DAN HARDY

My long and frustrating relationship with flexibility began as a child in my very first martial arts class. It was taekwondo, for which hip and leg mobility are vital for mastering high kicks. From the start I hated stretching but knew it would benefit me so I tried to love it. I did a lot of research and practice and even bought a hydraulic stretch-a-sizer, which eventually gathered dust in the corner of my bedroom. My early attempts were painful. Often we stretched with partners in classes and looking back I suspect the forceful postures we adopted did more harm than good. Traditional martial arts are rife with hard-headedness and lack of education and I was left with the impression that stretching was about bullying my body into compliance. So although I understood the need  for supple joints and muscles, I only  did what was necessary to prepare  for training. My warm up was often restricted to  a quick triceps stretch and toe touch before stepping onto the mat. In hindsight I was lucky I didn’t suffer a serious injury. I often felt small pulls and strains once my body had cooled down. STRETCHING FRUSTRATION As I competed more, it became obvious that the more I took care of myself the better my results. Increasing my range of motion would  not only increase the height of my kicks, but also the speed. I knew that if I wanted to progress, some serious dedication  was required. The first thing I needed to do was change my relationship with flexibility so I hit the library to see what others had to say. The books of choice at that time were Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace’s Dynamic Stretching and Kicking, Bruce Lee’s The Art of Expressing the Human Body and anything  I could find by Pavel Tsatsouline. I followed their suggestions but the impatience of youth prevented me from persevering with any particular method. After a while I began to develop a warm-up routine and did deeper stretching after sessions when my body was loose and the injury risk lower. I favoured a style of stretching called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation,  or PNF stretching, which involves taking the muscle to its maximum extension and then contracting it so it effectively stretches itself. Once the contracted muscle has been held at its limit, you then relax and gently move deeper into the position. When done consistently for a few weeks  it proved to be a quick way of increasing flexibility in particular muscles. But I didn’t do it in an organised manner. Often I would be in my car on the way home from training before I realised  I had forgotten to stretch. This is the problem with tagging stretching onto other training sessions: it’s too easy to hit the showers and head home when you’re tired, particularly if you view stretching as a chore. Consistency wasn’t my only problem. My routine only focused on particular areas that were easy to work, such as the hamstrings, whereas my target was better overall flexibility and increased health and wellness. I became concerned that hard stretching in some areas of the body, coupled  with neglect in others, could result in imbalances that would show over time.  So I switched between brief spells of motivated stretching and long periods  of doing the bare minimum. DISCOVERING HOT YOGA After discussing my issues with a friend, we agreed to try a hot yoga class together for moral support. I had heard 

that it could be tough but I didn’t think for a second that it would be that much of an ass-kicking. All of a sudden I was faced with the realisation that although my flexibility was above average, it was a long way off what I wanted it to be. The overwhelming feeling that I should be better at it never left my mind. The athlete I was aspiring to be needed a stronger, suppler body. “ Increasing my range of motion would not only increase the height of my kicks, but also the speed” When I relocated my training camp to  Las Vegas I incorporated regular hot yoga practice three times a week. My general approach to something I find difficult or intimidating is to force myself to do it. Some of you may laugh and think I’m being melodramatic, but getting myself to the yoga studio is more difficult than getting out of bed for hill sprints at 5.00am. The room is heated to 105 degrees so as soon as you enter, your body temperature begins to rise. Muscles loosen and positions that had been difficult to achieve seem more comfortable. The time spent in the hot yoga studio has become my dedicated time to pay attention to me. Ninety minutes of stretching, balancing and compression. The increased blood flow feeds the cells and takes away waste products. By the end I feel as though every part of my body has been moved and stretched and I feel connected and aware of my whole being. I’ve been practising consistently now for nine months, slowly increasing my attendance to five times a week. The first thing I noticed was changes to my posture. My spine loosened, allowing a greater range of motion for bending my side and back. My forward head posture from years of keeping my chin tucked finally corrected itself. My shoulders pulled back and I felt like I could take deeper breaths. I started sleeping on my back as my spine and neck were straightening out. The other thing that I began to notice was greater self-awareness. I became more in tune with my body’s capabilities and limits and at each session I would explore them a little more to see what improvements I could make. THE BENEFITS My relationship and approach to flexibility is now entirely different. I stretch in the morning to get the blood flowing, before and after a training session and in the kitchen when I’m cooking. It suddenly seems so natural. After years of watching the cat make his way through a fairly complex and rigorous stretching regime, it has dawned on me to do the same. The more time I spend gently lengthening and feeling each muscle, ligament  and tendon, the better I know my body. This connectedness with myself is essential to my evolution as an athlete and as a human being. I view my body as a vessel, a tool and sometimes a weapon. It is my vehicle for the human experience and with that in mind I want to make sure it is capable of whatever I require. If you want to improve your health, quality of life or performance, I recommend making flexibility a part of your journey. Start lightly; don’t push until you feel pain. Work with and understand each muscle and the signals it gives. Warm-up thoroughly and stretch carefully and consciously. It is much more of a negotiation with the muscle than a battle and some days it will feel like you have taken big steps back. Persevere and be consistent. M&F