Stretching

If you have been in a field for several decades, you end up taking a long view of trends and guidelines. You see how fashions change. Some things go, some things come back around, and new ideas are the best thing until the next new idea. This cycle of innovation and rediscovery is a hallmark of our society.

It’s early January. New Year’s resolutions are swinging into action, and many of them involve improving our health. With the impetus of a fresh start we throw ourselves into ditching poor habits and cultivating better ones. It’s no surprise that January sees the highest gym sign-ups and enrollments for dietary regimens! Other resolutions include getting more sleep, meditating, or learning a new skill—self-care for the mind as well as the body.

Choose your remedies carefully There are many approaches to stretching tight back muscles that involve rounding the back. Though these exercises give temporary relief, we recommend against them because they threaten the spinal discs, nerves, and ligaments. They can also result in the back muscles contracting even more tightly to stabilize the area.