What is Kinstretch?
Kinstretch is defined as “a movement enhancement system that develops maximal body control, flexibility, and usable ranges of motion” by Functional Range Systems (FRS).
I often explain it to people using a recipe analogy…
Imagine an exercise class that combines:
Flexibility
Strength
Body control
Joint health
Prehab (proactive rehabilitation)
ALL in one class. Then, sprinkle some education on top to help you learn about YOUR body specifically AND the human body in general.
That’s Kinstretch. Sounds pretty great, right?
IT IS.
WHO CREATED KINSTRETCH?
Kinstretch was created by sports specialist Chiropractor Dr. Andreo Spina who is also the creator of Functional Range Release (FR), Functional Range Conditioning (FRC), and Functional Range Systems (FRS) as a whole.
DON’T LET THE NAME “KINSTRETCH” CONFUSE YOU
The first thing I want to address is the name KinSTRETCH. People often hear this and then come in expecting a relaxing “stretching class”. Here’s the thing:
Yes, we stretch in online Kinstretch classes! No, the majority of the class is not spent chilling in a stretch.
I’ll put you in a stretch, and then I’m going to have you do WORK there.
So, in my online Kinstretch classes after we have spent some time in a stretch we then spend time training the muscles that are being stretch AND the muscles that pull you into that stretch or position.
The reason that we spend time TRAINING in a stretch is because your nervous system does not want to maintain muscle/tissue length or access to positions that you are:
Vulnerable in
Weak in
Unable to pull yourself into without assistance
So, in my online Kinstretch classes we check all of these boxes. We help you gain access to new range of motion (if you need/want it), then help you become STRONG/RESILIENT there and learn to CONTROL your body in those positions.
It is humbling to say the least. And, it is so damn worth it.
MORE OPTIONS = MORE PHYSICAL FREEDOM
To help you understand this I’m going to tell you about a back pain client that I had this morning.
I placed a pen in front of him on the floor and asked him if he could pick it up it to see both if he could pick it up and what strategy his body used to do so.
First Strategy:
Hip hinge. His spine stayed straight and his hips moved back to pick up the pen.
Then I said, “stand a few inches in front of my wall with your back facing the wall and try that again”.
Second Strategy:
He froze. He did not know how to pick up the pen because I took away his ability to flex his hips.
Eventually, he figured out that he could go onto the ball of his foot and bend his knees instead of his hips (giving his body a second option).
Lack of Options:
His ONLY options to pick up the pen were: flex the hips or flex the knees
A big option that he didn’t have access to was to flex (round) his spine, which stayed completely straight in both strategies.
It was no surprise that he was in my office for back pain. He did not know how to move his spine and did not have access to spine flexion (rounding).
Because he doesn’t have the option to move or use his spine, other joints have to pick up the slack and pay the tab (hips and knees).
GIVING YOUR BODY BACK IT’S OPTIONS
Your body NEEDS OPTIONS when it comes to moving or accomplishing any given task. In Kinstretch classes, we seek to ensure that our bodies have all of the options that they need at each and every joint. In turn, we gift our body with a library of various of options for accomplishing tasks.
Within Operation Human First, you will notice that many of the online Kinstretch classes are organized by joint and within each joint’s library of classes you will find them broken down by movement or “degree of freedom”.
For example, your hip rotates inward, rotates outward, flexes, extends, abducts and adducts. We have specific classes that help with each and every single one of these movements for every joint (neck, thoracic spine, low back, hips, knees, ankles, scapula, shoulder, elbow, wrist, toes) to help you ensure that your body has all of the options that it needs!
PROACTIVELY TRAINING FOR INJURIES
One repeated question that I’ve asked myself repeatedly as a physical therapist is:
What can I do to help PREVENT people from ending up in my office with an injury in the first place?
Well, this is one of the big reasons that I have flown around North America attending seminars to become a Kinstretch instructor.
When I leave my office and role as a physical therapist (working primarily on the retroactive side of injuries), I take on my OTHER role as a Kinstretch instructor and spend my time helping people on the PROACTIVE side of things.
You’ll regret not preparing for a test FAR more than you’ll ever regret preparing for the test in advance.
No, this is not just the advice that I tried to force feed myself in University…
This advice also applies to physical injuries.
We can’t PREVENT injuries as we would need a crystal ball and the ability to develop infinite physical capacity.
We can PREPARE for them.
Eventually we are all faced with physical “tests”. Unlike the tests that you receive in school, you don’t know when these ones are coming (pop quiz flash backs… barf).
As a physical therapist who spends the majority of my day helping people rehab injuries and overcome physical limitations, I cannot emphasize the importance of preparing in advance enough.
Trust me - physical preparation through something like Kinstretch classes is FAR more fun then mental preparation or studying for exams
In Kinstretch classes you are acting proactively and stacking the cards in your favor in terms of:
Your likelihood of getting injured
The severity/extent of injuries
How quickly you’re likely to recover/rehab
How smooth rehab goes for you
Prepare NOW. Thank yourself LATER.
PROACTIVE ASSESSMENT
The other way that Kinstretch classes fall on the proactive side of the spectrum is that in both in-person and online Kinstretch classes we teach you how to self-assess your own joints. There are very few classes out there that have this component within them.
Kinstretch classes offer you the opportunity to catch and address problems BEFORE they progress to the point where they become a nagging issue or injury.
WHAT DOES KINSTRETCH DO?
Kinstretch helps you improve how well you move and feel on a day-to-day basis.
Kinstretch classes will help you improve mobility, flexibility, strength, body control, body awareness, joint health, joint and tissue capacity (how much force you can handle) and physical longevity.
Kinstretch classes can also help you prepare for injuries BEFORE they happen AND help you catch joint problems before they turn into injuries.
Lastly, Kinstretch classes can help to give your body back its options - as discussed above. This will help to ensure that we don’t get certain joints paying the tab for other joints that can’t do their job.
ARE KINSTRETCH CLASSES SIMILAR TO YOGA?
Kinstretch and Yoga are completely different practices. Here is a full breakdown of the similarities and differences between the two practices.
The best way to understand the differences is to experience both a Kinstretch and yoga class for yourself. The differences will then be extremely obvious!
I’ve included a free Kinstretch class at the end of this blog for you.
DO I NEED TO BE ATHLETIC OR NEED ANY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE?
Absolutely not! You do not need to be an athlete. Half of my in-person Kinstretch students are athletes and half are not and They both get equal benefits from the same classes.
This is one of my favourite things about being a Kinstretch instructor as offering modifications and ways to accomplish the same or similar things in different positions keeps you on your toes when teaching. In both online (recorded) and in-person Kinstretch classes, we will always show multiple options for everything that we do (which sometimes are progressions/regressions and other times just variations that will work better for some people). This not only helps you meet your body where it’s at, but it also helps you capitalize on everything that you do.
DO I NEED ANY EQUIPMENT FOR KINSTRETCH CLASSES?
Short answer: No.
Long Answer: You don’t NEED any equipment. There are some things that are nice to have though. Yoga blocks, tennis balls and dowels/sticks are all great. However, you could also use anything around the house of similar size/utility (books, balled up socks, broom stick, and so on).
I know that there are some people doing the Kinstretch classes in Operation Human First who live in camps for work and who successfully to do the classes without any equipment.
WILL KINSTRETCH CLASSES HELP ME WITH MY SPORT?
Will having better body control help you with your sport?
Will having more movement options available to you help you with your sport?
Will integrating PREHAB and repairing in advance for any injuries that you may be at risk of facing in your sport help you with your sport?
In other words… yes.
IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING KINSTRETCH?
Here is a full step-by-step guide on getting started with Kinstretch.
I chat with all of my in-person students before their first class to help ensure that they know what they need to know to get the most out of classes. For those that do my online classes - I have a whole section of videos full of information where I go into even more detail so that you can take your experience (and results) to the next level with the classes.
If you’re new to Kinstretch, you’ll find the basics of what you need to know in this video. I recommend watching this before you do your first class:
FREE KINSTRETCH CLASS
If you’ve never done Kinstretch before, or never done a Kinstretch class with me before - here is a free class that you can try for yourself. Consider this one on me. Enjoy!
THINKING ABOUT TRYING OUR ONLINE KINSTRETCH PLATFORM?
Check out these testimonials from people around the world who are already taking advantage of the massive collection of Kinstretch classes and resources in Operation Human First.
They’ve each already started their journey to unlock the mobility and freedom required to move however they want to. There is no better time then now to get started!
