There are a lot of types of exercise classes in the world right now. HIIT, yoga, cardio-sculpt, Pilates, spinning – you name it, there’s a class for it!

Most classes can be fun, give you some movement vitamins & help you get you good at doing the thing the class is about…but how about a class that will help you get good at EVERYTHING else you want to do? AKA basically transform your entire movement life!

Yep, that’s the goal of Kinstretch.

Kinstretch is a training system that’s been created to help you gain body control, awareness and capacity that will support literally every other activity you want to do – from spin class to surfing, from walking to weight lifting, from every day natural movement to yoga – and everything else in between.

So how’s that even possible? Read on!

So…What Exactly IS Kinstretch?

Kinstretch is a new type of movement class. It’s not yoga. It’s not cardio. Instead, it’s focused on building making your joints AMAZING. Super bendy AND super strong.

Kinstretch will help you develop serious flexibility but also control over all your movement.

What does that really mean?

It means that your body will have more good movement options, you’ll move with more ease and fluidity and less aches & pains, and you’ll be more graceful and balanced.

And that when something weird happens, like maybe you twist your ankle, your ankle will be stronger and less likely to get injured.

Another way to think about Kinstretch? It’s basically a strength training class for your joints. You’ll warm up, you’ll go into a stretch, and then you’ll work actively and hard to strengthen the parts that you’ve been stretching. I won’t lie, it’s a challenging workout, but it will leave you feeling amazing.

In a Kinstretch class you likely won’t move around very much but you’re going to work hard, learn a lot, and end up a bit sore the next day – in a good way!

Why Do We Need Joint Mobility?

Most of us are pretty limited in many of our joints thanks to years of sitting in chairs, wearing conventional shoes, and moving through the limited patterns of modern sedentary life.

This means our movement options are also limited.

These limitations force our bodies to move in compensation patterns that aren’t always very helpful.

Our compensations can work amazingly well for a long time. But in the long term they can be the underlying cause of everything from hip replacements to pelvic floor problems.

For example, if you lack shoulder mobility, your spine will often compensate. That’s not great for your shoulder OR for your spine.

So What Are The Life Changing Benefits Of Kinstretch?

Kinstretch helps you develop active, useable mobility, so it helps you move better at literally everything else you want to do.

Plus it decreases your risks of injury – both the acute ‘I sprained my ankle’ type of injury and the long term chronic pain type of injury.

And it generally will help you create healthier, stronger joints that do their job better – and who doesn’t want that?

From the natural movement point of view, Kinstretch will help you walk better, squat better, and hang on the monkey bars better. It’ll help you get up and down from the floor with more ease, improve your balance, and be great for your pelvic floor health, decreasing hyperkyphosis and addressing long term chronic tendon & joint issues too.

In a nutshell, Kinstretch can help you:

✅ Increase your body awareness

✅ Improve your useable ranges of motion in every joint

✅ Increase your movement fluidity, control & balance

✅ Decrease your chances of physical injury

✅ Improve your performance & sustainability for your athletic activities

✅ Feed the cells in your joints & improve their health & resilience

✅ Become a better all-day mover

✅ Understand your own body

✅ Feel like a bad ass

Is Kinstretch a Work Out?

Kinstretch is hard work, but it’s not a work out in a traditional sense. You’re going to work mostly isometrically – which means creating a lot of muscle force without moving.

That makes Kinstretch very safe – as long as you listen to your body – but it’s also why it’s great to have a teacher there to help you focus and develop your skill at creating control and tension.

It also means that Kinstretch is something you do along with whatever other activities you already love – it’s intended to support your mobility & joint function, not to replace other types of movement.

Is Kinstretch just for athletes?

Kinstretch is one of the best & safest ways to develop healthy, functional joints in a safe way, for almost every human.

If you see Kinstretch videos on Instagram you’ll see a lot of fitness- and sports- focused Kinstretch pix, and a lot of really tough fancy moves.

That’s mostly because Kinstretch was developed by sports-focused chiropractors and a lot of athletic teams are using it to train.

But it doesn’t mean it’s only for baseball players and Jiu-Jitsu fighters!

Almost every modern human can benefit from mobility work and Kinstretch is a fun way to learn and practice mobility exercises. In fact, ordinary folks might just benefit the most because our lives leave us so starved for full-range-of-motion movement.

And those tough fancy moves? They can be great, but they’re also mostly for showing off on Instagram.

Kinstretch can and should be modified to meet your body where it’s at, and a good teacher will help you find the perfect moves for your unique body.

Who shouldn’t take Kinstretch?

If you’re currently injured and in pain, it’s a better idea to do 1-1 mobility work. It’ll probably still be a great option for you, but you’ll want to get individualized modifications and a personal plan to get out of pain before you dive into the group class version!

Try this link to find a 1-1 mobility provider in your area. Functional Range Release (FR) folks are certified to do manual work to support your mobility (but will give you movement homework) and Functional Range Conditioning folks (like me!) will help you with movement work (and refer you to an FR person if need be).

How can I try a Kinstretch class?

I’ve got your back!

The best way to know if you want to do Kinstretch is to try a class! Fair warning, I was hooked after my very first one!

This intro level class is focused on shoulder rotation – which is a foundational range of motion for our shoulders. It’ll make your shoulders feel amazing!

Set aside 70 minutes for this one and all you need is a yoga block.

How Did It Go?

I hope you loved taking this as much as I loved teaching it!

Kinstretch has forever changed my life and my partner’s life as well – it’s a big reason we’ve been able to start full time surfing in our mid-forties without massive aches and pains.

Whatever your movement goals, joint mobility is one of the best ways you can support yourself in living an active, pain free life!

Have you ever explored your joint mobility this way before? Looking after our joints is so key at every age – all movement comes from our joints and they’re a major missing link if we want to stay active and live well!