Class Syllabus for the Following Workshops:

Stretching Smarter Stretching Healthier™
Not The Same Old Stretches
and
Top 10 Smarter Stretches™

Copyright © Jolie Bookspan, MEd, PhD, FAWM
Named "St. Jude of the Joints" by Harvard School of Medicine clinicians

 

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Welcome to my Stretch Class Syllabus page, on my large, no-charge web site, Dr. Bookspan.com.

On THIS page: Many stretches are not stopping injury as hoped. It is no mystery. Common stretches often add to injury and posture trouble. People stretch in injurious ways, and use unhealthful movement habits the rest of the time in daily life. My fun active workshops show which stretches help, and which promote the problems you started with or add more. This page gives you information to get the most out of your class and to review after.

Each of my classes has a helpful syllabus page. All the fun classes and links to each of those syllabus pages are on the Classes page.

 

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What We Do

You won't just sit there and stretch. This is a "teach you how to fish" approach as well as giving you a lot of fish:

• Why common stretches and posture rules make pain and posture worse, and what to do instead.

• How functional (useful) stretches build the kind of stretch you need during all daily movement

• What good stretches you may be doing in ineffective ways.

• Stretches to prevent specific injuries and pain, and why some work and some don't.

• How to re-educate your movement habits to not get tight and sore in the first place.

• Practice scientific techniques you can easily do at work, at home during everyday movement, and during your training and activities, to fix common problems.

 

 

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Class Formats

1. Lecture and Practice.

Lecture with audio-visual supported learning (Power Point presentation) of fun concepts, anatomy, how and why common stretches produce injury, specifics to do instead, discussion, and guided practice of quickly effective techniques under supervision. Much two-way question and answer so that students can understand how to apply concepts, not just do lists of stretches.

 

 

2. For high level groups, you can have a practical see-and-do intensive. No audiovisuals. Quickly apply concepts to learn healthier stretches.

 

Master Ward Collins, 4th Dan, Tae Kwon Do,
writes about making healthy range of motion part of daily life and exercise:

"Dr. Bookspan, Your class as always was wonderful, in class or from the side lines. Since my first stretching seminar with you (years ago) I have been working on and correcting my stretching and body positioning. I have taken your healthier methods of range of motion and am applying it to my day-to-day life while doing normal things I have to do anyway. I have notice that when I am lazy and not holding my body up with muscles I can really feel what you talk about it in minutes, not the pain but the building discomfort that will lead to and cause back pain. I apply it more everyday, getting closer to doing it all well, one day at a time. That is why we practice at everything we do, otherwise, quoting my father, Ward Sr. 'Practice. Otherwise we could all go down to a Seven Eleven and pick up a Black Belt.' Thank you, we really appreciated all the extra help and tips you gave to us before your wonderful seminar. We jumped into our Monday night martial arts class using a few new stretches from your book and can't wait to finish reading the rest of the book and improve our overall stretching and strengthening.  / My dad just loved that I quoted him and that his quote will now go on and live in cyberspace."

 

My tired sore advanced students, Black Belt Hall of Fame Class of 2015.

 

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BEFORE Class

 

1.   Class Summary Readings On My Web Site

Get started now with quick understanding how you use range of motion built in to your day, not just as a list of stretches. Your ordinary activities can give many healthy stretches, OR merely repeat unhealthy movement patterns. Learn how to make it benefit you: Read this first for Range of Motion as Fitness and A Lifestyle

Then read more about Fixing Bad Stretching - Which Stretches Harm and Which Help. This page also has the 6 QUICK Stretches that you can do every day.

If you are curious about hamstrings, my years of research findings are presented on my web page all about Hamstrings.

"I read your whole site, every word. It was like an oasis in a desert."
- Eugene Kelley, Esq.

2.  Short Free Online Fitness Fixer™ Summaries

I wrote The Fitness Fixer™ column for Healthline from 2006 to 2010. After the column ended, Healthline removed almost all the photos and illustrations that I had made which showed concepts for each article, all the short videos I made for the articles, and all the reader comments and my replies that added helpful info. Then they started removing my articles and redirecting links from those articles to their ads to sell their products, or to no pages at all.

A list of helpful Fitness Fixers for Stretching from my column used to appear right on this page. Now they are gone but you can come learn them in my classes, private appointments, or through on-line personal consult. For more about The Fitness Fixer column, here is the  Index for The Fitness Fixer™ - which explains all, with an alphabetic list of many of the nearly 800 articles by topic, plus two archives where some of the articles have been preserved, at least in part.

 

3. Get Class Text Books

Class books with information and stretches are available at discount in class for class participants: "Stretching Smarter Stretching Healthier"  "Fix Your Own Pain Without Drugs or Surgery" and "Health & Fitness in Plain English, THIRD edition" plus others. To order anytime, click: Books.

4. Twitter

Instant updates about classes, new projects, fitness fixes, and other fun. Add your enthusiastic ideas and participate in projects. Short and easy on Twitter. No log-in needed to read

"Follow" me on Twitter @TheFitnessFixer

www.Twitter.com/TheFItnessFixer

 

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AFTER Class, Continue With My No-Charge Materials

1. To help you remember, here is a free summary of what we learned - Fixing Bad Stretching - Which Stretches Harm and Which Help. This page also has the Six QUICK Stretches to do every day.

2. Get healthy range of motion and good exercise built into all you do in ordinary daily life. Free: Fitness as a REAL LIfestyle.

3. See my Clinical page for no-charge summary articles for fixing specific pain of the back, neck, knees, and others: DrBookspan.com/clinical.

4. If you are interested in using healthy movement for Yoga, here is my page on preventing yoga injuries, and doing Smarter Healthier Yoga WIthout Dogma.For wonderful relaxing stretching, try a Thai Massage with me: Thai Massage.

5. For students wanting more, the book that covers how to do higher level exercise and strength of both mind and body, covering spirit, breathing, mental discipline, with chapters on stretch, injuries, abs, strength, and the most about nutrition, take a look at Healthy Martial Arts. It does not teach martial arts, it is how to apply that discipline to all you do: Books.

6. Keep in touch with your successes and questions. For private appointments to work with me further: See my Clinical page.

 

Certification

Academy Certification and Instructor training may be earned by top students through guided study in person with me (Dr. Bookspan). Learn about the Academy, then check certification instructions and classes on the Class page.

 

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Does This Look Like The Teacher?

Student Dana Chandler, who took the Back Pain workshop, made the little wire doll, below, as a gift for me before ever seeing that I do the same thing. Fun people take our classes:

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Student Comments

I learned how some traditional exercises are not performed correctly.
I will be better able to educate others with better technique.
- Captain B.L. Bennett, US Navy, CO NSAS

 

The workshop was very practical and fun! Something for everyone.
- Marie Virene, R.N.

 

I learned much better stretches, and will be able to prevent future injuries.
- Dr. Tom Garges, M.D., Physician and gymnast

 

I recommend this workshop. It was hands-on.
- Sharon Hale, R.N. Colorado

 

I learned better technique; how to heal and prevent injuries.
- Dr. Michael Hauke, M.D., surgeon in Selah WA

 

I recommend this instructor.
- Dr. Marilyn Hill Harper, M.D. Physician, UCSF

 

Really great concept. Want more.
- Dr. Chan Chandler, M.D. retired radiologist

 

Why would anyone attend a seminar, lecture, or class and be upset when the speaker talked about the subject - changing what is unhealthy? Did they really expect you to say, “Yeah, I was just kidding. All your old exercises are just fine. Just do more of them and you’ll be okay.”
- Jack Ryder, former US Marine

 

Wow! This was great. I definitely corrected some injurious things that I do.
I will pass the information learned to others. Excellent!
- Liz Owen, Emergency Medical Services. Breckinridge CO

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Map and Directions

Mt. Airy Learning Tree One Day Workshops. Should open in a new window:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/1010+Cromwell+Rd,+Wyndmoor,+PA+19038/@40.0918584,-75.2027127,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c6bbd318a971fb:0x57954268cb835743?hl=en

 

 

Map for Various Downtown Locations:

View Larger Map

 

Directions to my workshops at the Wilderness Medical Society meetings in Colorado (check the class page for dates and locations):

View Larger Map

Students Rita and Elliot Bloom celebrate a great class

 

 

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Bring Classes To Your Location

Project 6 on the Projects page.