Stretching Myself

I’ve recently found myself succumbing to that Vietnamese start-the-day stretch – an up and at ‘em twist with a bent knee kick, first left then right.

In addition, someone recently told me most headaches are caused by stiff neck muscles so, as a frequent sufferer, I occasionally attempt the trying to touch your shoulder with your ear thing.

Vietnamese customers at my gym stretch so much that it’s hard to know where the stretching stops and real exercise starts.  Perhaps it’s straying beyond stretching into actual yoga territory. Perhaps the stretching is the exercise.

At Yakushi they bend and stretch me and on occasions stick needles in me to try and sort out my back. It does seem to be improving though that could equally be down to increased gym visits and subsequent weight loss.  The back doesn’t hurt any more but on occasions it does feel stiff which necessitates yet more stretching.  Bending backwards over an exercise ball brings a certain vertebrae pleasing relief.

Did living in Asia make me learn the importance of stretching?  Did living in Asia make me need to stretch – a lack of brisk walks due to the hot, humid Hanoi summer perhaps?

Do I just need to stretch more because I’m getting old?  It’s not the first time I’ve been confused as to whether changes I am noting in myself are down to age or location.

Or, I suppose, generic expat flakiness.