If You Want to Increase Your Flexibility, Assisted Stretching Won’t Do It

An assisted stretch is great for many things, but it’s not great if you are interested in improving your mobility by way of better flexibility. This is because the “assist” in assisted stretching has been completely miscalculated.

Assistance implies a two-way relationship wherein the assister and "assistee" both participate. A good assister helps, guides, aids a process of learning, but never does all the work. Yet, assisted stretching, as we know it, does just that. It doesn’t require the person being stretched to do, learn or engage anything. But to train muscles the assistee has to do, learn and engage.

So, when we do assisted stretching sessions, using the Lastics method, we need your body to help us. We queue it, and teach it, how to use our proven techniques to significantly increase your flexibility. Having someone stretch you is more akin to a massage than it is to something that will train and develop your muscles in a way that improves mobility and range of motion.

The point is, if you are trying to increase your flexibility, you must apply some knowledge and technical expertise that will help you develop actual skills. This way your body can respond by learning how to stretch. Flexibility is developed, like strength. It can never be imposed on you by another person, not successfully.

Meanwhile, enjoy an assisted stretch for all it offers, like basic movement, opening joint space, circulation, relaxation and perhaps most importantly, the element of human touch. But, to increase your flexibility, that’s going to take some effort.