| How to stretch |
| Three things on this page: |
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| Safe
Stretching |
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Some simple rules for safe stretching:
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Warm up first. Warm muscles and
connective tissue respond to stretching better and are expected to
be less prone to injury. |
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Stretch progressively and hold the
stretch. Stretch smoothly and progressively, holding at the extreme
limit for 10-20 seconds. This is 'static' stretching. |
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Don't 'bounce'. Stretching, like
weight or resistance training, should be steady. NEVER stretch fast
and NEVER 'bounce' to extend the movement (this is sometimes called
'dynamic stretching'). Both cause the stretched muscle to contract
in what's called a 'stretch reflex', and that in turn can cause torn
or muscle or damaged joints. |
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Stretch muscles, not joints. In
general, stretching should be felt in the muscles, not within the
joints. Overextending joints can damage ligaments that hold the joint
together and weaken the joint. |
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Make sure there's a way back. Never rely on the stretched
muscle alone to get you back to a relaxed position. That's especially
important if your body weight is contributing to the stretch. The
reason is that if you overstretch or pull a muscle slightly, the
last thing you want to do is put it under tension. Always make sure
either that simply ceasing to stretch takes the tension off immediately
(true for al the exercises on these pages), or that there's another
support. For example, if you're using body weight to stretch groin
and quadriceps, make sure you can use your arms for support.
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| Warm-up
or increased range? |
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Stretching can have two different functions; part of regular warm-up
and mobilisation, or deliberate increase in range of movement. The principal
difference between the two is that the first exercises the current range
of movement, while the second attempts to go beyond it. The same exercises
do both. But the approach is slightly different: warm-up stops just short
of mild discomfort; stretching for increased range of movement goes right
up to the point of discomfort.
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| Warm up |
Stretch slowly to the point just before
mild discomfort, hold for 10-20 seconds and relax. Repeat (typically)
three times for each exercise. |
| Extending range of movement. |
Stretch as above, but take the stretch
up to the point of mild discomfort, felt in the main part of
the muscle under stretch. Hold for 10-20 seconds, and relax; repeat
(typically) three times for each muscle.
Usually, a stretched muscle feels slightly uncomfortable but then
relaxes slightly so the discomfort or stretch feeling reduces. In
extending fexibility, stretch slightly further to keep the feeling
of mild discomfort for the full 10-0 seconds. |
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| Active
and Passive stretching |
| In active stretching, an athlete is active
in their own stretching, using one set of muscles to stretch another (usually
agonist/antagonist pairs, like bicep and tricep). This is largely the only
way you can stretch alone, though equipment (especially walls and doorframes!)
can help. But with a partner, or supervisor, you can stretch passively;
the partner can do the work while the athlete simply lets the muscles relax.
Both are effective, though in general passive stretching increases the number
of stretches available and can add to the range of movement. The same rules
apply for safety in passive stretching, though because one partner is doing
the work and the other feels the stretch, the partner doing the work has
to take a lot of care not to overstretch the stretchee. |
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