With the recent popularity of yoga and Pilates, the flexibility or stretching component of fitness has come into the spotlight.
It seems as though a person should not give up until they are able to bend over backwards and touch the floor or be able to do the splits. But for everyday folks is this type and degree of stretching or flexibility really necessary? How much IS enough, when do you do it, why do you do it, and for how long?
First, let's define what flexibility is, then look at the different benefits of stretching, and finally, examine how to achieve the appropriate level of flexibility.
The definition of flexibility is the full range of motion of a joint achieved through normal extensibility of all surrounding soft tissues. Even though we typically think of flexibility as the distance our muscles will stretch, what is really being measured is the mobility of the joint and the surrounding soft tissues and muscles that allow this movement.
Dynamic functional, relative flexibility
This leads to dynamic functional flexibility, which refers to how much control the body has over its current level of flexibility. Meaning, it is not going to do a person any good to dramatically increase their flexibility if they do not have the neurological control and muscular strength to prevent injury.
Consider this scenario, a tennis player works hard to increase the flexibility in his legs so that he can get to more balls. If he does not also work to increase the strength of his hip and gluteal stabilizers, he is much more likely to roll his ankle or twist his knee due to increased mobility at those joints.
Finally, there is relative flexibility. This refers to the body's ability to seek the path of least resistance and to compensate during movements. For example, when a person squats down and their toes automatically turn out. This is compensation due to tight calf muscles which will then create poor ankle (dorsiflexion) mobility.
Stretching
Now that you know what flexibility is, let's examine some of the benefits of training to increase your flexibility. The most common way to increase flexibility is through stretching. People stretch for many different reasons, including, warming up muscles, improving athletic performance, "cooling down" the body, correcting muscular imbalances, decreasing pain and the risk of injuries.
Also, stretching can play a big part in stress management and relaxation. Different modes of stretching are better suited than others for each of the above components.
Static stretching is probably the most familiar of all stretching techniques and is believed to have the lowest risk of injury. It involves taking a muscle to the end range of motion and holding there.
Studies have shown that 30 seconds to 1 minute of statically stretching a muscle provide the optimum amount of flexibility. The reason that static stretching is so popular is that it is safe, can be done anywhere, and does not require any equipment.
It also has a very calming effect on the body and is best suited as a "cool down." Static stretching is not the ideal form of stretching for warming up as it causes a decrease in muscular activation immediately following the stretch.
DROM stretching
Another form of stretching that works very well is dynamic range of motion (DROM). This form of stretching involves lengthening a muscle fully in a slow and controlled manner.
An example of this would be swinging the arms horizontally front to back at a controlled pace. Stretching this way is ideal for "warming-up" muscles before exercise. This is because DROM stretching increases nerve impulse transmission as well as the force of the contraction within the muscle.
Due to the above, DROM has been shown to improve athletic performance (sprinters doing quick knee lifts before a race). Stretching dynamically after a workout is beneficial, too. Due to the rhythmic movements, more blood is brought to the area and more lactic acid pumped out resulting in a decrease in delayed onset muscle soreness.
Foam rolling
A relatively new form of stretching which is especially good at correcting muscle imbalances is self-myofascial release or foam rolling. This form of flexibility training works on the body's connective tissue rather than the muscles specifically.
Sometimes, when the muscles and fascia (connective tissue) sustain an injury they do not recover properly. Instead, they develop an adhesion between each other that will limit the muscle's ability to elongate. Foam rolling will help to break up the adhesions and restore the muscle's normal extensibility.
From die-hard exercisers to relaxation junkies, flexibility training should play a part in anyone's life. If preparing the body for exercise and decreasing soreness is your primary reason for stretching, dynamic range of motion is an ideal stretch for you.
It will warm the muscles and keep the joints mobile. If your focus is relaxation, static stretching would be more appropriate. There is very little risk of injury and it can be done anywhere. If your muscles are chronically tight and posture is being affected you should implement foam rolling into your program. Whichever form of stretching you choose, make sure that you seek the help of a qualified professional to ensure that you are doing it correctly.
Bob Bozarth is a Personal Trainer Certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He is also the owner of Move Forwa[[In-content Ad]]
