Beyond those basic stretches

Stretching is an important component of exercise programs, but most people forgo it or rely on the same stretches they’ve been doing since high school. “Stretching” (DK Publishing Inc., 2005) offers myriad ways to get the body limber for a variety of activities.

“Stretching”: As we age, our bodies tighten up, affecting our posture and making simple tasks and movements more difficult. Regular stretching can help ease this tightness, alleviate tension caused by stress and prevent injuries.

Suzanne Martin, a Bay Area physical therapist and former dancer, offers a variety of stretches in her book. She breaks them down into categories based on body parts (shoulders, upper back, calves), sports (swimming, skiing, cycling), daily activities (gardening, long telephone calls, long drives) and life stages (pregnancy, maturity).

The book also offers a 21-day program for improving posture with basic stretching routines. Exercises are illustrated with color photographs and detailed step-by-step instructions, and specific muscle groups are pinpointed.

Stretching, says Martin, often gets overlooked in a fitness program “because it’s often seen as something you add on to the end. People will do 50 minutes of cardio and then two minutes of stretching and wonder why they have overuse problems.” Posture, she adds, is improved when “you learn how to open the chest and become more erect by getting the back to lift and straighten up.”

Price: $15; available at bookstores.

-- Jeannine Stein