Bob Anderson: Stretching

It's no mystery to me why I like to exercise extensively. Being physically active is good for me: it's healthy, it stimulates my brain cells as good as anything (or - you know what), and it helps to strengthen my self confidence when it becomes weak. I was always moving my body a lot and I hope to never stop moving my body. Should I have an accident, and injure myself to immobility, oh my god, I think I would die.
There are so many unfortunate souls who can't move their limbs, and can't exercise fully, can't run, or swim, and they would love to, but they just can't. How unfair is that! I am deeply sorry for them, and at the same time, but apparently for other reason, feel sorry for those, who can move but won't.

I've always moved a lot, but my philosophy about moving used to be different, and it's evolved with time. I was never taught about moving, I just moved. The set of people I live with is almost void of exercisers, but instead full of computer, mathematics and similar kinds of geeks, who could move of course, but don't. So nobody really showed me how to move, and I'd always moved intuitively. Now I think, however, I didn't do it correctly. Specifically, I always thought that something was lacking between my being mobile and immobile. It took me quite some time to become aware of my body enough to acknowledge what'd been missing for all that time. Now I am positive I've found the missing link, and this piece of knowledge is called stretching. (Going into motion from rest reminds me of continuity, which is a mathematical idea that underlines natural phenomena. I praise mathematics, and stretching is like manna from heaven to me, when moving becomes the sweet nectar of life.)

Perhaps you got impatient by now and would argue what on earth am I babbling about and loosing time with A BOOK, when all I have to do is to look at a cat for instance, for a cat intuitively knows how to stretch. Lo and behold, right? Not right. At least I have great difficulties at imitating other animals. I have to read, think about it, and then I do it correctly. I am an intellectual. In addition to vitalism I praise rationalism. But I have to think about it. So it came that this book'd fallen into my lap and made me a very happy.

I luv to stretch (and it gets more and more spontaneous and less and less time-consuming every day):
- in the morning, so as to fully march into a bright new day, which happens to be quite nice and full. I would venture to say that the morning stretches have a big role in this. What exactly do I do? As I am waking up, I open the windows to let the cold fresh air in and thick and foul out, so I really wake up my lungs, and do some back-stretches. Then I go out and walk for a couple of minutes. It's still dark outside, and my neighbors don't actually see me. I have some problems walking outside lately, since it is so cold. Instead I walk inside. I make circles. Afterwards I do some pushups. When I get warm enough, I do my stretches,
- at work, or in school, so as to eradicate strains over my body, and to be more efficient, for I can do more, better, and more gleefully,
- whenever my muscle get tight, I locate the tight ones and stretch them,
- at various occupations, as for example in front of the TV, although I don't really watch it, - but sometimes I do, or when listening to music, reading, or, this is my favorite, chatting with an exclusive friends, an exclusive meaning the one who understand,
- before going to bed. This is an excellent time for me to stretch (especially my back), to let go all the steam of the day, either physical or mental. This is how I keep my muscle tonus at an envious level till the morning, when I feel better than if I don't do evening stretches, and when I march into a new bright day all over again.

This was revelation to me:
- before going aerobic (running or swimming for example), I like to warm up a bit with walking or gentle running for about 3 minutes, after which I do the right stretches. Stretches are in general different for different kinds of moving, for running, swimming, or going to war,
- the moment I am opening my eyes in the bed in the morning is an excellent time for me to do some wonderful stretches, e.g. stretching my groin. Go on and tell me, who wouldn't like to march into a new bright day as fast and loud as he could!? (I know, for great many the days just don't get white: hunger, thirst, physical and mental raping, these are the great tears of our world today, and I am talking about stretching ... :|
- would you say I am a bit mad, being that tough to my heart already in the morning? I wouldn't say so. There are many reasons why I don't like to oversleep, and march into a new day as fast as I can. This is perhaps very predictable, but morning stretches help me (and sometimes even make me) wake up completely when getting up from bed. I like completeness, I like perfection, and I love to breathe.

See also:
- my favorite stretches,
- and the book's Contents.

I love to stretch. I think stretching is very ... honest, it gives me a chance to enjoy myself. I found my copy of the book at Amazon.com.

Ratiovitalism!

9/10