the benefits of stretching. Being strapped down to a table (often with Velcro) and/or having the potential to fall off the table, is not very relaxing to most – so Wise’s method does not use those techniques.
Imagine lying on a mat and having someone gently stretch out your entire body for you – this is The Kika Method. “The Kika Method helps release tension from your body that has been trapped inside of your body for years,” says Wise.
With her method, certified coaches are trained to follow your breath pattern, in an attempt to release this trapped tension. The real question should be, “is holding tension within your body for years good for you?” The answer is easy: NO!
Why the Debate?
When speaking on the topic of stretching, people only discuss its benefits on the body for performance. There are additional benefits that methods like The Kika Method® can offer. This method is form of assisted stretching and relaxation therapy that overrides the body's defense mechanism, preventing harmful hormones from negatively effecting the body.
Some critics say that stretching does not improve sports performance before an activity. Some even question, if stretching after an activity is required for recovery Well, stretching helps the body more than the average person is aware of – in almost all ways. Let’s discuss the benefits.
Stretching your brain?
Your brain will send signals from your nerves -- that tell it that they are tight. When this happens, your brain then sends signals to the opposing muscle groups to resist the force, so you don’t lose your functional balance. The brain must work in overdrive for this, and if you are feeling the tightness, it’s not just affecting your unconscious brain, it is also occupying your conscious as well. You are, then, essentially taking up space that your brain will need to focus on other tasks. If you’ve stretched and released the tension that was trapped inside of your body, your brain wouldn’t have to focus on perfecting imbalances. You would then have more mental space to focus on tasks that will advance your life, instead. So, having excessively tight muscles in your body stops both your body and your brain from working together cohesively.
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Stretching techniques, like The Kika Method, help release endorphins throughout the entire body. How important are endorphins to your quality of life? Let’s take a look!
Endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, like that of morphine and cocaine. Incorporating assisted stretching into your weekly routine will give your body time to heal from all the stress it has endured. You will also have a chance to experience 45 or 60 minutes of endorphin heaven. If you experience stress quite often, you must also allow your body to decompress. This prevents your mind and body from breaking down.
“The Kika Method is the perfect de-stressing method, because we gently guide your body through the tension it has created,” says Wise.
Recovery
Sure – some people talk about articles discuss how you shouldn’t stretch before an activity, but they never discuss about what you should do after an activity, which is recover. During exercise or even inactivity, your muscles tighten up and shorten around your bones and nerves. After your workout, if they stay like this, you will feel pain and discomfort the next day. Your body shouldn’t be distressed. It should feel relaxed and tension free. Stretching after your workout will loosen the muscles away from the bones, elongate them, and rid the body of the tension that has been created. When you are ready to exercise again, you will be able to start fresh, instead of starting with a body full of existing tension.
The Kika Method ®
While we can keep debating on the reasons we should stretch, the reasons are very clear. How important is releasing stress in a healthy way to you? How important is using optimum brain power to you? Do you want to live with unnecessary tension within your body that’s prohibiting you from being the best version of yourself? While we keep searching for ways to address these problems, we can no longer overlook stretching as a treatment.
The Kika Method® allows your body’s defense mechanism to set in, so after a while your body gets use to the feeling and won’t fight back. Over time, your stress levels will go down and your quality of life will only get better.
With the Kika Method®, their team will track your results and tell you how old you are flexibility wise and take it from there.
