Being a bit younger, the future is starting to look pretty bleak! You can put me in the category of do what I say and not as I do.

As always, I have learned almost everything from most of you and give the credit back to where it belongs, but I will try to share a few random thoughts...

ST is right on the money. You can get a much deeper stretch at the end of a workout. Although, spending 10-20 minutes first and last thing each day when needed seems to help me quite a bit for sleeping on the ground. I feel it in my hips and lower back the most and sometimes will do a gentle stretch both sitting and lying down in the tent. Stretching in view of the lake can be pretty relaxing.

Canoe butt is no laughing matter  ;). Also, using your core muscles in an almost countless repetition to paddle and then asking those same muscles to support your frame while you portage a pack and canoe can take its toll... not to mention the lack of a good chair as well as sleeping on the ground?

There is probably no substitute for proper exercise, but besides paddling and portaging all day it seems to me that it may be hard to prepare your body for a canoe trip? *Perhaps MP can tell you more about that*

Stretching should never hurt or cause injury. I have found several ways to stretch that are completely different from what 'we' were taught in school/sports, perhaps now a bit dated, but they work well for me. Sneaking up on a muscle with a short and gentle stretch (until) with the idea of persuading it to release some of its tension is a good way to get in tune with how you are feeling. You can come back and try for a little deeper stretch after that initial release. If you try pushing too far you may get the opposite results then what you are looking for, **especially if that area is already hurting**? You might increase the time and range as you get more into it. The idea here is to take is slow at first and learn to listen to what your body is telling you.

Using opposite muscles against each other is another way to force the relaxation you desire. When one muscle contracts, the opposite muscle is forced into a stretched position. If you are stretching your chest for instance, make a conscious effort to contract the muscles by your shoulder blades at the same time. Gravity or light weights can also be used to help tire a muscle just like being in traction  ;)

If any of this sounds new or interesting perhaps check out these books? each one has something good to say and I could not possibly get by without them:

Stretching, Bob Anderson

Stretch and Strengthen, Judy Alter

Active Isolated Stretching. Jim and Phil Wharton (this one is a little different then what is described above)