Whats the advantage of stretching with a partner?
You can do a good stretching routine on your own, of course, but adding some partner stretching can help you achieve a greater degree of flexibility and range of motion. A partner can also provide motivation and vary your workout. It’s a good idea to start with a trainer at a gym or a physical therapist, but after that you can do it with a friend or family member someone you’d like to spend time with anyway. Is there a recommended technique? There are many ways to stretch with a partner. One well-known type is called PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching. Though you can do it alone, a partner really helps. In one version of PNF called contract-relax stretching, you contract a muscle against resistance, in this case provided by your partner. Then you rest for a few seconds, after which your partner helps you move that muscle into a stretch (see illustrations). You repeat this three to six times, typically. After a while you can switch positions, so your partner stre
