What does assisted or facilitated stretching mean?

"Assisted" and "Facilitated" are interchangeable terms meaning that a professional is physically moving your body through controlled and slow-moving motions. The goals of assisted stretching are to improve mobility, reduce tension, and support overall movement quality.

Although we can stretch on our own, assisted sessions help professionals achieve deeper and safer ranges of motion than most individuals can by themselves.

Benefits of stretching are:

• Improved mobility and flexibility
• Reduced muscle tension
• Enhanced posture
• Faster recovery
• Increased movement efficiency
• Support for strength training and daily life

Clients' first visit with a  Bridging Wellness flexibility professional includes a brief movement assessment. Often, physical imbalances or limps are clearly visible in the way we move; whether we are walking, shifting our weight while standing, or leaning slightly forward, these signs usually require no special attention because they naturally stand out. Sometimes your flexibility and stretching professional will run you through what may seem like simple exercises: walking, squatting down, raising your arms, and simply standing. Certain specialists and stretching centers use cameras and apps to track your movements and identify sources of pain. While these are neat systems, they are less accurate (for now!) than a professional who knows what they are looking for. It is also important to note that not everyone can move through the motions of either the apps/cameras or what the stretching coach may ask for and that is OKAY. This is where your voice comes in most handy, and the professional can still usually see why and where you need a series of stretches.

From the movement assessment your stretch professional will decide on a protocol - this is like a prescription but for stretching - where they will decide on the best stretches that will make the most beneficial impact for the time you have during your future sessions (typically 30-45 minutes).

Now comes the breathing. This is something we involuntarily do, yet we still tend to refuse to breathe while we stretch. The "why" of this is fairly complex but the breakdown is this: A stranger is touching your body while asking you to remain calm. You are also already tense or in pain and your brain knows it. This combination alone often causes us to tense up and want to resist the stretch and eventually we hold our breath just to get through it. This is NORMAL and not at all anything to apologize for, which is often what clients will do when they realize what is happening.

I know this may sound a bit torturous, but the stretching process is anything but that. How to manage the first session is to carefully listen to your coach; They will give you a designated system to always have a voice in how far you stretch. The coach will then coach you through how to breathe, which is simply to breathe deeply and slowly through your nose and gently out through your mouth. What is this doing? It is regulating your nervous system! In turn, your body is more relaxed and ready for the stretch, and your coach can proceed with each stretch.

Once your session is complete, the coach will usually give you stretches you can do on your own to further benefit from the stretches and hold you over until your next session.

What if you prefer not to be touched? A significant number of individuals choose to minimize physical contact, with such preferences often originating from a range of experiences, including those that may be traumatic. Excellent news: Bridging Wellness understands the deep grips of trauma and offers guided flexibility training so that you can feel safe and stick to your boundaries. Rather than physical contact, you will collaborate with your coach in person or online. These sessions are similar in structure with the initial session having a movement assessment, a walk-through of breathing and a system to know when to stay in a stretch and when to gently back out of it, and then the coach will guide you through self-stretching techniques so that you can benefit as well.

Who all benefits from stretching? The easy and most basic answer is anyone and everyone. People who stand in one spot for hours, or move minimally while standing for hours (Doctors, factory workers, stretching coaches); people who sit for many hours (Office employees, some law enforcement, truck drivers, people who fly often), overactive individuals (athletes, dancers, lawncare workers, military, law enforcement, nurses); and many others with chronic illness have found benefits from assisted stretching.

The BEST part (aside from how much stronger and better your body will feel) is that we can come to YOU. Many of our clients are busy at work and only have their lunch break - we can come to you - and several of our clients have chronic illnesses that prevent them from being able to, or make it difficult to, leave home.

Nobody should be prevented from moving better, feeling stronger, and empowering their life. Call or text 828.750.5617 to book your first session TODAY.