Registration Deadline for Active Isolated Stretching Class is this Friday, May 25th!

Saturday & Sunday, June 2 & 3 • 8:00 am – 5:00 pm 
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Call 952-562-5200 to register

More and more athletes are taking advantage of Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) rather than conventional stretching.  What is AIS and why should you as a massage professional know about it?  First of all, becoming familiar with AIS gives you one more tool to offer your clients, especially those who engage in athletics.  Personal trainers and massage therapists are working more and more with AIS these days because of the benefits provided.

How is AIS different from conventional stretching?  AIS makes use of controlled stretching of fully relaxed muscles; conventional stretching does not.  Some practitioners believe there is risk of injury or aggravation when stretching an unrelaxed muscle.   Proponents of AIS believe it to be much more effective than conventional stretching methods.   Some of the benefits can be extended range of motion as well as increased flexibility and increased circulation.

AIS works by making use of a principle known as “reciprocal inhibition” – the muscle on one side of a joint must be relaxed in order for the opposing muscle to contract.  That’s the underlying basis behind AIS techniques.   Stretches are brief (about 2 seconds, as opposed to longer periods used in conventional stretching).  This short period permits the target muscle to lengthen without triggering a protective stretch reflex.

Many medical practitioners are recognizing the benefits of AIS, and it’s becoming popular with therapists and clients alike.  Conditions such as scoliosis, fibromyalgia, and hip imbalance respond well to AIS.  It’s an exciting course taught by Roger McNear, himself an endurance athlete and a certified personal trainer.  Roger has taken AIS instruction from its developer and his mentor, Aaron Mattes.  All class participants will learn the AIS techniques for the lower back, hips, and legs.  A stretching rope, books, and course manual are included with the course fee.

CenterPoint’s Minnesota’s massage schools  mission is to provide excellence, choice and value in licensed massage therapist career training and continuing massage therapy education.

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