From page 162 of the January 2009 issue of Triathlete Magazine:

Brian Dorfman stretching DVDs: If there is one thing we all need to do more of, it is stretching. Brian Dorfman (www.BrianDorfman.com) has designed these short and easy DVDs specifically for triathletes to target all those woefully neglected tight muscles. Twenty minutes a day to Gumby-like flexibility? Sign me up.

Thank you Sam (and the editors of Triathlete Magazine) for the endorsement / exposure. For therapeutic stretches that probably won�??t result in �??Gumby-like flexibility,�?? but will benefit your training, performance and recovery, check out my Flexibility Training DVD.

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But what if you feel (pun intended) the need to take your stretching and back pain prevention to the next level? While books and DVDs are fine for some people, others may appreciate or require a more hands-on approach, which is why I offer my services to anyone who can make it out to one of my two California-based Kinesiology clinics where I personally specialize in working on injury rehabilitation and long-term and unresolved cases of pain and discomfort.

If you live in Southern California and can make it out to my Solana Beach Kinesiology Clinic, feel free to inquire about meeting with me in person. The same goes for those of you who live and work in the Central California region (particularly if you�??re anywhere near my beautiful Morro Bay Kinesiology Clinic).

For more information about my hands-on clinics, check out my Clinic page.

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The UNLV findings, which were published in the September 2008 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, investigated how two typical stretching techniques �?? one for the hamstrings and another for the quadriceps muscles in the legs �?? affected measures of strength and power in a group of male and female athletes. In short, researchers found no real benefit to stretching before exercising, and went so far as to report some stretching may actually lead to reduced levels of power (when doing seated knee flexes, for example).

These findings, as interpreted and reported by the popular media, have the potential to make everyone �?? especially those of us who need to stretch the most before exercise �??  rethink our entire approach to pre-exercise stretching (which in my opinion would be a dangerous thing to do).

From my perspective, it should be clear that pre-exercise stretching is an integral part of long-term heath and fitness, and is essential to the rhythm you hope to experience and enjoy while exercising. For example�?�

In 1999, one of my clients, three-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion Peter Reid, was set to defend his 1998 Ironman Championship when in training something happened that caused Peter to lose his rhythm. By race-time, Peter was hurting, yet still managed to finish in second place. Peter was in great shape, but the deciding factor for his less then peak performance was a small tight gluteus muscle. Because of the tightness, Peter�??s hip was unable to drop away from his ribs. This prevented the relaxed side-to-side movement you see in all great runners. A normal glut stretch cannot get to this powerful muscle. Therefore, a variation that goes right to the spot has to be used. In Peter�??s case, a series of pre- and post exercise stretches caused the muscle to loosen, and with his rhythm, Peter finished 1st at the 2000 Ironman Triathlon World Champions.

I can provide example upon example of why pre-exercise stretching is must for all athletes, not just the Peter Reid�??s of the world. To the researchers at UNLV, see if your own athletic department agrees with your findings, and then let me know how this year�??s Running Rebels basketball squads do without any pre-game stretching.

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Welcome to my blog! I suppose all bloggers are required to post one of these obligatory �??welcome to my blog�?? messages, so I�??ll play along (I wouldn�??t want to upset the balance of the Blogosphere by not playing by the rules).

I�??ve been reading blogs for a while now and quite frankly, I�??ve been struck by the lack of quality information focused on stretching and related news and ideas. As one of a handful of recognized experts in the areas of kinesiology, anatomy, physiology and the biomechanics of movement, I think it�??s time I add my voice to the conversation. Additionally, a blog affords me the unique opportunity to reach out into the community more often, thereby making myself available to more of you who may never have the opportunity to travel to one of my four kinesiology clinics for movement therapy, nutritional counseling and pain management treatment.

Over the weeks and months to come, I�??ll be blogging about all sorts of things, including:

·      Lower back basics

·      Stretching to improve your golf game

·      Essential stretches to start and end the day

·      Reactions to current news and events

·      Special offers on products and services

·      Interviews with successful clients

·      How to �??Feel Better Forever�??

One of the great things about blogging is that the blog itself is a two-way communication machine. Each and every post includes an opportunity for you�??the reader�??to leave a comment, ask a question, tell me you disagree with something I said, or just sound off on an item really important to you or a loved one. Just click on the �??Comment�?? link below to get started.

Well, that�??s about it for today. Thanks for stretching to make it this far in my opening post.

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