Stretching vs. Other Exercises
Most exercises fall into one of three categories. These three
categories include aerobic exercise, resistance training and stretching. These
three groups have very different effects upon the muscles and the body.
The first, aerobic exercise, is where the body performs
repeated exercise of low resistance intensity but is performed repeatedly.
Common examples would be jogging, bicycling and even swimming. The point of
aerobic exercise is to get the heart working for a sustained period of time,
such as 20 minutes, so that the heart is exercising. Aerobic exercise gives the
muscles more endurance but can cause muscle injury. Performed carefully, this
can help make a muscle much more durable and sustainable to trauma. However,
muscle shortening will occur with the beginning of an aerobic exercise and so
stretching is very important to reverse this kind of problem.
An extension of this form of exercise is anaerobic exercise.
Anaerobic exercise is similar to aerobic exercise, except that the intensity is
much greater, such that the body is using anaerobic respiration instead of
aerobic respiration. This means that lactic acid is being produced in greater
numbers than during aerobic respiration and can be somewhat damaging to muscle.
This can increase shortening and scarring of muscle and is more likely to
contribute to a chronic pain disorder.
The second category of exercise is resistance training,
otherwise known as weight lifting. Resistance training is where high intensity
resistance is applied to muscle for relatively short periods of time, such as a
few minutes (30 reps). In resistance training, a high level of muscle injury
can occur. Over the course of a few days though, the muscle can be rebuilt and
repaired and actually made larger or hypertrophied. The result is, the muscle is
repaired into a stronger and larger muscle cell, increasing strength. The injury
though, can most likely result in muscle shortening hours or days after the
exercise, then during exercise the muscle length will actually increase again.
Therefore resistance can be used to increase stretching. It is for this reason,
I created the Lamb Program of Resistance Stretching ™ almost 15 years ago.
The third category of exercise is stretching or forms of
stretching. This section of exercise is usually the most frequently forgotten.
It is also forgotten that not only should the limb muscles be stretched but that
the spinal muscles be stretched as well. The spinal muscles in fact, are
probably the most important muscles to be stretched because they directly affect
the disk, vertebrae and nerves exiting the spinal cord. Very often when I ask
people that I see in my clinic if they stretch, they usually respond with
"I exercise regularly at the gym using weights and the treadmill."
Stretching is so often confused with other forms of exercise.
Stretching is clearly different. The first two forms of
exercise, aerobic and resistance training, cause muscle injury and shortening
and can contribute to chronic pain syndromes. In general, stretching helps to
reverse the muscle shortening and promote muscle healing. Stretching returns
damaged, shortened muscles to normal length. Due to the fact that most other
activities, whether it be exercise, sports or simply work, will contribute to
muscle injury and shortening, it makes sense for most people to add stretching
into their lifestyle.
Stretching although poorly understood, sometimes painful and
often boring is essential to good health and effective exercising.
NEW FROM
The Lamb Program™
3.0
Neuropathic Stretching Level 1
Resistance Stretching Level 2
Advanced Resistance Stretching Level
3
Designed By A Doctor
Based on how the body actually
works!
Is Now Available On This Website!
In this video series, you will see Dr. Lamb's basic explanation of
understanding pain and the first level of stretching exercises so
critical in Dr. Lamb's recovery
process. These are demonstrated by Dr. Lamb himself as you watch, so that you can
practice them yourself. This is Important as a tool to help people prevent
and even reverse chronic pain.
New research indicates
that much of our chronic pain and arthritis is caused by scarred,
shortened muscles causing joint and nerve injury.
Dr. Lamb - The Stretch Doctor - has created special techniques
have helped celebrities, athletes and everyday people from all over the
world. It is a way back from injury and disability in virtually all age
groups.
I recently received my Lamb
Program Stretching video and I just want to say thanks for all
your research, web information, and for this new video. I have been
doing the stretches religiously and the rapidity of benefits are
startling and impressive.
Thank you so very much.
David in California
| 
DrLamb.com
