Is stretching important? You bet it is.When done properly,
stretching has many benefits.
Is stretching important? You bet it is.When done properly, stretching has many benefits.
In addition to flexibility, which keeps the range of motion (ability to move) in the joints, the benefits include the following:
• Better physical fitness
• Enhanced ability to learn and perform skilled movements
• Increased mental and physical relaxation
• Reduced risk of injury to joints, muscles and tendons
• Less muscle soreness and tension
• Increased limberness in the joints due to the stimulation of chemicals that moisten the tissues
There are many different kinds of flexibility. Having a lot of movement in one joint does not mean that you will have the same amount of movement in all your joints.
Flexibility is affected by many factors, both internal and external. Reasons within the body include things such as the type of joint (i.e. the shoulder, the elbow, the knee or the hip), bone structure, amount of muscle mass, excess fatty tissue and how pliable your connective tissue is.
Outside influences on flexibility may be contingent on the temperature (it is easier to stretch in a warmer environment), the time of day (most people can stretch further in the afternoon), injuries that have been sustained to a particular joint, age (children are typically more flexible than adults), gender (women generally have more flexibility than men) and restriction of range of motion due to clothing or equipment.
A common question people have is “when is the best time to stretch?” Should you stretch in the morning when you first wake up? What about before a workout? After a workout?
The answer is that stretching can be done anytime after a proper warm up. Contrary to popular belief, stretching itself is not a warm up. The fact of the matter is a warm up is just that – increasing the temperature of the muscles by two to three degrees.
This is done by doing any sort of aerobic exercise. This type of movement enhances the motion of the joint by moistening it with fluid (known as synovial fluid) and allows it to function more easily.
Warming up the right way can actually improve performance. On the other hand, if you don’t do this properly or don’t do it at all, you can significantly increase your risk of injury.
Stretching can be done through different methods. Some are more of a bouncing maneuver (referred to as ballistic stretching). But you are more likely to be injured using this form of stretching because it does not allow the muscle to adjust to the position.
Dynamic stretching uses a slower and more controlled motion that maximizes your full range of motion more gently.
Active and passive stretching, which are also slow and steady movements, are safe and beneficial. Active stretching is assuming a position without any help from an outside force, and passive stretching involves help from someone or something else, applying pressure to the muscle being stretched.
Isometric stretches are a type of static stretching, involving no motion while holding the position for 10 to 15 seconds. The stretch is done by tensing the muscles.
There are multiple ways of stretching, but regardless of what kind you do, it is possible for the muscles of the joint to become too flexible. The looser your muscles get, the less stability they give to the adjacent joints.
Once a muscle reaches its maximum length, trying to push it further could also result in injury, because there is undue stress on the ligaments (tissue that attaches bone to bone) and the tendons (tissue that attaches muscle to bone).
Ligaments will tear if they stretch more than six percent of their normal length, and tendons are not supposed to stretch at all.
Ideally, a stretch should be muscle-specific. It is best to isolate the muscle you want to work on. In general, the fewer muscles you stretch at one time, the better.
In addition, proper breathing control is essential for a successful stretch. Breathing correctly helps to relax the body, increases blood flow throughout the body and aids in the removal of the by-products of exercise.
In general, stretching is a necessary part of any workout. Not only does it have a host of benefits for the body, it also just feels good – the best reason of all to stretch.
Karen Frost is the Wellness Director for Gold’s Gym of Morgan Hill. She holds a Master of Arts degree from New York University in Physical Education and is certified by the American Council on Exercise as a Personal Trainer and a Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant.
