Before trying PNF stretching, I spent a lot of time on contortionists’ blogs and the depths of Google Scholar, and I can’t promise that I’ve figured it all out. It explains an “advanced” type of stretching called PNF, for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. PNF stretching is usually described as something that a trainer does to an athlete; but I figured, why not use the same techniques on myself? Here, contracting one muscle tends to make the opposite muscle relax. There is research suggesting that a PNF stretching routine can be better for long-term flexibility than just doing static stretches.