Wharton's Active-Isolated Stretching - Any Opinions?

[chefencer]

active-isolated stretching

You try to touch your toes ... and don't quite make it past the ankle bone.

Aging baby boomers, seniors, and even tight-hamstringed youths all can suffer from a lack of flexibility. But your toes don't have to remain out of reach, no matter what your age. A group of trainers in New York City have adapted flexibility techniques they've used to train Olympic-class runners in their quest to increase agility for ordinary folks.

Their idea isn't revolutionary: Stretching warms up the muscles and increases range of motion. But their execution is.

The traditional stretch would involve bending over and, say, touching your toes, then holding the stretch, even when it's uncomfortable. Pushing further and holding longer is indeed intense, says exercise physiologist Jim Wharton, a former Olympic running coach who runs a clinic in New York. But, he believes, the long, hard stretch is counterproductive. That burn felt during intense stretches brings on the myotatic – or stretch – reflex. That ultimately forces muscles to contract or tighten as a defense mechanism.

Instead, Wharton prescribes a gentle routine: a half-hour of stretches held for one to two seconds, aimed at isolating different muscle groups. Repeating each stretch multiple times is what brings flexibility.

"To see improvement, you have to do it every day," explains Tom Nohilly, a trainer at the Wharton clinic. "It's like any other learning curve. The muscles are learning to do something new."

The system of active-isolated stretching is not new. Nurses in England used the same fundamentals to rehabilitate soldiers during World War II. And in the 1950s, exercise kinesiologists at the University of Illinois studied the technique and began using it in sports medicine.

There is no evidence-based research to suggest that the short and sweet stretch is more beneficial than other kinds of stretches. But it sure can't hurt. Many elite runners have embraced it. And so have Wharton's current clients.

Albert Gordon, 70, used to go to a trainer who pushed him past his edge in hour-long sessions.

"I'd come out a beaten puppy," says the retired investment banker. Now he does Wharton's stretches, and he says it's helping him meet his top goal: "I want to stay upright!"

[rudd]

I've use AIS, PNF and a number of other stretching technigues. Nothing magical. However AIS is useful in warmup as it's "active" and help wake the muscle up. Try it and see what your results are.

[RoninX]

a half-hour of stretches held for one to two seconds, aimed at isolating different muscle groups. Repeating each stretch multiple times is what brings flexibility.

This may be required for some without a base level of flexibility, but a half hour or 1-2 second stretches? Yeesh. Give me 10 (maybe 15) minutes of good old "hold 'em" stretches anytime... ...the fact that some high level athletes have embraced this means to me that they have too much time on their hands, cut their funding, tell them to get a part time job and send some more fencers to the nation training center.

[rudd]

Just to clarify AIS is usually done is a form of maybe 10 reps of 1-2 seconds for a particular muscles. Total stretching time for that muscle is about 30 seconds.

So for the hamstring for example. You lie on the floor for with one leg raised and uses a strap pull the leg towards you. So far same as usual. Pay attention this is the AIS part. You contract the agonist muscle group ,in this case your quads/hip flexors. This should move you leg closer to the body. You also apply an additional pull with the strap. You can also use a partner. You hold for 2 seconds. You relax and repeat 9 more times. Supposedly overcomes the strecth reflexe.

[rudd]

This link explains AIS much better than I just did.

[Fencergrl]

In yoga, my teacher will often have us hold a stretch briefly, then come out, then back in, this is repeated going just a little deeper each time. I find this works well and will often pull out of the stretch, to gain great flexiablity.

[Bryn Ralph]

To procure a better idea of J. Watson's method, review Rolf Wirhed's
Athletic Ability & the Anatomy of Motion. Excellent illustrations using various types of stretching exercises in relation to specific muscle group application. Highly recommend.

[sloper]

The whole Wharton AIS program is interesting to go through a few times. It will teach you a lot about your muscles. But it's hard to keep the focus up day after day. I recommend giving it a try and then sticking with stretches that make the most difference for you.
I still use the foot and lower leg stretches from one of the Whartons' books. It's amazing the difference at practice if the little muscles in my feet and ankles are activated before I put on fencing shoes. Once I start, my feet respond and don't feel like blocks of wood encased in shoes. So I can practice longer because my knees and lower back don't do more than their share. I can go faster and harder and have more fun.
For the rest of my body, I use yoga to get ready. It integrates a lot of muscles rather than isolating them like AIS. I don't know if integration is necessarily better than isolation, but I do know that I get bored pretty quickly with AIS if I try to warmup every muscle that way.
AIS can be used to cool down, too. If I've really worked my legs in practice, I'll do AIS for quads, hip flexors, glutes and hamstrings after practice. It makes a big difference in how I feel the next day.

HTH,
Susan