Keeping Supple

As much as I obediently fulfil weekly cardio requirements, I never neglect my daily stretches. Stretching at home and at the pilates studio is essential to healthy muscles and to maintain body awareness. That’s the so-called recovery period between cardio and weights days.

Strength and plyo training always strain the muscles. They tear, rebuild and should get stronger. I kinda over-did it at weights training the other week. The glutes and anterior deltoids ached like crazy. Glutes were easily soothed; the anterior deltoid on the right arm, not so. Had to stretch it out at pilates over three consecutive sessions before it stopped throbbing.

I cannot emphasize enough on how important it is to have children run about, jump, tumble and stretch their flexibility. It will really pay off for them in their adulthood. We shouldn’t be so sedentary, or worse, get all out of breath climbing up five flights of stairs. I suppose it counts for something if I can still do bends and flips, thanks to a childhood of grounding and teenage years spent on ballet and gymnastics. I don't do yoga, but will randomly drop into poses just to stretch. I don’t call them ‘asana’ because I'm not into 'the practice'. To me, these are just fun bends which iron out all deep kinks in the back better than what any massage therapist (unless he/she is a good physiotherapist) can do. 

Halfway to a scorpion pincha. Held it there for a deep bend before I kicked up.
But clearly my photographer didn't know that. He ran away after taking this shot. :P