21 November

Stretches for tight muscles, and strengthening for weak muscles. Physios and other physical therapists use both a lot. But the underlying model seems wrong to me. Muscles are not elastic bands, they're living tissue. They get tight or loose in response to the forces on your body. For example if you stand and lean forward, the muscles up the back of your body will tighten to stop you falling over. Those muscles don't need 'releasing', if you did you'd fall flat on your face. Muscles are tight (or loose) for a reason, in other words, and you need to address that reason.