Stretching isn’t just good for athletes – it also helps individuals maintain an active lifestyle and aids in rehabilitation after injury or surgery. Active isolated stretching is a modern approach that’s used across disciplines in the health and wellness industry.
HICI Go is an online center that hosts a diverse catalog of health and beauty courses online for people in Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, or anywhere else in the U.S. We also offer in-person courses in Florida, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas. HICI Go serves students, professionals, and everyday learners nationwide with a variety of courses, including massage courses that focus on specific techniques.
Find out more about active isolated stretching and how you can broaden your skill set through our online platform and partner institutions.
What Is Active Isolated Stretching?
Developed by Aaron Mattes, MS, RKT, LMT, active isolated stretching facilitates major muscle groups using a repetitive, two-second approach. Dynamic, athletic stretching has been proven to be an effective alternative to static stretching (holding a fixed position) and ballistic stretching (using bouncing movements).
Active isolated stretching, also called The Mattes Method, works through targeted muscle lengthening and myofascial release. Specific muscles are isolated by contracting opposing muscle groups. By stretching for just two seconds, you can effectively stretch the muscle enough to lengthen it without triggering its protective stretch reflex and eventual contraction (myotatic reflex). This method is used by a variety of health and wellness professionals, including:
- Athletic trainers
- Personal trainers
- Strength trainers
- Pilates instructors
- Physical therapists
- Chiropractors
- Nurses
For decades, active isolated stretching techniques also have been part of many training programs and continuing education curricula for massage therapists. It allows the practitioner to warm up the muscles and increase flexibility before the bodywork begins. In the area of sports massage, it also helps athletes recover and optimize performance.
Benefits of Active Isolated Stretching Therapy
Active isolated stretching is easy to learn. It can be incorporated into everyday care for patients and clients, as well as yourself at home. Some parents even learn the fundamentals of this stretching technique to help their student-athletes succeed in sports. It can be performed solo, with help from a partner, or with a tool like a foam roller or resistance band. This technique also is beneficial for those suffering from specific health conditions, such as:
- Sciatica
- Shin splints
- Bunions
- Golfer’s elbow
- Hamstring strain or tear
- Tenosynovitis (inflammation within a tendon sheath)
- Shoulder impingement
- Osgood-Schlatter disease (a condition that causes pain and swelling below the knee)
- Chronic neck and back pain
Active isolated therapy has been shown to yield noticeable results for patients with these and other conditions and symptoms. Those who’ve benefitted from this technique experience the following:
- Pain relief
- Increased flexibility
- Better posture
- Greater mobility
- Improved body positioning
- Increased blood circulation
- Stress relief (through inherent endorphin release)
Increased flexibility and other benefits also help prevent muscle injury and facilitate healthy muscular tissue repair. These benefits also boost agility and performance and aid in rehabilitation results after an injury, disease, or surgery. For many medical patients, combining this technique with others can improve their ability to perform everyday tasks more comfortably and elevate their overall quality of life.
Taking Massage Therapy Courses at HICI Go
At HICI Go, you can learn more about active isolated stretching through many of our massage therapy courses and see how it relates to specific types of massage techniques. Our platform offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to participate in courses. Find scheduled live webinars and video courses available online, anytime. Students can also attend live, in-person courses on our host campuses.
Led by industry experts, courses are hosted by accredited partner institutions and licensed continuing education providers. In this field of study, you can do the following:
- Study specific active isolated stretching techniques
- Find out how different methods benefit the body
- Learn how to apply stretching methods at work or home
- Network with other learners in your area and across the United States
Founded in 2020 by our partner institutions, Cortiva Institute and Hollywood Institute, HICI Go serves as a platform that hosts a diverse assortment of learning opportunities. We cater to beauty, health, and wellness professionals and enthusiasts alike, making it easy for people to expand their practice or just learn something new they can incorporate into their personal life.
Learn Active Isolated Stretching Techniques Today
Find out more about active isolated therapy and how you can incorporate it into your massage technique with help from HICI Go. Our course availability makes it easy to make time for education in your busy schedule. HICI Go and partner institution courses are designed for professionals seeking continuing education. Non-professionals who would like to learn more about the subject matter can sign up, as well.
Online instruction is available throughout the U.S. In-person instruction runs through our partner institutions in Florida, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas. If you’re a student in an in-person course, you’ll automatically receive an account for online instruction. Contact us for more information on how to participate in our massage continuing education courses.