What is it? Look at you. You’re hunched up, tight, misshapen. You need somebody to stamp on your body and yank you back into shape. You need resistance stretching.
How much does it cost? A 90-minute Revive assisted resistance stretching session in Waterloo, London, cost me £110. There are, however, free instructional self-stretching videos on YouTube – ReStretch Therapies is a good place to start.
What does it promise? It works on your body’s fascia, the bands and sheets of connective tissue that hold your muscles together. The drudgery of day-to-day life can harden the fascia into familiar positions, impeding movement. A small amount of regular stretching helps break it down, returning your body to its optimal position.
What’s it actually like? Painful, but brilliant. Suzanne Waterworth, the woman who would stretch me, instantly noted that I was tired-looking and lopsided. She was right – carrying a baby around in your arms for hours each day will do that to you. So she went about redressing the balance, walking up and down my prone body, working out the knots with her heels. Then pulling on my arms and legs while I attempted to push back against her in slightly unfamiliar movements. It’s weird and gruelling but my body feels lighter and looser, and my range of movement has improved.
Best and worst bit The sound of your spine cracking underneath someone’s foot is something that I’ll never get used to. But the feeling after the session was incredible. And I’ve kept it up a few minutes each day, stretching my hamstrings on tables and my back on door frames.
Is it worth it? Hugely.
