Beyond Stretching: An Intelligent Approach to Flexibility #100

💥Click here to lengthen your hamstrings without stretching! 💥

Discover why traditional stretching might be holding you back. Learn how the Feldenkrais MethodⓇ and Debono Moves offer a revolutionary, science-backed approach to improving flexibility and movement for both riders and horses - without the risks of conventional stretching.

Instead of treating muscles like rubber bands, Mary introduces listeners to a revolutionary approach that works with the body's natural intelligence.

Through the lens of the Feldenkrais Method for humans and Debono Moves for horses, Mary explains how gentle, exploratory movements can achieve better results than forced stretching. Using real-world examples, you’ll hear how the nervous system controls flexibility and why communication with this system is key to improving range of motion.

Whether you're a rider dealing with tight muscles or a horse owner concerned about your equine partner's movement, this episode provides practical, innovative solutions that respect the body's natural wisdom. Learn how we can enhance performance, reduce injury risk, and achieve better movement - all without traditional stretching.

Key Takeaways

• Traditional static stretching can reduce strength by 30% and increase injury risk
• Muscles aren't rubber bands - flexibility is controlled by the nervous system
• Gentle, exploratory movements are more effective than forced stretching
• The Feldenkrais Method and Debono Moves offer safer alternatives
• Working with your body's intelligence yields better results than fighting against it
• Improved movement coordination naturally leads to better flexibility

💥Click here to lengthen your hamstrings without stretching! 💥

Stretching: The Truth by Gretchen Reynolds, NY Times, Oct. 31, 2008.

Resources:

💥Click here to lengthen your hamstrings without stretching! (PDF) 💥

💥Learn how the Feldenkrais Method can help improve your seat, position, and balance on your horse! Free rider videos masterclass: https://www.marydebono.com/rider 💥

Email [email protected]

All information is for general educational purposes ONLY and doesn't constitute medical, veterinary, or professional training advice. Always use extreme caution when interacting with horses. 

About the Host:

Mary Debono is a pioneer in animal and human wellness, blending her expertise as an international clinician, best-selling author, and certified Feldenkrais Method® practitioner. With over three decades of experience, Mary developed Debono Moves, a groundbreaking approach that enhances the performance, well-being, and partnership of horses and their human companions.

Recognizing the profound connection between equine and human movement, Mary's innovative approach draws from the Feldenkrais Method®, tailored specifically for the equestrian world. Her methods have helped horses and humans:

• Improve athletic ability and performance
• Enhance confidence and reduce anxiety
• Reduce physical limitations and discomfort
• Deepen the horse-human bond

Mary's flagship online program, "Move with Your Horse," offers equestrians a unique opportunity to experience the benefits of Feldenkrais® while also learning her signature hands-on work for horses. This transformative approach has helped riders and their equine partners achieve harmony, both in and out of the saddle.

As a speaker and educator, Mary has touched the lives of equestrians across the globe, empowering them to unlock their full potential through mindful movement and enhanced body awareness.

Discover the power of Debono Moves and transform your equestrian journey. Visit https://www.marydebono.com/you-and-your-horse to learn more about Mary's unique work.

Because you and your horse deserve to feel great. Together. 

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi. Let's talk about stretching and why stretching may not be the solution you thought it was. And in case we're meeting for the first time, my name is Mary Debono, and this is the Easier Movement Happier Horses podcast. So, yeah, you know. You know that feeling you get, maybe you've spent too long sitting at your desk or behind the wheel of your car or something else, or maybe, you know, loading a lot of hay or something like that, and then you.

After some time, you get up and you're like, I'm really stiff. And you might think, oh, I need to stretch. But no, no, no, not so fast, not so fast. Because research is showing that stretching can backfire, that traditional static stretching can actually leave you 30% weaker and more vulnerable to injury. And you might think, well, how can that be? Well, think about it. Muscles are not rubber bands.

It's like they. You don't need to stretch the muscle. Right? It's muscles. The contraction and relaxation of a muscle is determined by your nervous system. So there's a whole sensory motor feedback loop going on. Right? And so what we need to do instead is communicate with the nervous system to let it know that it's safe to allow you to have more range of motion, because that is what's often happening when muscles feel really short.

It's your nervous system trying to protect you, to keep you safe. To say, I need to limit the range of motion. Okay? So instead, we in the, you know, I teach the Feldenkrais method for humans and de Bono moves that you can do with your animals, your horses, your dogs, et cetera. And in both those methods, what we do is we use gentle, exploratory movements to teach the nervous system that it's safe to allow more range of motion.

And we do that through the power of awareness. Okay. Like, basically, it's like waking up your nervous system and letting your nervous system know that there are other options, you know? So again, when something feels tight, instead of stretching your way through it, you learn to kind of be curious and to figure out, oh, there's another way I could move. That doesn't cause that. So to give you an example, just say you drive the same way to work every day or to the barn or wherever you go regularly.

You always take the same route. And I'm going to tell you, this literally happened to me. I took the same route to my office, my Feldenkrais office, every day. And I thought it was the best route, you know, And I did it every day for years and years until one Day I couldn't because it was a big accident that closed that road down, the main road down. So I had to figure out a different way to go to the office.

So I went on my handy maps app and I found another route. And when I took it, I was like, this is actually better. It was more scenic. It was more relaxing, and it got me there in about the same amount of time. So you better believe I took that route after that, you know, every day. And it's funny how we just get into these habits of doing the same thing over and over, even if it's not the best solution.

And that's what happens with our movement. We get into these movement habits that are actually not in our. Not always working in our favor. And then we think we have to force stretching to feel better and to move more easily. And that is not the answer, my friend. Not the answer. So let's talk about something very common. Tight hamstrings. See them in a lot of humans. I see them in a lot of horses.

Matter of fact, I've helped a number of people that had ruptured their hamstring, helped them regain full, full power, full flexibility. And the same with horses. Horses also tear their hamstrings. And so. And for many horses and many humans, they're just tight. And I shouldn't say just because it could be quite limiting, quite restrictive to have very tight hamstrings. And they can also be very painful. A lot of.

A lot of people and a lot of horses have a lot of soreness in their hamstrings. So, again, what do many of us do? What do many humans do? They right away want to stretch the hamstring out. Okay. Which just will tell the brain that it's more dangerous. In other words, you're trying to force something where the brain is already saying it shouldn't be longer right now. Okay.

And you see people do this with their horses as well. They'll take the leg and try to stretch the hamstring. And that's, again, not usually the best way to do it. So. And I'll. I'll give you another example. I was. I was honored to be a presenter at a big hoof trimming conference. And people came from all over the world. It was mostly professional hoof trimmers. It was all about barefoot trimming.

It was. Which is just a favorite subject of mine. And I wasn't there to teach about hoof trimming. I was there to teach how the Feldenkrais method could help hoof trimmers. Because these Were again, mostly professionals, and they were using their bodies a lot. I mean, it's, it's a big job, right, Trimming horses all day. And even if you're, if you're just trimming your own, you don't do it professionally.

It's. It's still, you know, it's a workout. And what I showed them is we went through this little movement lesson. You can call it like a little awareness exercise. And I have it for you, too, so stick around. I'm going to tell you how you can get your hands on it. But I had them basically start by touching their toes or wherever they could go easily. And then I led them through this little exercise that used these gentle exploratory movements that seemed unrelated to your hamstrings, is all about, you know, your.

The spine and the rib cage and the eyes and stuff like that. Right. That you think has nothing to do with the hamstrings. But guess what? Every single person in that conference lengthened their hamstrings. And they were all, they were just crazy surprised. Many of them at the end were putting their entire palms on the floor, and they were like, what the heck just happened? Like, how did that work?

Okay. And it works through again, this sensory feedback loop with the nervous system, okay, with saying, like, when your movement is better coordinated, when all the parts work more harmoniously, the muscles can be a healthy length. Your nervous system doesn't have to shorten them. So it happens what appears to be magic. Of course, it's not magic magic, but it seems that way because it can happen just so effortlessly.

So I have that same lesson for you, by the way. So if you go, don't go yet. Please listen to the. We just have a few more minutes in the podcast, but if you go to marydebono.com hamstrings you'll get your hands on it. And I'll also put a link in the description. So. So don't worry if you, if you don't remember that it'll be in the description. So.

And this is what's really amazing to me about this and why I'm so appreciative of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, who developed the Feldenkrais method, because he came up with this before they had all these studies about how actually damaging stretching can be the way it's done, you know, in popular culture. And here's what's super exciting. When you improve your movement through these gentle exploratory lessons, like through the Feldenkrais method or for your horse through De Bono moves, right?

You're not just gaining flexibility, you're actually gaining adaptability. You become more adaptable, right? You learn to move more intelligently. And it's like with less effort and more awareness. And that translates to better athletic performance, easier movement overall. Like, you're just daily movement and reduced risk of injury because all the parts are working more harmoniously. So no one part is being overused, which leads to injury and which also leads to more tightness.

Okay, so to wrap up, let's just think about. Well, you might want to change your thinking about flexibility. So instead of thinking about flexibility as something you need to force through stretching, what if you thought about it as a natural outcome of more intelligent movement, that instead of fighting your body, you learn to listen to your body and to work with your bodily intelligence, that inherent wisdom in your body.

Because remember, your body isn't something to be conquered, it's something to be understood. The same is true for your horse. So we want to work with, not against, your nervous system. Because after all, you and your horse deserve to feel great together. Thank you for joining me. Don't forget to get your PDF of the hamstring lesson. So it's marydebona.com forward/hamstrings, and let me know how it works for you.

Email me mary@mary debono.com and I look forward to talking to you again. Thank you so much for listening and I'll talk to you soon. Bye for now.