Is hip or low back pain keeping you from enjoying your favorite activities this summer? Did you know that Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) can help your body repair and recover more quickly and effectively than traditional stretching? Here’s how it works:

1. AIS places the target muscles in a relaxed position (as opposed to the contracted positions used in traditional stretching).
2. AIS creates space and stability in the joints, reducing the possibility of injury.
3. AIS increases flexibility and elasticity in the muscles.

With assistance from a trained therapist, AIS allows the muscle to fully expand in a relaxed position, which isn’t possible with traditional stretching. This is important because a relaxed muscle is more elastic, which enables it to go into a stretch without resisting.

Did you know AIS incorporates a strengthening component? While one set of muscles are being stretched, the muscles on the opposite side are being strengthened. This creates space in the joint as well as stability, reducing the possibility of injury.

While receiving AIS, clients obtain increased flexibility and elasticity, which positively impacts agility, speed, and endurance. The more elastic our muscles are, the less likely they are to tear or become injured. Post workouts, when you can incorporate proper stretching and strengthening, the muscles in our bodies will recover more quickly.

When AIS is combined with myofascial release techniques, I have found that my clients recover faster and improve their ability to remain injury-free so they can continue to enjoy their favorite activities for a lifetime. Are you ready to eliminate the pain and get back to enjoying life? Talk to your therapist at your next appointment.

Dorothy Snebold, OTR, LMT wrote our Hip Pain Slowing Your Down article while she worked at NBT.