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Stretching, Active Isolated
Method |
| AIS PROTOCOL |
Basic Steps
Stretch - Assist for 2 seconds - Release - Repeat
Details
- Stretch first, using your own muscle power. Go
as far as you can.
- Assist slowly, using your hands or arms to
press, a rope or strap to pull, or an object like a doorway
or chair back to push against. Fast or jerky motions are counterproductive.
- Keep actively stretching as you assist.
- EXHALE as you assist.
- Hold the stretch for no more than 2 seconds.
- It's OK to feel moderate pain at the end range.
- Release to your starting position or to a place
where the muscle relaxes to allow the blood to flow into the tissue
and the waste products to be pumped out.
- Repeat up to ten times or until you no longer
feel an uncomfortable pull when you are at full range of motion.
After a rest, the set may be repeated.
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| WHAT IS AIS? |
Active Isolated Stretching (AIS)
is a time-tested and unique method of lengthening muscles developed
by Kinesiotherapist and rehabilitator Aaron Mattes. By isolating specific
muscles and applying techniques that use physical principles to enhance
the effectiveness of the stretch, AIS works quickly to restore soft
tissue health and to prevent injury. |
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| WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE? |
For decades the standard method
of stretching has been to hold a stretch for up to one minute. This
“static stretch” activates the Stretch Reflex that actually
inhibits lengthening and prevents efficient blood flow. The older
style of bouncing, or “ballistic stretching,” can automatically
contract the muscle enough to injure it.
Performing an Active Isolated Stretch for only two seconds allows
the target muscle to optimally lengthen without triggering the protective
reflex that naturally resists the stretch by contracting the very
muscle that is elongating. AIS also teaches how to assist that stretch
to take it farther than it can go without assistance. Thus, length
is achieved more quickly. AIS pumps blood in and waste products out
with it’s short repeated movements that warm and soften the
connective tissue, so it can be used effectively as a warm-up exercise.
“Active” means that you are not passive. You are actively
contracting muscles, moving your body through its range of motion
to stretch opposing muscles, and you are extending the stretch by
assisting it at the end range. “Isolated” means that specific
muscles are targeted with specific techniques, making |
| WHAT TO EXPECT IN AN AIS APPOINTMENT |
Come to your session in loosely fitting
clothes to allow stretching in all directions. You will be working,
not passive, so be hydrated and fed. You will be treated fully clothed
on a massage table. The therapist may use automobile seat belts to
hold parts of your body stable while stretching other parts. Assisted
AIS will be a deeper stretch that you can achieve by yourself. You
will learn the basic principles behind AIS and how to apply them to
your fitness regime. You will learn specific stretches and strengthening
techniques to treat your problem areas. We have Mattes’ instruction
books to guide you at home with both self-stretching and assisted
stretching. Until you have learned how to stretch, it is best to schedule
90 minute appointments. Length of appointments after that depend on
your reason for coming. |
| BENEFITS |
Effectiveness - AIS
gets results faster than traditional methods.
Injury
Prevention - AIS prepares muscles to do work by increasing
blood flow and by softening fascia (connective tissue) to increase
range of motion. It thereby reduces the risk of muscle strains and
tears.
Healthy Muscles - AIS increases blood
flow to provide the oxygen and nutrients necessary for movement, and
for repairing and building healthy new tissue. It reduces muscle spasms
that lead to chronic pain.
Overall Health -
AIS aids in maintaining all body processes and, if performed consistently,
will contribute to a healthier body with increased longevity and independence.
Decreased Soreness - AIS serves as a pump for
the lymphatic system that removes the metabolic waste products that
cause soreness.
Flexibility - AIS warms and
thereby softens the connective tissue that restricts movement and
causes friction and “gluing” in the joints. It separates
and realigns the collagen that forms scar tissue and breaks down adhesions
that can result from trauma or inflammation.
Posture
- AIS gets to the internal muscles of the spine that prevent
upright posture, increases fluids to the discs, loosens the ligaments
where they hold the joints too tightly, and lengthens muscles that
are pulling the skeleton out of balance.
Performance
- AIS restores balance to muscles that work together to create
movement. It increases muscle length, allowing greater range of motion,
which decreases fatigue and increases power and agility. Athletes
reach peak performance sooner and sustain it longer.
Rehabilitation
- AIS helps improve results of rehab from injury, disease
and surgery by adding a dynamic dimension to traditional physical
therapy. AIS can restore free movement.
Quality of Life
- Movement will be more enjoyable, activities more varied with pain
levels and stress greatly reduced. |
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