The Anatomy of Stretching: Your Illustrated Guide to Flexibility and Injury Rehabilitation

Amazing guide for stretches. I'm looking to increase my flexibility and this hit the note perfectly. It has all stretches sectioned out, for example - 'stretches for adductors, 'stretches for arms' 'stretches for head and neck' so you know what to look for. It also shows you what exact muscles you will be stretching and what sports or injuries would benefit from what stretch. It also has a section on each page that shows what other stretches would compliment that particular stretch. I find it easy to use 2-3 pages from each section to give myself a full body routine and I feel sooo much better afterwards! It doesn't miss anything in my opinion, and there are hints and tips throughout to prevent injury etc. at the back of the book it also shows diagrams of which stretches to use for a particular sport e.g baseball (it will then give you a list and pictures of the top 5 stretches to prepare for this sport. Also, for injuries, it will list off stretches that will help rehabilitate you after suffering with an injury, such as tennis elbow. Really great book, already thumbed through it numerous times and will be buying another if/when I wear it out...

I am an experienced therapeutic masseur improving my techniques by taking a level 3 sports massage course. I only know a little about sports as I am just 'your average gym member' trying to be a bit fitter. For my course this book, I feel, will be of great benefit now and as I get more knowledgeable. I can relate the stretches to the lessons of 'moves' the lecturer gave for finding out which muscles are affected and need working on during the massage. It would be ideal for 'beginner' sports people (like me) who want to improve their flexibility, warm up/cool down, or for general pre/post activity aches & pains. The majority of the book shows in clear illustrations the stretching technique, how to do it, the muscles being stretched (and the bones and where the muscles join them), the sports its good for, which sports injury it will help, hints for performing correctly, and a complementary stretch. The stretches are grouped in body areas e.g. arms & chest, hips & buttocks, etc.. All are numbered and there is quick reference sections at the back for best stretches for a list of injuries and different sports. The front section gives comprehensive, but simply explained, information on flexibility, anatomy and physiology, mechanics of movement, principles & benefits of stretching, types of stretch, rules for safe stretching, when and how to stretch. Re the Free DVD which a lot of people say they did not receive .... reading the information in the book it is not a DVD sent out with the book but 'bonus' information online as an eBook and MP3 download. I have not explored this yet.

I am a sports therapy student and bought this book for flexibility training. Actually fairly illustrated (drawed), highlight the main muscles which do stretch during lengthening exercise. Explanations are ok, easy to explain to clients. Exercises are categorised by sports and muscles so you can source depending on what you need. If you are a runner for instance , you will find the recommendation to stretch muscles you use for running. Or if you have a gym user and had a leg day, pictures show you how to stretch muscles of the legs. Wouldn't say high professional book but handy, shows plenty static stretching novic to intermediate. Quite heavy and thick, large book, printing quality very good.

This is the first book I have found that cuts all the nonsense and chit chat about what the author thinks about stretching, (using a perfectly shaped model for their demonstrations) and covers the entire topic of stretching from start to finish. It’s easy to navigate straight to the answers you need for the stretches you currently do to make sure you’re engaging the right areas. The examples and demonstrations in this book are exactly what I wanted to see and the commentary for each stretch is kept to the specifics and warnings. A really good book that I am going to use to relieve my hip and shoulder pain.

I bought this book after reading numerous reviews on Amazon and I'm very pleased with it. Splendidly illustrated and very easy to follow, it will add many new stretches to my fitness regime. The first part of the book has comprehensive and very helpful advice on how to stretch properly. I've already adjusted my approach on the basis of this and found that the stretches are more satisfying and more effective. Many years ago I injured my spine and stretching, mobility and strengthening exercises have been a daily norm for ever since. I know how important stretching is for recovery and continued flexibility; this book has extended my knowledge.

Okay… this is one of those books that is actually about control. Real control of the body. Because stretching isn’t just warming up. It’s understanding how everything connects—muscles, tendons, range of motion, stability. And this book breaks that down in a very structured way. It’s not vague advice like “just stretch more.” It’s specific. It looks at how the body actually functions under tension, and how flexibility is built safely over time rather than forced in the moment. And that distinction matters. The anatomical focus is the key strength here. You’re not guessing what you’re doing—you’re seeing what’s being affected. Muscle groups, joint mechanics, movement chains. It turns stretching from something abstract into something measurable and intentional. There’s also a strong emphasis on progression. Not pushing beyond limits recklessly, but expanding capacity gradually. That’s important, because flexibility without control is where injury happens. This book seems to understand that balance. The illustrations and breakdowns are also practical. You can actually see positioning, alignment, and muscle engagement, which makes it much easier to apply in real training. And I think what stands out most is the discipline behind it. This isn’t about extreme flexibility for its own sake—it’s about maintaining a body that moves correctly, efficiently, and safely over time.

I bought that book on recommendation from a client who had a bad back and was using it to help for recovery. Being myself a marathon runner, I thought that, perhaps, I could use this book to remind me the right way to do again a proper streching and try to relieve me from different pains and injuries due to intense training. I was well inspire to follow the advise of that person.This book is brilliant.It does explain very well all the right mouvements and positions to strech the appropriate muscles for the appropriate sport in a simple and effective way. I have allready got so much benefit by using the proper strechings, even just after the short time I have been following the book's instructions.I am certain that it's avoiding me a lot of my passed injury problems. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to get fitter or having avoidable pains and injuries.A "Must have" book for anyone involved in any kind of sport or not. Simply brilliant!Best money spend lately!

A comprehensive guide on how to stretch each and every muscle in your body, with pictures.

ストレッチの対象となる筋肉が明示されているので、とてもよい。

Este libro es muy bueno para stretching y complementar tus conocimientos

Excellent

Excellent book to learn and practice stretch. Very clear explanation with pros and cons. A must have book for anyone practising stretches.

I like it very much because it's easy to read and understand, both for the illustrations and the explanations subdivided into techinques, muscles, sports, problems and information to know. I think it's an exciting and valid help also for non professional, while at the same time it's usueful also for professional.