Free Walking Clinic presented by Jeff Galloway and Phidippides Sandy Springs June 18, 2008 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM.  Learn about getting started, staying motivated, avoiding aches and pains, “shuffling”, nutrition, fat burning, buying the right shoe for walking, and much more. Whether your goal is the KP Corporate Run/Walk, a 10K or exercising for fitness, stop by for the free walking clinic.

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We want to thank everyone that came to our Women In Action night at Phidippides Sandy Springs. It was a very successful night with food, from Whole Foods, Meehans, and Caribou, lots of freebies, including free shoes, outfits, bras and other great gifts and free bra fittings. We want to especially thank Kristy from New Balance, Audrey & Tanya from Moving Comfort, Leah Thomas, the Georgia Tech Nutritionist, and Chantrell from BodyFtiz for adding their respective expertise to the event.  Stay tuned for more special events as they are always great fun!

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Join us this Wednesday from 6-8pm at our Sandy Springs location for a night just for women.

Sponsored by New Balance and Moving Comfort, there will be giveaways and 20% off all clothing and shoes from these companies.

Three special guests will be joining us: Leah Thomas Georgia Tech nutritionist, a personal trainer from Body Fitz, and a bra designer from Moving Comfort.

Refreshments will be provided by Caribou and Whole Foods. Hope to see you there.

To RSVP email Phidippides

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5k Run/Walk and 1k Run/Walk

WHEN: May 17th, Registration begins 8:00 am, Race at 9:00 am

WHERE: The Atlanta Academy
2000 Holcomb Woods Parkway

COST: $22 for adults, $12 for kids 14 and under

DETAILS: Join us for the 2008 Talk / Walk / Run and help us raise awareness
and support for hearing screenings and early intervention for newborns, as
well as lots of helpful information on hearing loss for everyone.
In addition, there will be great refreshments from Chick-fil-A, Dunkin
Donuts and Publix, raffle prizes from LA Fitness, Curves, Saucony, and
prizes for the winners!

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After its successful Phidippides debut at our Sandy Springs location the Mizuno "Run With Us" fit truck will be back with us at Ansley Mall Thursday, May 15th from 5-8pm. Mizuno representatives will be on hand to go through the fit process and give away some FREE STUFF. There is limited space available for the fit process so it will be first come first serve. More about the Mizuno fit truck.

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The following information is not designed to promote any one modality.  Instead, it is intended to educate you to make appropriate decisions on your flexibility needs.

Of primary importance when selecting between stretching techniques is to determine the “physiological state” of the muscle you are stretching.  If you have a pain free, full range of motion (ROM) at a joint, there is no need to attempt to increase the ROM.

Static stretching is a great stretch for a muscle with full ROM.  This is the most traditional technique of stretching and the one most people are taught in gym class, etc.  Static stretching produces a mechanical stretching of the muscle by taking the ends of the muscle away from each other and passively holding for 20-30 sec.  You may also find that it is very relaxing to engage in static stretching.

If you do not have a full range of motion, you can benefit from increasing your flexibility at a joint.  The most efficient way to do this is through a process called “facilitated stretching.”  The benefit of this approach is that it engages the nervous system in order to create a relaxation response in the muscle you are trying to lengthen.  By creating this relaxation response, you allow the muscle to stretch more freely and will increase flexibility more easily.

The technique I will discuss in this article is referred to as CONTRACT / RELAX / STRETCH (CRS).  CRS utilizes a physiological response called “Post Isometric Relaxation” or PIR.  PIR simply means that immediately following the contraction of a muscle, that muscle is in a more relaxed state than it was prior to its contraction.  Now that the muscle is relaxed, it is in a more favorable condition for lengthening.

A basic application of this technique is listed here:

1.  Isolate the target muscle to be stretched.

2.  Perform an isometric contraction at mid-range ROM in the target muscle for 7-10 sec.

3. Relax and take a deep breath.

4.  Exhale as you stretch the muscle to its new barrier.

Repeat this procedure three times.

This type of stretching is good for before and after exercise as it increases blood flow to the muscle that is being isolated.  It can also help decrease trigger point pain, assist in the reeducation of injured muscles, and is one of the best methods to increase flexibility.

A downside of this type of stretching is that you really have to work at it!  It also doesn’t work as well with muscles that are cramping or in pain, and it helps to have a stretching partner.

Remember this is only one type of stretching and may not be exactly right for what you’re trying to accomplish.  Next time, I’ll discuss methods of stretching that can help with cramping and other muscle pain.

Tanya Fry is a licensed massage therapist and an instructor at the Atlanta School of Massage. Tanya has over 16 years of sports and clinical massage experience, has served as the official massage therapist for the US National and Olympic team handball teams as well as the Atlanta Beat women’s soccer team. Her she begins a multi-part discussion of different types of stretching and their applications.

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Jeff will be on hand from 5:30 - 8pm to answer questions and maybe even go for a run. Run starts at 6:15 as usual.

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