I’ve watched a lot of people stretch over the years.
And one of the things that still amazes me is how often somebody will ignore what their own body is telling them because they’re trying to do what they think the exercise is supposed to look like.
They see somebody else reach farther, bend deeper, or hold a position that they can’t quite manage.
And suddenly that’s the goal.
Never mind what their own body is doing.
They’ve got a picture in their head of what the movement should look like, and they’re determined to get there.
Sometimes I think we’re so busy trying to do an exercise correctly that we forget to notice what we’re actually doing.
Who decided that’s the right position?
During a recent class, I was taking everyone through a series of movements and balance exercises.
I reminded them that they could touch the wall, keep their toes on the floor, or adjust the position of a leg.
Whatever helped them find a comfortable place to work.
Some people could balance with a foot completely off th…