I borrowed a few books recently on stretching as I believe that our body flexibility is important to our health as well. This is the first time in my life I discovered that there are a few types of stretching, namely:
- Static Stretching: This is the most common stretching and it relies on basic stretching movements and muscle contractions. Its purpose is to maintain the body in good physical form and it is more appropriate for beginners and people who are not very active.
- Dynamic Stretching: This type of stretching often recommended for athletics as it increases energy and power to the muscles. It often relies on swinging movements done with a certain amount of speed.
- PNF Stretching: PNF stands for Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation. This type of stretching is widely used in therapy.
There are some books that you can buy and learn more about stretching.
One of these books is Stretching Anatomy by Frederic Delavier.