Stretch It Out: Unlock the Power of Flexibility

Stretch It Out: The Power of Safe Flexibility and its many benefits: To Elongate, Release, Unstiffen, Lengthen, Expand, and Make More Pliable

Any and all proper flexibility exercises offer a wide range of benefits, from reducing the chance of injury to promoting circulation and even reducing stress. By understanding the importance of stretching both before and after exercise, you can enhance your overall health and well-being. In this blog, we'll explore the many benefits of stretching, helpful hints for safe stretching, and how to create a more enjoyable stretching experience.

The Importance of Stretching Before and After Exercise

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recommends “Gentle warm-up stretching prior to exercise, which allows muscles to loosen up and become resistant to the impact they are about to undergo, reducing the risk of injury.” https://www.acefitness.org/resources/pros/expert-articles/6387/10-reasons-why-you-should-be-stretching/?fbclid=IwAR322zsh12ATXOK6no8Lvtv2tjTrWyA6KaqlWMWHcE0hdBlMW_S64dx4vzM

Stretch after exercise according to ACE: stretching helps with cool-down if proper breathing is incorporated, reduces muscle stiffness, and increases pliability and range of motion, which in turn can eventually slow down the impact and discomfort of stiffness felt around arthritic and degenerative or chronic joint pain.

Key Benefits of Proper Stretching

Reducing the risk of future injuries: Smart and effective muscular stretching helps maintain flexibility and strength, which can prevent injuries during physical activities.
Relieving post-exercise aches and pains: Gentle stretching after a workout can help reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery.
Addressing postural faults and increasing postural awareness: Targeted stretching can help correct postural imbalances and increase your awareness of proper alignment.
Reducing stress and muscle tension: Well-stretched muscles hold less tension at rest, which can help you feel less overall tightness and reduce stress levels and reduce pain with comprehensive proper total body stretching.
Enhancing muscular relaxation through passive stretching: This type of stretching, which involves using gravity or a helper to stretch the muscles, can reduce muscular tightness and promote relaxation.
Preparing the body for exercise by promoting circulation: Stretching exercises increase blood flow to your muscles, delivering more oxygen and nutrients, and helping to remove toxins and waste products.
Movement-based stretching (Active Assisted or AI) promotes lubrication to the joints which alleviates the pain and stiffness from sedentary joints.
Supporting vascular and lymphatic drainage: Positional stretching and assisted movement and lymphatic massage (not deep) can help improve circulation and encourage the removal of lymph/drainage to assist the ducts. Lymphatics are a vital part of the immune system.
Reducing low back pain, neck pain, and joint pain when guided by a licensed Physical Therapist: Proper stretching techniques can alleviate pain and improve function in these areas.

https://www.riversidecorporatewellness.com/single-post/10-benefits-to-stretching-properly

Helpful Hints for Safe Stretching:

When stretching, always listen to your body and stop if you experience pain, tingling, numbness, or discomfort. Avoid quick or bouncing movements and focus on gentle, targeted stretching. Combine proper breathing techniques for a more effective experience. It's important to work with larger muscle groups first before moving on to smaller ones for better results. If you face any difficulties, consult a professional for guidance.

Creating an Enjoyable Stretching Experience:

Stretching can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience, but it's essential to approach it with care and patience. Remember to breathe deeply and relax into the stretch. If you're a beginner, it might be helpful to work with a partner or seek the assistance of a professional to ensure proper technique.

Be Patient:

The longer the region has been stiff, tight, or painful, the longer it will take to feel and see results. Also, unfortunately, the more the chance that muscles and joints are prone to contractures, which is a different tissue (joint capsule) and may not respond accordingly. So if a joint is not working properly (knee doesn’t bend or straighten all the way, or shoulder won’t elevate completely) then further examination of the joint is warranted. Don’t jam or push into a direction that the body is not allowing. Please contact your doctor or PT to find out more!

Suggestions for helpers or exercise partners:

For those that are stretching a family member or client, have the person describe the sensation and indicate the location of that symptom. Anything that resembles pulling, discomfort, “Ow but a good ow” are all phrases that are good responses. Ranking their pain from 1-10, their symptoms should be below 5 for newer people. When you are targeting a specific muscle be aware of the basic anatomy: look for the sensation of stretch to be in the muscle you are addressing, mainly in the muscle belly, rarely if ever in the tendons. However there are fascial issues and trigger points, so for the inexperienced, it will be difficult to discern. If their response is a variation of other words such as: sharp, burning, drilling, nerve, tingling, or severe aching, the helper should back off because that is not the desired result. Most/newer clients who are tight or in pain are not having fun when exercising. Gentle Range of Motion (ROM) and slow progressive flexibility programs allow these people to be more comfortable and get their muscles into a better resting state and thus more functional as they get used to this. Therefore, even the injured can learn to become more efficient with exercise. Postural awareness and re-education in a quiet seated comfortable position is a good first step. If there are muscle spasms stretching these will not help and should be addressed elsewhere (Another blog coming soon)

In conclusion, stretching is an essential aspect of maintaining good physical health and well-being. By incorporating proper stretching techniques into your daily routine and understanding the numerous benefits it offers, you can improve your overall quality of life and unlock the full potential of flexibility exercises. If you are stretching yourself or someone and not feeling better or unsure, please have a professional help you.

Discover the true impact of stretching on your muscles by watching this insightful TED Talk. Delve deeper into the science behind flexibility and its benefits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1pb2aK2we4

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