Description
The Anatomy of Stretching, Second Edition: Your Illustrated Guide to Flexibility and Injury Rehabilitation
The subject of stretching and flexibility has evolved considerably over the last fifteen to twenty years. Long gone are the days when the topic of stretching was relegated to a few pages at the back of books on health and fitness, or when a dozen stick figures performing the most basic of stretching exercises was considered a detailed reference.
Fifteen years ago it was hard to find a text specifically on stretching, but today there are dozens of references. Everything from “New Age” stretching techniques to martial arts stretching and the very detailed clinical application of stretching for academics has been written.
When The Anatomy of Stretching was originally published in 2007 it was the first book to cover the topic of anatomy and physiology for stretching and flexibility. Since then others have been written, but no other book on the subject contains more examples of stretching exercises, or is able to take detailed anatomical information and present it in a way that is easy for everyone to understand.
This is where The Anatomy of Stretching is different: it is able to take you inside the body and show you both the primary and secondary muscles in action during the stretching process.
The Anatomy of Stretching looks at stretching from every angle, including physiology and flexibility; the benefits of stretching; the different types of stretching; rules for safe stretching; and how to stretch properly. Aimed at fitness enthusiasts of any level, as well as fitness pros, The Anatomy of Stretching also focuses on which stretches are useful for the alleviation or rehabilitation of specific sports injuries.
Plus in this second edition, over 20 new stretches have been added; the chapter on physiology has been expanded; more detailed anatomy has been included with each stretching chapter; and a new numbering system has been included to help reference each stretch.
Written as a visual aid for athletes and fitness professionals, The Anatomy of Stretching gives readers a balance of theoretical information about the fundamentals of stretching and flexibility anatomy and physiology, and the practical application of how to perform 135 unique stretching exercises.
Divided into stand-alone sections, The Anatomy of Stretching does not have to be read from cover-to-cover to take advantage of the information it contains. If you would like to see how a muscle works, refer to Chapter 1; if you would like to know how stretching can help you, have a read through some of the benefits in Chapter 2; and if you would like information on stretches for the hamstrings, look under Chapter 9.
Whether you are a professional athlete or a fitness enthusiast, a sports coach or personal trainer, a physical therapist or sports doctor, The Anatomy of Stretching will benefit you.