Stretching and mobility exercises are not exclusive to the gymnast or the dancer — I’m here to tell you everyone should be doing it.
Stretching helps build the flexibility in your muscles and the range of motion in your joints. If you don’t regularly stretch, your muscles shorten and become tight. Then when you come to do physical activity they are in a weaker state and unable to extend properly, and that’s when you are at risk of joint pain, strains and muscle damage.
For example, sitting in a chair all day results in tight hamstrings in the back of the thigh. That can make it harder to extend your leg or straighten your knee all the way, which may inhibit walking and certainly won’t prepare you for a bout of strenuous exercise. Movements that suddenly involve the muscle being stretched can then lead to joint injuries.
If you regularly stretch it keeps the muscles long and flexible, and healthy muscles also aid better balance.
Greater mobility is important to achieve because as you age your muscles will shorten and tighten. Keeping active with a good range of motion is one way to keep the effects of ageing at bay.
Where to start
With all the muscles you have in your body, and having to do it regularly, it may seem a bit overwhelming at first. But you don’t necessarily have to stretch every muscle you have. I recommend you start with the muscles and joints critical for mobility:
- Lower body — calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes and quadriceps
- Upper body — shoulders, neck and lower back, as these could influence your posture, which could affect your spine
Try stretching in these areas and see how you feel.
When to stretch
We used to believe that stretching as a warm-up or before physical activity had benefits, but research has shown that it can damage your muscles.
“When everything is cold, the fibres aren’t prepared and may be damaged. If you exercise first, you’ll get blood flow to the area, and that makes the tissue more pliable and amenable to change.”
— David Nolan, physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital
Warm your muscles up properly first. You just need to do light activity for 5–10 minutes, and then stretching after you work out will help relax your muscles.
Hold a stretch for 30 seconds. Don’t bounce, which can cause injury. You’ll feel tension during a stretch, but you should not feel pain.
Different methods
There are many different types of stretching. Here are just a couple of common ones.
Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching consists of movements with a progressive range of motion each time. For example, this could be 10 leg swings on each leg — a kickboxer or Taekwondo fighter might end up doing them at head height by the end. The muscles gradually lengthen over a series of movements.
Dynamics mimic the exercise you’re about to do, so they get a lot of use within sport. You can adapt this in the gym by doing your first set of each exercise with just the bar, or the lightest weight you can find. This will keep the muscles nice and warm, preventing muscular injury.
Static stretching
Static stretching is a stretch that is held for up to 30 seconds at the point of getting tight. You then release the stretch, take a short break, and return to the next set, stretching slightly further.
More recent research has suggested that those who want to improve the flexibility of their muscles should only stretch to 30% of their maximum range, holding this for 1 minute, with a minute’s rest between stretches, repeated for 3 sets. The downside is that it takes a long time to stretch one muscle group.
If you’d like help building stretching and mobility into your training, get in touch.