Growing up, I have always been heavily involved in sports. After school sports, I would go straight to Rec sports, and then come home to sports on TV, which led to playing competitively in college. One of the things I remember most vividly about going to practice through my whole athletic career was dreading the warm-up. I was never flexible and didn’t see the need in stretching.
Since then, I have realized how important stretching is before you start any form of exercise and how lucky I was to never face any real injuries due my lack of stretching. Stretching keeps your muscles strong and healthy. Starting your workout by pushing the flexibility of your muscles will prevent your muscles from being short, tight, and more prone to injury. This way, you get your muscles warm and ready for any sudden movements you may take while working out. Stretching protects you from joint pain, strains and other muscle damage.
Unfortunately, just because you start stretching today doesn’t mean you will be able to touch your toes tomorrow, but you are already on the right track. A great way to start adding stretching into your routine is to enroll in a few yoga classes. This is one of the best ways to start because an instructor will walk you through exactly what you should be doing and how long you should be holding the poses for. I know that yoga sometimes can be skipped as an ‘exercise’ class, but it is great for both stretching and strength. Have you ever tried to hold downward dog for a whole 90 seconds? You will feel the burn, trust me.
Many people who are stretching are not getting the full effect because they are not holding the stretch for a long enough time. Most stretches, especially in kid’s sports, when the muscles are really still growing, are being held for 10-30 seconds. To really get the full stretch, they should be held for 60-90 seconds. During this time, you will feel a release of the muscle, truly stretching it, but it is not long enough to over stretch or pull the muscle.
Your muscle tissue is made up of 20% elastin and 80% collagen. That elastin will spring back to the way it was before the stretch in minutes and expose you to injury again. That is why it is important to stretch in between exercises or before you go back in the game from the bench. That part of your muscles takes about 30-90 seconds to stretch. Collagen, that other 80% of the muscle tissue, is the second part released in the stretch. This part stays stretched through-out our workout, but takes longer to stretch initially. Because of this, you want to make sure you are taking the time to really do a big stretch before you start your workout.
Another important thing to talk about when stretching is holding versus bouncing. When lunging or doing a simple butterfly stretch, don’t bounce. We all know it is tempting, but you really just want to hold the stretch in one place. A true stretch aims to rehydrate the muscle tissue and enable good nutrients to flow through your body. We want the knots of your muscles to become fluid again, helping you move. Each time you bounce your leg or body, the process starts over to release the pressure from your muscle. The Release Connection compares this to boiling an egg. It takes 3-5 minutes for a hard-boiled egg to change from a liquid to a solid. If you keep taking the egg out and putting it back into the boiling water before it becomes solid, it is going to make the process that much longer. It is hard to hit moving muscles just as it is hard to boil an egg without it being in boiling water.
Of course, stretching is important to start any activity, but it is just as important to end your day with it. Even just sitting at your desk all day can make your hamstrings tight and make it harder for you to extend your legs. Everyone needs a little work break during the day, take five minutes every hour or two to get up, touch your toes, stretch out your calves, and get your hamstrings moving a little.
Be patient with your stretches, focus, relax, and breathe. Stretching helps your body as much as it helps your mind. Make dedicated stretching time to clear your head and destress. Allow stretching to help you! Be open.
