Download Be Fit Challenge Flexibility and Stretching By

Be Fit Challenge
Flexibility and Stretching
By Christopher F. Geiser MS, PT, LAT, ATC
Program Director Athletic Training/Clinical Assistant Professor, Marquette University
No area of a fitness routine is as misunderstood as the topic of flexibility and stretching.
Perhaps this stems from the inaccurate portrayal of stretching in popular movies or
television, or perhaps misconceptions dating to 1950’s physical education classes or athletic
participation persist. Whatever the origins of our thoughts on stretching, many people fail to
perform these exercises at the correct time or with the correct technique or intensity, putting
themselves at risk for decreases in performance or worse, injury.
Why is flexibility important?
Flexibility exercises maintain or improve our joint and muscular range-of-motion (ROM).
When we perform strengthening or cardiovascular exercise, our muscles and joints work in a
very specific part of their ROM. Muscles and joints will respond to these repeated
movements by shortening to that specific range. Slowly the ability to move into the ranges
beyond the specific movements of your activity are lost, resulting in a loss of function or,
when we start new activities with new range requirements, injury. A properly performed
flexibility program helps maintain the physiologic ROM that your joints and muscles are
capable of.
When should flexibility exercises be performed?
Very often, static stretching exercises – those stretches held in place for longer periods of
time – are confused with a pre-activity “warm-up”. Warm-up activities are done with a goal
of increasing blood flow to the muscles and readying the muscles for activity. By their very
nature “warm-up” activities need to involve movement, work, and have a cardiovascular
component to them. Therefore, flexibility exercises do not accomplish that needed warm-up,
and can actually decrease muscle performance if done just prior to maximally strenuous
activities. Think of trying to stretch a piece of plastic wrap when it is cold versus when has
been warmed over a bowl in the microwave. The same is true of your muscles – they will
elongate much more effectively when warm versus cold.
Flexibility exercises are most effective when performed after your cardiovascular or
strengthening activities – when the muscles are done working and have lots of warmth and
good blood flow for stretching. The time that your body is cooling from activity is the most
effective time to statically elongate your muscles and joints. If you maintain the length of a
muscle while it is cooling, it will retain that length to a much greater degree throughout the
rest of the day. One of the worst habits we get into with our busy lives is finishing a workout,
and hopping directly in the car to ride home. In the seated “car” position, most of our key
muscle groups are in a shortened position, and will maintain that short length after we cool.
How should flexibility exercises be
performed?
To maintain flexibility, static stretches should
be held for a minimum of 30 seconds. There
is some evidence that longer than 30
seconds will help improve motion a bit
more, but the returns diminish after the 30
second mark – less “bang for your buck” if,
like most of us, your time is at a premium. A
stretch should never be aggressive or
painful, and should barely feel like a
“stretch” per se. Stretching any harder than
this results in microscopic fiber tears, which
will contract shorter as they heal and result
in motion loss, defeating the purpose of
stretching in the first place. The stretch
must place tension on the tissues to
convince them to lengthen without
surpassing their damage point.
You should move into the stretch until you
feel “tension” in the targeted muscle group,
then commence your long hold of 30
seconds or more. When finished, the return
movement should also be gentle and slow.
Stretches should continue during the entire
cool down period, switching to different
muscle groups throughout. One stretch of
each muscle group has been shown effective
in maintaining muscle and joint ROM,
although if your goal is to increase your
flexibility, you will have to come back to the
stretches numerous (4-8) times per day.
Which stretches are most important?
All muscles benefit from gentle elongation
after activity. When time is at a premium,
emphasize the key muscle groups as you
cool down. The key muscle groups are listed
and illustrated for you. Pictured are two
ways to stretch the given muscle group – in
most pictures, one way is for when standing
or upright, the other for when sitting. Brief
descriptions of the key points of each stretch
are included.
Quadriceps
Hold the foot behind you keeping knees together
– pull knee backward or foot to your rear end
until stretch is felt in front of thigh.
Hamstrings
Keeping your back straight, lean your chest straight
forward until stretch is felt in your hamstrings. Keep
your opposite hip facing forward while doing this.
Hip Flexors
Keep your rear end tucked under you and your belly “in”. Don’t arch your back as you move the
hip forward.
Gluteals
Hold the knee with one hand and with the other pull the ankle gently towards you. If sitting,
cross one leg over, then gently lean forward.
Groin
Sitting: pull feet together toward you and keep back straight up. If needed lean forward slightly.
Standing: bend one knee to shift stretch to the opposite groin.
Calf Muscles
Keep toes pointed straight toward the bench. Keep arch from dropping on the inside (raise arch
up). Bring knee forward to create stretch in calf.
Technique is important in every stretch to ensure that the desired muscle group is elongated
without undue stress to surrounding ligamentous and cartilaginous structures. If you have questions
about the accuracy of your technique, please consult with an athletic trainer or physical therapist.