The Genius of Flexibility: The Smart Way to Stretch and Strengthen Your Body

After a life-threatening accident, Cooley developed a series of 16 resistance stretches that he says gave his body a degree of flexibility that far surpassed his pre-accident levels. Cooley explains that program here, organizing the stretches into four difficulty levels and addressing personality traits, since, he says, stretching certain muscles can affect nonphysical areas in one's life. Once he used the program to heal himself, Cooley began to work with professional athletes and others suffering from injuries, including Olympic gold medal swimmer Dara Torres. While these athletes' testimonies and Cooley's own enthusiasm for his subject are inspiring, the principles he describes will be familiar—and hardly groundbreaking—to yoga students. Cooley's more direct approach and language, however, will appeal to those who find cues in yoga class too subtle or unclear. The chapter on adjusting the intensity level of stretches for maximum benefit without overstretching will be particularly useful, as will the charts listing physiological, spiritual, emotional and psychological concerns and associated stretches; organic meal plans; and an extensive resource list. 170 b&w photos. Agent, Michael Broussard . (Sept. 6)