Thai Yoga Stretching for Mobility

I am always looking at ways to improve my skill sets as a personal trainer.  As a result, I take regular courses that I believe will help my clients, especially all the athletes I run coach, as well as the people I help manage chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis.  

Last fall I did the first in a series of Thai Yoga Stretching workshops that was aimed at increasing a persons flexibility (see my blog dated Nov 5, 2017).  Today I participated in the second of the Thai Yoga stretching workshop series that was aimed at increasing mobility. 

This workshop was a great refresher on the techniques I learned last fall, but more importantly let me expand on my skill set working further with clients’ major joints (e.g. knees, hips, shoulder, back) and the attached major muscle groups of the glutes, legs, back and arms.   

The elements of Thai Yoga stretching combine deep breathing, accu-pressure, body weight and yoga postures to help release tension in the muscle groups, increase ROM in joints and overall flexibility.  

One of the really enjoyable aspects of these workshops is that as part of the training process participants are teamed up in pairs in order to practice technique.  So half the workshop I end up receiving the Thai Yoga stretches.  I have to admit the deep stretches targeting my psoas (hip flexor), quads and hamstrings were very much needed and beneficial.  After the ‘Assisted Quad’ stretch and ‘Kneeling Leg Arc’ stretch my hip flexor felt much more relaxed that it had been in months, and I believe that it will benefit my run training going forward toward a two big events I have this spring.  

The ‘Forward Fold’ stretch with massage targeted some really tight muscles in my back, especially the lats, erector spinae and QL, which have tightened from all the planks and deadlifts I have been doing all winter to improve my core strength.  There’s no feeling quite like that of a back free of tension, which allows one to move without restriction.  

These stretches are just a few of the many I learned. 

If you are interested in seeing and feeling what Thai Yoga stretches can do to improve your athletic performance, reduce recovery between tough workouts or just improve your overall quality of life, then contact me for a Thai Yoga stretch session.  You’ll be amazed how it will relieve muscle tension, increase ROM, flexibility and mobility.  

Why not feel and perform your best?!

Here are some photos from todays session:

These pictures are of me stretching the hip, adductor and VMO (muscles of the inner thigh and quadriceps) of my partner, Andrea Leplae of Fuzion Fitness.  Thanks to Debra Dumont of Navina Thai Yoga Therapy for taking the pictures at todays training session.  And also thanks for the Can-Fit-Pro Academy for hosting the workshop.