Stretching is an exercise in which a specific muscle or tendon is deliberately stretched in order to improve the muscle’s felt elasticity and achieve comfortable muscle tone. The result is a feeling of increased muscle control, flexibility, and range of motion. It’s an attempt to reduce risk of injury and increase performance….. but is it worthwhile? And how much should we do?
As I got older, my toes seemed farther away. My hips felt tight after running and my knees hurt when I did repeats of the beach stairs…It seemed that things can take a lot more effort than it once did. But while it may be tempting to shrug and assume that losing flexibility is just a cost of aging, it’s nothing to take in our stride. It can affect our joints, balance, function and posture. It can even make us more prone to injury and chronic pain. For example, tight hamstrings behind your knees can cause a pelvic misalignment that makes your lower back hurt. Tight gluteals ( butt) can result in hip impingement and pain and even effect the knee.
The solution? Whether you’re an avid exerciser or spend most of your time sitting in front of a computer, stretching should be part of your weekly routine. The Amazing Benefits Of Stretching – PRO Therapy
While this may conjure images of complicated twists and contortions, the type of stretching you need may be as simple as taking periodic work breaks to lift your arms above your head and to perform some other easy movements.
For many of us, stretching has been part of our warm-up routine since we were kids. Whether we were at netball practice, in P.E. class or getting ready for a big basketball game, we were trained at a young age to practice static stretching before exercise…. but was ( is) it beneficial?
In its most basic form, stretching is a natural and instinctive action …it is performed by animals too and can be accompanied by a big yawn… I can relate to that, it’s the first thing I do in the morning! This often occurs instinctively after waking from sleep, after long periods of inactivity, or after exiting confined spaces…
Importantly, stretching can be dangerous when performed incorrectly. There are many techniques for stretching but depending on which muscle group is being stretched, some techniques may be ineffective or detrimental, even to the point of causing loose joints ( hyper mobility) , instability and poor biomechanics and possible damage to joints, tendons and ligaments…. I frequently see this as a physiotherapist in the clinical setting. It is crucial to have a balance between muscular strength and stability in conjunction with length and flexibility if the muscles and connective tissues.. that being said, the physiological nature ( science behind) stretching is still being widely studied…
static vs dynamic…..
There are different positives and negatives for the two main types of stretching:
The static long hold; this intense of a stretch may hinder one’s athletic performance ( https://www.researchgate.net › 8336…Does Stretching Improve Performance? – ResearchGate ) because the muscle is being over stretched while held in a sustained static position and, once the tension is released, the muscle will tend to tighten up and may actually become weaker than it was! Yes!
In the past, experts recommended that people stretch thoroughly before exercise to limber up their joints. But this is no longer the case. Research has found that holding stretches for 30 seconds or more can actually reduce the power in your muscles, hindering your performance in the workout that follows.
Also, the longer the duration of static stretching, the more exhausted the muscle becomes. This type of stretching has been shown to have negative results on athletic performance within the categories of power and speed.
Static stretching is therefore best avoided before exercise and perhaps used as part of a post exercise cool down and recovery.
However to be able to do usual daily activities, a certain amount of range of motion is needed from each muscle. For example; The calf muscles are one of the muscle groups that have the most need for adequate flexibility since they are deeply related to normal function of the entire leg (right down to the toes) for walking, running and most activities.
The ideal kind of stretching is Dynamic stretching… particularly before you exercise
These are movements that will warm you up without sapping your muscle strength. Dynamic stretches are simple movements that put your muscles and joints through a normal range of motion. Examples include rolling your shoulders, circling your arms up and around, or doing lunges from side to side. If you’re going to be running or playing tennis, you might want to focus on dynamic stretches that use movements similar to those you will be performing during your workout. The beyogalates class format is a great example of combined dynamic stretch and functional strength exercises.
Because it is movement-based, a dynamic stretch may not isolate the muscle group as well or have as intense of a stretch, but it is better at increasing the circulation of blood flow throughout the body, which in turn increases the amount of oxygen able to be used for an athletic performance. This type of stretching has shown better results on athletic performances of power and speed, when compared to static stretching….
It’s important to note that both of these types of stretching , when done properly and in proportionate amounts have been shown to have a positive impact on flexibility over time by increasing muscle and joint elasticity, thus increasing the depth and range of motion for daily life and performance in sport…
In general, to set yourself up for workout success, opt to save static stretching until after you’ve finished your sweat session and instead warm-up with dynamic exercises, which can include arm circles, leg swings and Frankenstein walks, body rolls, warrior poses and others asanas such as salute to the sun.
You could consider incorporating myofascial release—which can be done using a foam roller or tennis ball—before completing a dynamic warm-up to decrease trigger points and knots within muscles, which can help to improve quality of movement and mobility. See the 20 minute full body foam roller in the beyogalates workout page
The stretches we do in BE Yogalates are a balanced combination of both. Static holds in asanas or postures whilst contracting and stabilizing with the opposing muscle. Eg; contracting the butt ( gluteal) in warrior pose whilst stretching the groin and inner thigh ( adductors). A lovely dynamic stretch also involving stabilization is moving in and out of down face fog…
Lots of food for thought here guys! Questions welcome…
See you on the mat
Lisa wilson
