Long & Strong: Stretching Makes A Difference

Instructor: “… finish strong! last, 3, 2, and 1… great job, face the barre, let’s get a stretch…”
You: “uhhh. owwww…. omg hurry up… whew oh thank God, I think I got a snap chat…” {immediately grabs phone}.
If this scenario sounds familiar, then this post if for you. At NEIGHBORHOOD barre, our stretches do not serve as a break, but as a part of the choreography that make up our entire workout. The timing and placement is planned in order to maximize the benefit and create the long and lean look that we all crave.
As you go through class, you should be pushing yourself on the stretches just as hard as you push through even the toughest set of thighs. The science behind it is simple – our muscles react like taffy. The warmer you get your muscles, the longer your muscles will stretch. DISCLAIMER: you can’t change the insertion point of your muscles, so the actual length of your muscles isn’t changing, but the fibers that make up your muscles are. Stretching while you are hot has proven to have more benefits than stretching while your body is cold. Therefore, it’s important to think about the stretches, concentrate on where you should be feeling it, and continue to participate at the full level during this portion of the workout.

Press the Top of your foot against the floor and pull up and into the barre.

As you rock back onto your knee, remember to tuck your hip forward BEFORE hinging back to get the max benefit from this stretch.

Exhaling into your stretches will allow you to go deeper. Think about sinking lower with every exhale to push yourself further into the stretch.

From our triceps to our hips, these stretches are placed throughout the workout for a reason. Your social media might suffer, but your body will thank you.