

This is the book that people tell their friends about, that trainers suggest for virtually every sport and activity, and that medical professionals recommend to people just starting to get back in shape. Stretching first appeared in 1980 as a new generation of Americans became committed to running, cycling, aerobic training, and workouts in the gym all of which are commonplace now. It features stretching routines specific to a variety of people, including sports enthusiasts, travelers, children, gardeners, and people in wheelchairs. There is also an abbreviated version of each routine for people in a hurry, new information on the stretching vs. warming up debate, and new and improved drawings. This 30th anniversary edition features two-color inks to better define the muscle groups helped by each stretching exercise. A new section focuses on office fitness exercises, helpful for both home and office computer users. Review: Physical Therapy in book form - Great Illustrations and written explanations about the proper form for any area of your body.. Stretching out those little aches and pains will keep you going. Review: Stretching book - Love this book. Easy to read with all the parts of the body explained
| Best Sellers Rank | #208,130 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #197 in Stretching Exercise & Fitness |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,303 Reviews |
P**W
Physical Therapy in book form
Great Illustrations and written explanations about the proper form for any area of your body.. Stretching out those little aches and pains will keep you going.
B**L
Stretching book
Love this book. Easy to read with all the parts of the body explained
R**S
Excellent Strectching for Overall Good Health
This is an excellent book! I first encountered it in my gym where there are excerpts from it on the wall. I now use it at home and do the Every Day Stretches routine in the morning as my coffee brews! . After a few weeks, my body is so much more supple, and my balance has improved noticeably . I have become somewhat of an evangelist to my adult kids and my friends, and have gifted this book to several people. The stretches for various activities (eg. golfing, cycling, running, etc) have proven to be very helpful to others. I should also say that the descriptions and diagrams are very easy to follow, and it is very easy to tweak the routines or choose a variety of stretches to suit your body’s needs and your activities at various times.
B**X
Streching - Oh my aching muxcles
My chiropracter recommended this book to me and I am glad that he did. It is an excellent resource of those of us who are getting along in years and stiffening up with age. I would suspect that it is also an excellent recourse of younder, more atletic individuals as well. Well written with decent illustrations, I would recommend this book to tohers.
K**N
One of the best stretching books out there
I discovered this book on several resources for chronic pain as one of the best stretching books out there. This book breaks it down into several categories and has pictures that help you achieve the stretch you are trying to do. Some of the great things about this book: *The section on "How to Stretch" is a must read. I learned things that I did not know before and the "correct" way to stretch. *Describes what not to do and illistrates with pictures and vice versa *Gives different variations of how to stretch for different activites (and shows them in the correct order to get the maximum benefit), for example: stretches for your back, for your hands, sitting stretches, gardening, stretches for kids, learning the splits, there is a whole section for stretches at the office, and for just about any sport you can think of. *Resources and tips for caring for your back PNF stretching, body tools, recommended reading, and stretching prescriptions *Extensive index that is very helpful
A**T
Excellent book for stretching
The past couple years I had been searching for a good stretching book. I stumbled upon this book during the search. Seeing excellent reviews across the board, I decided to give it a try. And..I am not disappointed at all. The illustrations alone make it worthwhile. However the illustrations plus the detailed explanation for each stretch make it an excellent book. The book is outlined by the stretch for each part of the body. Towards the end it provides a set of stretches for each sports/activity such as cycling, swimming, tennis etc which can come very handy. I highly recommend it even for those who have already done stretches like myself. I found more stretching positions or a better alternative to my current routine. This book is worth it!!
J**.
I really enjoy this book
I really enjoy this book. I have done some of the stretches. The illustration of each stretch is sometimes all that is necessary to perform the stretch although if you need more, there are directions for each stretch. In some cases, there is a stretch illustration that is marked with an X to indicate the incorrect way to perform the stretch and then the correct illustration is next to the incorrect one. There is a chapter devoted to stretches for each major muscle that is used, such as the a chapter with stretches for the shoulders. At the end of each chapter, there is an illustrated summary of the stretches. There is also a guide to stretches for many activities such as running, bowling, swimming, golf, and many others. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive guide to stretching.
S**A
Yep, it's awesome
This isn't one of those "I just got the product and it still has shrink wrap on it but I really, really love the cover so five stars" reviews. I've been using this book for over a month now. I have multiple books on fitness and stretching (including yoga and pilates), and I can say that this is a legit fitness book. Compared to my other stretching book (Stretching Anatomy), there is no comparison. While SA gives you lots of pictures and descriptions of the muscles you stretch, this book actually gives you series of stretching programs and teaches you how to enjoy them. SA's motto is "the more it hurts the better you're doing". This book's motto is "no pain no gain is a bunch of BS so don't hurt yourself and relax and enjoy the stretches". I love the stretching technique in the book. It helps you ease into a stretch and know when you're doing it right. After a month+ of use I can say that it works. I have used it after waking up, before going to bed, to warm up for pilates workouts in the morning, to warm up for running, cycling, weightlifting, and sports, to cool down from all of these, and to stretch out tight muscles in my back, legs and shoulders. The book is a wonderful resource and has helped supplement my other activities superbly. I recommend this book to everyone, athlete or non-athlete. You will benefit by learning how to stretch properly.
S**S
My new best friend among self help books
I've owned this book for a number of years but recently it's come into its own for me as I'm currently in rehab from a serious shoulder injury. With the help of my physio I've added a lot of complementary isometric work from this book to my programme. To summarise: * visual approach - every stretch is illustrated in easy to follow diagrams of the movements and stages. Dyslexia friendly presentation. * very good indexing - easy to find stretches for specific conditions e.g. shoulders and also defined sporting activities. * emphases on: understanding your own limits, warming up, who the stretches are for (who needs to do the splits?), taking away the tendency to be competitive (the stretch is for your body, not some ideal!). Go slow or at your own pace entirely - you are the boss! * encouragement to photocopy specific pages to refer to while sitting at your desk or in your car. Lovely nudge theory here! * the sections devoted to named routines e.g. golf. Great to have the guidelines about time and order. Every stretch though is referenced elsewhere in the book so you'd have to look up and learn 16 stretches for golf. This is a great opportunity for a website (I'd happily pay to join) where you could search for a sport or injury and it would just flip up a whole programme for you.
M**O
bin begeistert
scheint ein wirklich tolles, informatives Buch zu sein. Sinnvoll gegliedert. Mit unzähligen Abbildungen. Die Zeichnungen der abgebildeten Personen sind auf die notwendigen Informationen reduziert und die Muskelgruppen, auf welche sich die aktuell beschriebene Dehnungsübung auswirken soll, farblich markiert. Die Beschreibungen zu den Bildern sind kurz, prägnant und verständlich - soweit ich das bisher beurteilen kann. (habe das Buch gestern erst erhalten und konnte bisher nur hineinschnuppern). Kein Geschwafel, keine Mehrdeutigkeiten. Cover und Aufmachung haben einen nostalgischen Touch. Das Buch wirkt harmonisch und ich freue mich darauf, weiterzulesen. Gefällt mir optisch und inhaltlich sehr gut.
S**V
lovely book on stretching without injuring oneself. Has something ...
lovely book on stretching without injuring oneself. Has something for everyone including elderly. This book helps people who practice yoga to explore gradually.
V**E
La référence pour le stretching
L'approche de Bob et Jean Anderson permet à tous sans exceptions de découvrir et entretenir leur corps par la pratique des étirements. Il n'est pas question ici de compétition, de dogme de la forme "parfaite" ni de contorsionniste mutilatoire. Il s'agit simplement de se faire plaisir tout en se faisant du bien. Les différents étirements possibles sont tous précisément dessinés et détaillés un à un dans la première partie du livre. Ils sont ensuite proposés sous forme de routines en double pages spécifiques à différentes activités de la vie : étirements pour les salariés au bureau, étirements pour les arts martiaux, étirements devant sa télé, étirements au lever, étirements du soir, etc'. Les routines sont toutes relativements courtes (max. 15-20minutes) et très simples à réaliser. Sans remplacer l'aide précieuse d'un professionnel de santé, ce livre est un compagnon de route valable pour ceux qui cherchant à retrouver ou entretenir la fluidité du corps. Dans un des chapitres, Bob Anderson nous parle du chat. Observez le, vous verrez qu'il pratique ses étirements tous les jours de sa vie et ce sans jamais forcer: c'est vers ce genre de discipline que ce livre vous emmène.
P**L
A classic that never gets out of date.
I purchased one of these books back in the eighties. I loved it and used it often. The diagrams and explanation for the stretches make this book easy to use. I can attest to the stretches being very helpful for stiff muscles, loosening up before working out or running. I also used the original book to use stretches that helped me alleviate some sciatic pain I experienced in my lower back and thigh. I was glad to see it still available and improved. There are stretches in here for almost any scenario you can experience in work or sports. Great, great book. Thanks Bob Anderson. Highly recommended to anyone young or old to stay limber and flexible and avoid muscle strains and injury.
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