Biomechanical attractors e A paleolithic prescription for tendinopathy & glycemic controlThe sheer breadth and variety of influences on the function of key body systems, such as connective tissue health or blood sugar regulation is both extraordinary and, at the same time, extra "ordinary". The ability of our ancestors to maintain optimal function in these systems would have been pivotal to their ability to survive and thrive.In the accompanying editorial, we discuss some of the potential causative factors in connective tissue injury and type 2 diabetes; not the most likely combination, but the common thread is that stretching seems to be an intervention that can support the treatment of both and, as such, may also be key in prevention.Here, we propose that in our Paleolithic environment (and still in some cultures today) stretching was an intrinsic component of our lifestyle. Similarly, walking and running were prerequisites for survival and significant perpetual forces that shaped our physiology. These factors are often now missing in life in industrialised nations and may be part of the aetiological matrix leading to the increased incidence of Type 2 diabetes and tendinopathies in modern life.The key focus of this practical paper is the "how to" of introducing more stretching into modern life, with all its time pressures and other "to do's". Following are a series of excerpts, with additional commentary and imagery, from a chapter written by Wallden (2008) for the textbook Naturopathic Physical Medicine, describing how regular stretching can be easily achieved through what can be termed "Biomechanical Attractors".
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