Advanced Stretching LI

10/20/2026

When used in different positions, the breath can help open things up!! Not only have I seen this with my clients, but also practice it myself on a regular basis.

The more I do, and pay attention to where air is flowing in my own body, allows me to come up with creative ways to help my clients achieve the same success. Many times, it also is a huge contributor in taking someone’s pain away.

Many factors are involved in posture and structure. However, small practices like positional breathing, can help keep things loose, ease tension, allow for more airflow and yes, even mitigate pain. Whatever your breath practice is….the most important thing, is to make time for it.

10/19/2026

I keep exploring adductors and pelvic stability with a more functional focus. And man, these are no joke! I felt awesome after these and they complemented my sprint starts perfectly!

The added core work and shoulder stability requirement, made these even tougher! A perfect filler for your agility work or single leg training. Even great for a warm up before a walk or run! Have fun with this one!

10/17/2026

Breath Rate and Your Body

Here’s something most people probably never think about:

**How many breaths do you take in one minute?**

Your breathing rate can tell you quite a bit about what your body is doing at that moment.

Stress, exercise, excitement, pain, anxiety, relaxation and even where you’re placing your attention can all change the way you breathe.

And the interesting part is that this relationship can work in **both directions**.

Your state affects your breathing…

…but changing your breathing may also help influence your state.

First, Find Your Number

One breath means a **full inhale and full exhale**.

Without purposely changing anything, simply count how many complete breaths you take over one minute.

A normal resting adult may breathe somewhere around **12–18 times per minute**. During slow-breathing practices, we may intentionally bring that number much lower.

Personally, through practice, I can comfortably get down to around **2–3 breaths per minute**.

But here's the important part:

**The goal isn't to force yourself to breathe as slowly as possible.**

Slower Isn't Better If You're Fighting for It

If you're taking huge breaths, holding your breath aggressively, creating tension or feeling like you're fighting for air, you're probably missing the point.

We want the breath to become:

**Slow. Easy. Controlled. Relaxed.**

Your heart and breathing are constantly interacting. In fact, your heart rate naturally changes slightly as you inhale and exhale.

Research on slow breathing has found that breathing around **6 breaths per minute** can increase heart-rate variability and improve the coordination between breathing, heart rate and blood-pressure regulation.

That’s one reason slow breathing can feel so calming.

Your Brain Is Listening Too

This connection goes even further.

Researchers are finding that the rhythm of our breathing is reflected in activity throughout the brain — including areas involved in emotion, attention and our awareness of what's happening inside our body.

Recent human research has even found brain activity synchronizing with breathing across areas including the **insula, sensory cortex, anterior cingulate and amygdala** — areas involved in things like internal awareness and emotional processing.

You don't need to remember those names.

The important part is this:

**Your breath, heart and brain aren't operating independently. They're constantly communicating.**

And your breathing is one part of that system that you can consciously influence.

Try This

In the video, I'll show you the breathing practice I use.

Start by finding your natural breathing rate.

Then gradually begin slowing it down.

Don't chase my number.

Don't force a giant inhale.

Don't strain to make the exhale longer.

Just see if you can make each breath a little **slower, quieter and easier**.

Maybe you begin at 12 breaths per minute and comfortably reach 8.

Eventually, perhaps 6 feels natural.

The number isn't the victory.

**Being able to intentionally change your state is.**

Your Breath Is a Tool

We spend a lot of time talking about mobility, strength, posture and movement.

But sometimes one of the simplest ways to influence how your body feels is something you're already doing approximately 20,000 times every day.

**Breathing.**

Learn to control it instead of always allowing your environment to control it for you.

Take a minute today.

Count your breaths.

Slow things down.

And notice what happens.

One Last Thought

Your breathing is happening all day, every day, whether you pay attention to it or not.

The more aware you become of it, the more opportunity you have to use it as a tool...to slow down, reset, and help your body shift into a calmer state.

Start simple.

Count your breaths.

Practice slowing them down without forcing anything.

And pay attention to how your body responds.

Sometimes a small change in breathing can create a noticeable change in how you feel.

Want Help Moving and Feeling Better?

At Advanced Stretching LI, I look at more than just tight muscles. Breathing, posture, mobility, movement patterns, and nervous-system input can all play a role in how your body feels.

If you’re dealing with recurring tension, stiffness, restricted movement, or you simply want to feel better in your body, let’s take a closer look.

Book a session and let’s figure out what your body needs.

Click here for an update from Advanced Stretching LI!

10/16/2026

I love exploring new movements and feels in my training! Because of that, I’m getting better and better overall athleticism and strength.

Accessory movements that create proprioceptive awareness, a combination of stiffness, along with expressive spinal movement, can be a great complement to strength work done after.

I also this these type of movements in office with clients, to ease compensation and unlock new ranges of motion they haven’t had in some time. They are then able to load these new ranges and own them. That’s what it’s all about!

10/15/2026

Athlete came in with rib pain on the non dominant side and hurt to inhale.

After some stretching (more on the dominant side -her right), we did lots of compression and activation on her non dominant side. Each activation helped the pain slowly subside.

She left with it almost gone, which might take a little longer, since it was a contact injury. But she felt much better and ready to go this evening. She also has a pregame warm up activation to help things stay that way.

10/14/2026

Most people reach forward and try to lift to get the Serratus firing. That’s all well and good, but can be hard for some to feel and most people are so weak here, they can hardly elevate the scapula well.

Enter, the eccentric rotational pull up. Even just a few reps, in a slow manner, can activate the sling and serratus enough, that the arm flys up after! Give it a go and feel the activation for yourself!

10/13/2026

When it comes to the rotators of the hip. They can be “stuck” long/short or somewhere in between. This will affect the entire gait cycle and sometimes cause pain as well.

When assessing, he was stuck short here, but it was actually a lack of stability and strength that ended up giving him even more IR. After the session, we did some assisted airplanes (not shown), with a focus on a full range of motion.

We’ll see next time if he owns a bigger range of motion and it takes pressure off his back.

10/09/2026

Shoulder and neck tension usually coincide with each other. The other important part to consider is how the thoracic spine and ribcage directly affect the shoulder and therefore, the neck (not shown).
With a combination of stretching, oscillation, rhythm and contraction, tissues tend to glide and move much better in a short period of time.
The key then is, to use those new ranges, strengthen them with control to keep them. Next thing you know, your pain dissipates and new movement ranges are acquired.

10/09/2026

Tight Shoulders? Try This Hang Option

One movement I’ve been using more often lately is a single-arm hang with rotation.

And every time I do it, my shoulder feels better afterward.

It’s simple, but there’s a lot going on.

When you hang from one arm and allow the body to gently rotate, you’re asking the shoulder to do more than just stretch. You’re giving it a chance to stabilize, decompress, and move through a different position under load.

That can be especially helpful if you spend a lot of time sitting, driving, working at a computer, or living with your shoulders slightly rounded forward.

Why I Like It

One of the biggest benefits is what it does for the lat.

Your lat attaches up at the upper arm and runs all the way down through the back and into the pelvis.

Because it covers so much territory, tension there can affect much more than just the shoulder.

It can influence:

* Shoulder mobility
* Overhead range
* Ribcage movement
* Posture
* Rotation
* How freely you breathe

When I hang and gently rotate, I can feel that entire side of my body start to open up.

The shoulder feels less compressed.

The chest and ribcage feel more open.

And breathing often feels easier because the ribs have a little more freedom to expand.

There’s Also a Stability Benefit

Hanging asks the muscles around the shoulder blade and shoulder joint to work together to support you.

So while you may feel a stretch, you’re also challenging the shoulder to organize and stabilize itself.

That combination of mobility + stability is something I really like.

We don’t just want loose shoulders.

We want shoulders that can move well and control that movement.

Add the Rotation

The rotation is what makes this version different from simply hanging straight down.

As the body turns, you start involving the ribcage, thoracic spine, shoulder blade, and side body.

That makes it feel less like an isolated shoulder stretch and more like a whole-body opening.

And because real-life movement rarely happens in one straight line, I like giving the body these more natural, rotational options.

Limited options? I have some variations.

No problem. I included two easier options in the videos.

One version keeps your feet on the ground, so you can control how much bodyweight you’re putting through the arm.

The other uses a door, which gives you a similar rotational stretch if you don’t have a pull-up bar at home.

The goal isn’t to hang as hard or as long as possible.

Start light.

Let your feet help.

Rotate gently.

And pay attention to how your shoulder feels.

If it feels good, gradually explore a little more range.

Give It a Try

Try a few slow repetitions on each side and notice the difference afterward.

Does the shoulder feel lighter?

Can you reach overhead a little easier?

Does your chest feel more open?

Can you take a deeper breath?

Sometimes a small movement can create a surprisingly big change.

And this is one of my favorites for doing exactly that.

Need More Than a Stretch?

If your shoulder, upper back, or posture always seems to tighten back up, there may be more going on than just one “tight” muscle.

At Advanced Stretching LI, I look at how the shoulder, ribcage, spine, and surrounding areas are working together so we can improve both mobility and control.

If you’re ready to move better and feel less restricted, book a session and let’s take a closer look.

Click here for an update from Advanced Stretching LI!

10/07/2026

I think we have a former practitioner on our hands here! Haha….having used massage guns for a long time. I can honestly say, the Rapid Release tool is by far superior in creating glide where tissues seem to get stuck.

Alyssa, my client, is recovering from a broken Tibia and has been cleared for activity. One of the things bones love, is vibration! That’s what this vibration tool offers. It can also help with some brain body connection after injury, since the brain loses that connection when injured.

If you’re interested in purchasing your own. Check out the options in my bio and use code STRETCHU for 10% off!