Top 10 Best Stretching and Flexibility Books Ever Written

See what books The Stretching Institute refers to for everything there is to know about stretching.

Have you ever wondered what resources we use here at The Stretching Institute? Well, here's our top-ten list. The following publications contain the very best information on stretching, flexibility and sports injury management, and all have my personal endorsement regarding the quality of their content.

Please excuse my shameless plug for my own publications, but hey; if I didn't think I could write some of the best books on stretching, flexibility and sports injury management, I wouldn't have bothered. Happy reading!

	The Stretching Handbook An easy-to-use, quick reference guide for everyone involved in health, fitness and sporting activities. Written to minimize the likelihood of sports injury and improve athletic performance, it gives coaches, trainers, athletes and fitness enthusiasts a complete reference handbook to assist with the planning and implementation of their training and rehabilitation sessions.
	The Anatomy of Stretching Books on stretching are common, but The Anatomy of Stretching takes a more fundamental approach than the others, taking the reader inside the body to show exactly what is happening during a stretch. At the heart of the book are 300 full-color illustrations that show the primary and secondary muscles worked in 115 key stretches arranged by body area. Aimed at fitness enthusiasts of any level, as well as at fitness pros, The Anatomy of Stretching also focuses on which stretches are useful for the alleviation or rehabilitation of specific sports injuries.
	The Anatomy of Sports Injuries This book takes a fundamental approach, bringing you inside the body to show exactly what is happening when a sports injury occurs. At the heart of The Anatomy of Sports Injuries are 300 full-color illustrations that show the sports injury in detail, along with 200 line drawings of simple stretching, strengthening and rehabilitation exercises that the reader can use to speed up the recovery process. The Anatomy of Sports Injuries is for every sports player or fitness enthusiast who has been injured and would like to know what the injury involves, how to rehabilitate the area, and how to prevent complications or injury in the future.
	Science of Flexibility Gain a well-rounded understanding of the principles underlying stretching and flexibility with the updated third edition of Science of Flexibility. This practical text includes illustrated stretching exercises with a concentration on muscle structure and the technical nature of stretching. You will learn about the principles and clinical aspects of flexibility, the factors limiting flexibility, as well as techniques to enhance flexibility throughout the body.
	Facilitated Stretching The third edition of Facilitated Stretching is now revised, reorganized, and packaged with a DVD - surpassing its popular predecessor as the best source for the latest PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching techniques. More than 350 photographs showing the progression of stretches enrich the book while the new 60-minute DVD demonstrates the stretches and strengthening exercises in even more detail. A unique binding also allows you to lay the book flat while performing the exercises without losing your place. The DVD serves as a great visual tool for improving your technique and getting the most out of your routines.
	Stretching for Functional Flexibility Stretching for Functional Flexibility is a reference guide for the safe, effective, and efficient application of stretching exercises to improve range of motion and movement potential. The text provides all of the information necessary to design and implement a safe and effective stretching program. This book also covers the origin, insertion, innervations, and action of each muscle for greater understanding of the larger context of the human musculoskeletal system and biomechanics. Stretching for Functional Flexibility logically begins with the fundamentals needed to understand stretching, then covers basic stretches and stretching programs, and ends with special applications.
	Clinical Guide to Sports Injuries Reference guide to the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries. Presents various injury types, injury mechanisms, and treatment methods. Features more than 400 color illustrations and 120 photos. Easy-to-understand format. Clinical Guide to Sports Injuries is a well organized, easy-to-understand, and richly illustrated text for general practitioners and sports medicine specialists.
	Stretching Therapy This practical resource examines the research, theory, and practice associated with stretching therapy. Anatomical illustrations and clear descriptions make it easy to learn which muscles are affected by specific treatment techniques. Full-color photographs show correct positioning of the patient and the therapist, with explanations of each movement on the same page or two-page spread.
	Ultimate Flexibility Written by acclaimed author and martial artist Sang H. Kim, Ultimate Flexibility is your guide to achieving maximum flexibility in your training. Learn about the many types of stretching, which methods are best for beginners, when to graduate to advanced techniques and why you should completely avoid certain types of exercises. You'll also find information that you won't find in any other martial art book, including a detailed exploration of how your body works for or against you in your training and how flexibility can make you stronger and faster. Special bonus sections include: 10 Tips for Full Splits, 20 Tips for High Kicks and 10 workouts for specific martial art types.
	Sport Stretch This new edition of Sport Stretch is a complete guide to flexibility for both weekend warriors and elite competitors. It features more stretches than the first edition, a new user-friendly layout, and more background information on the how's and whys of stretching. The centerpieces of this comprehensive book are its illustrations and step-by-step guidelines for 311 different stretches. The stretches can be used individually or grouped with other stretches to form a personalized flexibility program. Athletes looking to use the stretches to improve performance in a specific sport will love the book's Stretching Program section. It's full of handy tables that detail the most effective exercises for individual sports. There are sample programs for 41 sports in all!

Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance and getting rid of those annoying sports injuries. Don't make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won't be effective.

And to help you improve your flexibility quickly and safely, you can't go past The Stretching Handbook & DVD. Together they include over 130 clear photographs and 40 videos of every possible stretching exercise, for every major muscle group in your body.

The Stretching Handbook & DVD will show you, step-by-step, how to perform each stretch EXACTLY! Plus, you'll learn the benefits of flexibility; the 7 critical rules for safe stretching; and how to stretch properly. Discover more about The Stretching Handbook & DVD here.

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