In recent years, a lot of attention has been paid to whether stretching before exercising actually helps prevent injury. While the majority of health experts seem to think that stretching neither helps prevent injury nor increases a person’s risk of injury, stretching incorrectly does lead to injury. To make sure your stretching routine doesn’t leaves your body in a vulnerable position, exercise enthusiasts should keep these seven tips in mind.
Stretching and Flexibility are not Synonymous
Even though these two terms are often thought to be interchangeable, they actually refer to two separate concepts. Flexibility refers to a joint’s range of motion, while stretching is a form of exercise that leads to increased flexibility. How flexible a person depends on their muscles and connective tissues, such as ligaments and tendons, and stretching trains those parts of the body to have an increased range of motion.
Everyone’s Optimal Flexibility is Different
Since flexibility determines the range of motion in the joints, the flexibility of a person should depend on what activities they engage in on a regular basis. For example, someone who plays baseball needs more flexibility in their shoulders than someone who runs a lot, just as someone who dances needs more flexibility in their legs than a cyclists. Even engaging in certain household chores, such as cutting the law, vacuuming the floor, or putting away groceries, requires a certain range of flexibility.
If you find certain muscles you frequently use in your daily activities too tight, than you need to start stretching more often to loosen these areas in order to prevent injury or pain. However, you don’t want to be too flexible either, as muscles that are too loose can cause joint instability and dislocation. Overly flexible individuals should start a resistance training regimen to strengthen their joints and muscles.
Only Static Stretch at the Correct Time
A static stretch involves the slow stretching and holding of a muscle until you reach its end position. This is the type of stretching most people are familiar with, and is usually done before working out. But this is actually a huge mistake. Stretching routines such as bending down to touch your toes before running or stretching your arms behind your back to stretch out the chest prior to lifting weights can actually hurt performance and increase your risk of injury.
Stretching your muscles prior to working out can cause the muscles to become overly elastic, which then forces the muscle to work harder in order to generate enough power to complete the movement. This can cause your muscles to become overtaxed, leading to muscles strain and injury.
Static stretching isn’t bad, however, and can be one of the safest forms of stretching. It just shouldn’t be done prior to working out. Most health experts recommend incorporating static stretching as part of a cool-down routine, as once your muscles are warm there is less risk of injury.
Use Dynamic Movement to Warm-Up
The best types of warm-ups to use prior to exercising involve dynamic movements that are similar to the type of exercise you are about to engage in. For example, if you’re about to go for a five-mile run, try warming up by slowly walking and gradually picking up speed for roughly five minutes. Other examples of dynamic movements include: jumping jacks, skipping rope, walking lunges, and arm circles. These types of activities will slowly begin to raise your heart rate and increase your body temperature prior to beginning your workout.
Don’t Overstretch
When you do decide to stretch, make sure you don’t overextend your muscles. Only hold a stretch to a point where it’s still comfortable. Stretching past the point of comfort does not help improve your flexibility and could cause you to seriously damage your muscles. Most stretches should only be held for roughly 15 seconds.
You’re Not a Ball, so Don’t Bounce
A common mistake among many beginning stretchers, bouncing while stretching (known as a ballistic stretch) creates a vigorous amount of momentum, which can make it difficult to control how hard and far you push a particular stretching motion. Since pushing your muscles past the point they should go is a recipe for injury, most people should avoid using ballistic stretching unless otherwise advised by a personal trainer or health professional.
A Little Research Goes a Long Way
If you have any questions about your stretching techniques, consult a professional to ensure your routine’s safety. As a good rule of thumb, individuals who engage in stretching should follow the guidelines established by the American College of Sports Medicine.
Timothy Lemke blogs about successful health practices for Dr. Donald Lanahan, a dentist Grants Pass OR residence have known since 1982.