You already know that stretching is essential. It improves flexibility and mobility (one of many key parts of health) and reduces the danger of damage. And if you happen to don’t stretch, the muscle tissue can shorten and change into tight, which might restrict your vary of movement and put you in danger for joint ache or a pulled muscle.
However stretching is just helpful if it’s carried out appropriately. There are a number of frequent stretching errors that may result in the precise reverse of what you’re on the lookout for, reminiscent of damage and inflexibility. Listed here are eight pitfalls to keep away from so you may enhance your flexibility and your exercises.
1. You’re Doing the Fallacious Sort of Stretching
There are two foremost forms of stretching: static and dynamic. Static stretching is what you most likely bear in mind from gymnasium class: steadily stretching a muscle and holding a pose for about 30 seconds. Whereas it is a nice technique to settle down from a exercise or enhance common flexibility, analysis means that static stretching earlier than a energy exercise may very well trigger a lower in efficiency.
“Throughout a warm-up, you wish to do dynamic stretching, which reinforces muscle activation and prepares muscle tissue to be highly effective via a full vary of movement,” says Trevor Thieme, CSCS. Dynamic stretches embody lunges, trunk rotations, leg swings, and leaping rope.
For the post-exercise “cool-down” interval, you may concentrate on static stretching to loosen up the muscle tissue and launch stress. “Each forms of stretching might help improve mobility,” Thieme says. “However one excites muscle tissue whereas the opposite calms them down.”
2. You’re Bouncing Whereas Stretching
Utilizing momentum from bouncing to power a muscle to stretch previous its regular vary (a.ok.a. ballistic stretching) could really feel prefer it’s serving to you enhance your vary of movement. However as an alternative of loosening the muscle, any such fast stretching motion can truly trigger the muscle tissue to tighten — a contraction often called the myotatic reflex or “stretch reflex.” This may result in accidents like muscle or tendon tears, Thieme says.
3. You’re Stretching Injured Muscle groups
Stretching injured muscle tissue is “a giant no-no,” Thieme warns. Muscle strains usually occur when a muscle is stretched past its restrict, so stretching it additional can irritate the damage. As a substitute, use the POLICE protocol (safety, optimum loading, ice, compression, and elevation) to assist the muscle heal.
4. You’re Overstretching
Whereas some discomfort is to be anticipated, it is best to by no means be in ache whereas stretching. “Overstretching may end up in muscle strains or extreme neural stress [stretching of the nerves],” says Lindsay Sudell, MOT, OTR/L, CFSS-3, CPT of Merely Stretch LA.
Overstretching also can result in hypermobility, “which is when a joint is simply too free and thus unstable,” Thieme says. Know your limits if you’re stretching, and don’t power your self to transcend them.
5. You’re Not Stretching Constantly
It’s going to take various sporadic stretching periods to realize the pliability of a gymnast. Ideally, your stretching periods must be reasonable and frequent relatively than intense and occasional.
“So as to obtain bodily, everlasting change, stretching should be constant for six to eight weeks,” says Sudell.
6. You’re Rushing Via Your Stretches
“Folks typically don’t stretch for the suitable period of time,” explains Sudell. She recommends aiming for 30 seconds or much less for pre-exercise stretches. For post-workout static stretching, intention to carry every stretch for a minimum of 60 seconds.
7. You’re Not Doing Sport-Particular Stretches
Sport-specific stretches “could be something focused towards actions {that a} specific athlete wants,” Sudell says. For instance, she says, golfers could concentrate on stretches that enhance their spinal rotation and hip mobility, to allow them to hit the ball with maximal energy. Sprinters can heat up with dynamic stretches that simulate operating and explosive actions, like strolling lunges, butt kicks, and excessive knees.
Analysis additionally exhibits that static stretches are higher fitted to athletes who want flexibility (like gymnasts or dancers), whereas dynamic stretches are particularly helpful for individuals who must run or soar (like basketball gamers or runners).
8. You’re Ignoring Your Respiratory
Deep, diaphragmatic respiration “might help loosen up tense muscle tissue, and when paired with stretching, can enable for an excellent deeper stretch with out rising the danger of damage,” Thieme says.
As well as, respiration enhances the therapeutic impact of stretching, Sudell says. Analysis exhibits that diaphragmatic respiration can assist the physique recuperate after an intense exercise. The correct technique to breathe throughout a stretch is to slowly inhale via the nostril, maintain for a second, then launch the breath via both the mouth or nostril, retaining the diaphragm and stomach tender and relaxed.
