How you stretch, why you stretch, and when you stretch are the keys to making stretching work for you. Stretching before physical activity improves flexibility, enhances athletic performance, and decreases the risk of activity-based injuries.
The more flexible you are when you exercise the more protected you are against injury by helping your joints move through their full range of motion. If a tendon is not stretched out, you could increase your risk of tendinopathy or tendinitis. When you adequately stretch out your muscles, tendons, and ligaments, you decrease the risk of microtrauma to your body’s structures and avoid overload and injury.
The Benefits of Stretching
- Helps prevents muscular aches, pains, and cramping
- Reduces the possibility of muscular soreness and fatigue over the next few days
- Decreases the possibility of causing structural injury
- Helps with relaxation
- Increases the muscle, tendon, and ligament effectiveness of movement
Tips to Remember
1) Focus on the right muscle groups. Know your sport and know which muscles you use most during the activity. Your emphasis should be on those muscles that are most used during the physical activity
2) Learn about your sport. Whether you are participating in an organized team sport or just running on the treadmill at the gym, it is vital that you understand which muscles will be worked in order to best stretch them out.
3) Warm up before you stretch. This might sound ridiculous but you should do some easy walking or a light job for a few minutes prior to warming up your muscles. This will make your stretching session go smoother and be of more value to you.
4) Go slowly when you stretch. Don’t worry about touching your toes right at the start. Give your muscles time to get used to the stretching by beginning slowly and pushing yourself after your structures loosen up. If stretching is painful, it means your pushing too hard.
5) Always hold the stretch. Once you start you will feel your muscles reaching their limit. When this limited is reached, hold the position and count to ten. Then push just a little farther and again hold and count to ten.
6) Don’t rush or cheat on your stretching routine. This is an important thing to remember. Even if you have to cut your workout short or are not going to do that much during physical play, you still need to stretch.
7) Always stretch out after you are done. Once your physical activity is over, be sure to do some stretching. This is a good way to cool down and improve your flexibility. Remember, flexibility is necessary for injury prevention.
8) Don’t bounce when you stretch. It is best to avoid bouncing and instead, hold the stretch. This will produce a constant pull on the structures and prevent injuries.
9) Don’t neglect one side. Always, always, always stretch both sides of your body. Whether you are right or left-handed, you still need flexibility in both upper arms. This goes for the lower extremities, too.
10) Stretch all the major leg muscle groups. The legs are used in most physical activity and sports. These muscles include the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, groin, and hip flexors.
11) Seek out professional help. Whether it is a coach, a trainer, or a gym teacher, ask someone to show you the right way to stretch for your activity. Once you have some knowledge and get used to a routine, you can be on your own.
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