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Not only does stretching feel good, it also helpsrelieve aches and painsand increases flexibility and mobility.
In other words, stretching is averyimportant part of any fitness routine.
And, who better to help with this than a professional stretcher?
vice president of education atStretchLab
you could probably guess a couple of them, but others are somewhat surprising.
You have improper technique
Correct stretching technique is everything.
Muscles are oriented and targeted based on the direction the fibers run, Martinez explains.
Therefore, the angle of your leg/foot or arm could mean you miss out on the benefits.
Proper technique involves having the right stabilization point and body parts anchored, which creates leverage, Martinez says.
It pays to be intentional with how youre moving and placing your body.
He emphasizes that stretching should never be painful.
It is important to build your tolerance to stretch over time, he says.
With continued practice, your bodys nervous system will calm down and adapt to the stretch.
vice president of education atStretchLab
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How to avoid it:The key is to pay attention to how your body feels.
He suggests imagining an intensity scale ranging from zero (no stretch) to 10 (pain).
For small muscles, such as wrists and neck, aim for a three-to-five stretch.
Your aiming point on the scale will start to lower as you progress as your body adapts to stretching.
Youre holding the stretch too long
When it comes to stretching, more isnt necessarily better.
The right timing is essential.
The American College of Sports Medicine suggests holding static stretches for just15 to 30 seconds1.
This duration allows enough time to create adaptations and changes in the muscle, says Martinez.
After one minute, we see the adaptations/changes are not as pronounced.
How to avoid it:ensure you keep track of time.
As you gain mastery, you could use your breath to help you count, Martinez says.
Youre stretching injured muscles
Injuries require ample rest and recovery time.
Still, were sometimes tempted to power through it and stretch the injured muscle anyway.
Martinez says this is a big mistake.
Injured muscles should not be stretched, he says.
YouTube is a gold mine of stretching sessions.
Feeling tense from slouching at your gear all day?
Try aneight-minute head, neck, and shoulder stretch.
Need apost-workout full-body stretchor acool-down stretch after a good run?
Just hit play and get your stretch on.
Current concepts in muscle stretching for exercise and rehabilitation.International journal of sports physical therapyvol.
7,1 (2012): 109-19.
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