More on Flexibility and Running Economy

I have previously posted about some studies addressing the relationship between flexibility and running economy. The studies find that less flexibility correlates with greater running economy. The reason is probably that that elastic recoil of muscle and tendon is an important contributor to running power. Just as a golf ball will bounce higher and longer than a squash ball, a stiff runner will

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Flexibility and Running Economy

Not yoga class In a previous post I argued that flexibility is often massively overrated as a desirable physical quality for sports performance. Nowhere is this point more clear than in the case of running economy, as shown by a few recent studies. Running economy basically means efficiency – a runner with better economy uses […]

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Should You Stretch a Sore Muscle?

The Mesoderm or the Ectoderm? What is the first thing you do when a muscle is tight and sore? Stretch it right? The point of this post is to say: don’t do that. There is a good chance you will just make the problem worse, not better. Before getting into why, I first want to […]

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Is Flexibility Important?

Good warm up? As a rolfer, I see many clients who tell me that one of their main goals is to increase flexibility. They seem ashamed of their lack of flexibility and feel guilty that they don’t do more stretching. (This is usually right after starting a yoga class.) They are surprised to hear that […]

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The Central Nervous System

One of the most important things to understand about your body is that it is largely governed by the central nervous system (the “CNS”.)  The CNS is composed of your brain, the spinal cord and the nerves.  It is a lightning fast communication system that controls every aspect of your sensation and movement. The CNS […]

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