"Life Is a Stretch" shows those who want to attain more strength and flexibility how to breathe, stretch, and relax through a series of simple routines based on the age-old principles of yoga. Photos.
"A critical read for any leader to understand our changing times." ― Charles Adler, founder, Kickstarter. Discover how to thrive in an unpredictable world. Turn adaptability into a competitive advantage. An approach to innovation that challenges traditional change management theories with down-to-earth lessons, tips and actionable exercises.
Wall Street Journal Bestseller A groundbreaking approach to succeeding in business and life, using the science of resourcefulness. We often think the key to success and satisfaction is to get more: more money, time, and possessions; bigger budgets, job titles, and teams; and additional resources for our professional and personal goals. It turns out we’re wrong. Using captivating stories to illustrate research in psychology and management, Rice University professor Scott Sonenshein examines why some people and organizations succeed with so little, while others fail with so much. People and organizations approach resources in two different ways: “chasing” and “stretching.” When chasing, we exhaust ourselves in the pursuit of more. When stretching, we embrace the resources we already have. This frees us to find creative and productive ways to solve problems, innovate, and engage our work and lives more fully. Stretch shows why everyone—from executives to entrepreneurs, professionals to parents, athletes to artists—performs better with constraints; why seeking too many resources undermines our work and well-being; and why even those with a lot benefit from making the most out of a little. Drawing from examples in business, education, sports, medicine, and history, Scott Sonenshein advocates a powerful framework of resourcefulness that allows anybody to work and live better.
STAY ACTIVE - NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE You might be a hardworking forty-plus professional--but sitting and staring at screens all day is taking its toll on your body. Or maybe you're an older adult who loves to stay active--but aches and pains are preventing you from playing tennis, golf, or another favorite pastime. Pain medication provides a temporary fix, but doctors have no idea how to help you long-term. Matt Peale does. A certified Corrective Exercise Specialist with decades of experience in fitness training, Matt specializes in helping executives and "active agers" lose the pain and get back into the game. In this book, he'll break down the five most vulnerable pain points in your body and provide the exercises that will bring you relief. You're as young as you feel--so why not feel great? You'll find out how in the pages of this book.
Manage everyday pain with this effective, trainer-approved program that uses resistance stretching to increase strength, release tension, rejuvenate tissues—and much more. This accessible guide gives step-by-step instructions for people who feel tight or older than they should, people with poor posture, athletes who want to boost their performance, and those who want something more than conventional stretching. This book provides you with many different stretches for the whole body including the hands and feet, as well as routines for specific goals such as improving posture, helping office workers stay healthy, stretching the back, and more. Even those with sedentary lives will see and feel a difference, with just 10-20 minutes of stretching yielding benefits that may last the whole day. Many of us are limited in our movements, hunched over, or tight. Ideally, we would move in a variety of ways throughout the day, keeping our bodies fresh and youthful. However, office jobs and sofas can lead to bodies that are imprisoned in a cage of tension, whose tissue is dehydrated and stuck together, with some areas that are very weak or tight. Normal stretching is not strong enough to break us out of that state. When we tense our bodies and move through that tension, we engage the fascia and recondition it into a more youthful state, restoring great posture, elasticity, and power.
The PBS fitness personality on Classical Stretch and creator of the fitness phenomenon Essentrics offers an eye-opening guide to anti-aging. Miranda Esmonde-White trains everyone from prima ballerinas to professional hockey players to Cerebral palsy patients: what do they all have in common? All of these people are hoping to heal their bodies, prevent further injury, and move optimally and without pain. In fact, they have the same goals as any of us who are trying to stay young, fit, and reverse the hands of time. Because the aging of our bodies occurs in our cells, it must be repaired there too—that’s where Miranda’s highly effective and sought-after techniques come in. The body is programmed to self-destruct as we age, but the speed at which it self-destructs is up to us. Recent scientific studies have proven this fact! In Aging Backwards, Miranda offers a groundbreaking guide on how to maintain and repair our cells, through scientifically designed workouts. Healthy cells prevent joint pain, muscle loss and weak bones—helping to control weight, increase energy, and improve strength and mobility. Miranda offers readers of all ages the tools they need to look and feel young. Complete with tips, tools, and her Eight Basic Age-Reversing Workouts accompanied by instructional photos and web clips, Aging Backwards will help you grow younger, not older! “If you’ve been meaning to start a fitness program but are put off by vigorous gym or yoga sessions, or if you’re hindered by joint or muscle pain, pick up this book.” —Zoomer
This proven program used by today’s top athletes, coaches, trainers, and therapists will improve flexibility, reduce injury, and optimize performance. The new edition includes the latest research, new flexibility assessments, new stretching matrix, and dozens of the most effective stretches to personalize a program for any athlete, sport, or event.
'Shocking, scathing, entertaining.' Guardian 'Incredibly compelling.' The Times 'Heart-breaking.' Sunday Times Where can a tin of tuna buy you clean clothes? Where is it easier to get 'spice' than paracetamol? Where does self-harm barely raise an eyebrow? Welcome to Her Majesty's Prison Service. Like most people, documentary-maker Chris Atkins didn't spend much time thinking about prisons. But after becoming embroiled in a dodgy scheme to fund his latest film, he was sent down for five years. His new home would be HMP Wandsworth, one of the largest and most dysfunctional prisons in Europe. With a cast of characters ranging from wily drug dealers to senior officials bent on endless reform, this powerful memoir uncovers the horrifying reality behind the locked gates. Filled with dark humour and shocking stories, A Bit of a Stretch reveals why our creaking prison system is sorely costing us all - and why you should care.
Introducing Active-Isolated Stretching, the revolutionary yet remarkably simple flexibility program—featuring 59 stretches for over 55 different sports and everyday activities! Whether you’re a serious competitor or weekend warrior, you know that proper stretching before and after your workout can improve your performance, increase your flexibility, help prevent injury, and make you feel better. But did you know that the traditional way of stretching—lock your knees, bounce, hold, hurt, hold longer—actually makes muscles tighter and more prone to injury? There’s a new and better way to stretch: Active-Isolated Stretching. And with The Whartons’ Stretch Book, the method used successfully by scores of professional, amateur, and Olympic athletes is now available to everyone. This groundbreaking technique, developed by researchers, coaches, and trainers, and pioneered by Jim and Phil Wharton, is your new exercise prescription. The routine is simple: First, you prepare to stretch one isolated muscle at a time. Then you actively contract the muscle opposite the isolated muscle, which will then relax in preparation for its stretch. You stretch it gently and quickly—for no more than two seconds—and release it before it goes into its protective contraction. Then you repeat. Simple, but the results are outstanding. The Whartons’ Stretch Book explains it all. Part I contains the Active-Isolated Stretch Catalog, with fully illustrated, easy-to-follow stretches for each of five body zones, from neck and shoulders to trunk, arms, and legs—over fifty stretches in all. Part II offers specific stretching prescriptions for over fifty-five sports and activities, from running, tennis, track, and aerobics to skiing, skating, and swimming. You’ll also find advice on stretching for daily activities such as driving, working at a desk, lifting, and keyboarding. Part III discusses stretching for life, with specific recommendations for expectant mothers and older athletes. It also includes specific stretching exercises that could help you avoid unnecessary surgery. Give Active-Isolated Stretching a try for three weeks. You’ll never go back to your old stretching routines again.