Flexibility.
I've never been the most flexible person. People who have witnessed my argumentative side would certainly agree with that statement, but I'm not talking about mentally. I'm talking about physical flexibility.
The physical therapist that worked me over a month ago said he had never seen hamstrings as tight as mine. He should have seen them before I stretched them out. I've made some effort over the years to try to increase my flexibility, and in some cases it's worked out well. For instance, I have a lot of hip flexibility, probably developed to overcome my overwound hamstrings. Targeted stretching does make small improvements, but if I slack off or get sick everything gets all bound up again.
The other day I was listening to NPR and this lady was talking about how western society bends over to pick up things. Other cultures do it with a flat back, but we arch our backs and place ourselves into a position that compromises our spines. Interesting point, but I don't think I could reach the ground if I didn't arch my spine a bit. Might be a chicken or the egg sort of thing, but when you're as rigid as I am, you just have to make to with what you're given and press on.
To be honest, I'm a little surprised I haven't ever had a serious hamstring injury. Believe me, I knocked on wood just now. Don't want one. I've had enough go wrong with my flawed chassis. Hopefully my luck holds out in this regard. Hopefully the stretching I do manage to accomplish helps me and doesn't make me more prone to injury. I'm not all that scientific about it, so there's a good chance I'm screwing it up.
So far, so good, so I'll keep plugging along with my head down until I hit a brick wall. Then I'll look up, make a course adjustment, and get back to it.
That's about as flexible as I get.
The physical therapist that worked me over a month ago said he had never seen hamstrings as tight as mine. He should have seen them before I stretched them out. I've made some effort over the years to try to increase my flexibility, and in some cases it's worked out well. For instance, I have a lot of hip flexibility, probably developed to overcome my overwound hamstrings. Targeted stretching does make small improvements, but if I slack off or get sick everything gets all bound up again.
The other day I was listening to NPR and this lady was talking about how western society bends over to pick up things. Other cultures do it with a flat back, but we arch our backs and place ourselves into a position that compromises our spines. Interesting point, but I don't think I could reach the ground if I didn't arch my spine a bit. Might be a chicken or the egg sort of thing, but when you're as rigid as I am, you just have to make to with what you're given and press on.
To be honest, I'm a little surprised I haven't ever had a serious hamstring injury. Believe me, I knocked on wood just now. Don't want one. I've had enough go wrong with my flawed chassis. Hopefully my luck holds out in this regard. Hopefully the stretching I do manage to accomplish helps me and doesn't make me more prone to injury. I'm not all that scientific about it, so there's a good chance I'm screwing it up.
So far, so good, so I'll keep plugging along with my head down until I hit a brick wall. Then I'll look up, make a course adjustment, and get back to it.
That's about as flexible as I get.
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