Post by Sheryl on May 23, 2012 10:16:18 GMT -5
I do water aerobics 2X a week (well, except last week which was just to beautiful to be indoors!). It is great for me because it combines stretching with high intensity aerobics with resistance (strength). I hate stretching, I am incredibly inflexible - physically more so then my personality 
Anyway, the two sessions are taught by different instructors who don't use the same routine. I like them both alot.
The Tuesday instructor has you end with a stretch where you reach one arm back over your shoulder, another around your back from under and the idea is to touch fingers somewhere above your brastrap location. Then, you switch the arms around and stretch with the other arm coming over your shoulder. She always says it is a goal, she has never been able to touch herself, so you just keep gently increasing the stretch week after week. She is usually 2-3" from being able to touch so I figured I never would be able to. Most people can do the stretch better on one side or another. I knew I was getting closer, but I really couldn't tell how close.
Last night, my fingers touched! I was like woo-hoo, and turned around to show her. So we had a little woo hoo moment (I don't think anyone in the class last night can touch) but then switched to the other side. Much to my shock and surprise - I could touch on that side too! The instructor was like... you should come up here and demonstrate...lol
Anyway, sometimes it is hard to see the results of your working out, but this was a small payoff. I am still amazed and had to try it again when I got home, just to see if it was a fluke. ;D
The Thursday instructor has you do a stretch where you put your hands, forearms and elbows together and then go "up". I started out, not even being able to keep my elbows together. Now, I can keep them together until about half way through the stretch... He commented last time that the whole class is markedly improved on this - when we first started doing it alot of the people (especially women, especially overweight women) could not really do it that well - could really not get the elbows together at all.
Anyway, the two sessions are taught by different instructors who don't use the same routine. I like them both alot.
The Tuesday instructor has you end with a stretch where you reach one arm back over your shoulder, another around your back from under and the idea is to touch fingers somewhere above your brastrap location. Then, you switch the arms around and stretch with the other arm coming over your shoulder. She always says it is a goal, she has never been able to touch herself, so you just keep gently increasing the stretch week after week. She is usually 2-3" from being able to touch so I figured I never would be able to. Most people can do the stretch better on one side or another. I knew I was getting closer, but I really couldn't tell how close.
Last night, my fingers touched! I was like woo-hoo, and turned around to show her. So we had a little woo hoo moment (I don't think anyone in the class last night can touch) but then switched to the other side. Much to my shock and surprise - I could touch on that side too! The instructor was like... you should come up here and demonstrate...lol
Anyway, sometimes it is hard to see the results of your working out, but this was a small payoff. I am still amazed and had to try it again when I got home, just to see if it was a fluke. ;D
The Thursday instructor has you do a stretch where you put your hands, forearms and elbows together and then go "up". I started out, not even being able to keep my elbows together. Now, I can keep them together until about half way through the stretch... He commented last time that the whole class is markedly improved on this - when we first started doing it alot of the people (especially women, especially overweight women) could not really do it that well - could really not get the elbows together at all.
