Ahhh, stretching. That thing that feels so good, but no one has time for.
As a Fitness Professional, I’ve witnessed countless times when folks work their butts off in class, sweating and strengthening, and then disappear before the end (citing ‘lack of time’) avoiding the post-workout cool-down and stretch. The last part of the workout is sacrificed by a perception that it is less necessary. (I’d argue that it’s not ‘lack of time’, but ‘lack of time-management’ that’s truly the culprit, but hey…) Hence the second part of my career as Massage Therapist - stretching people back out, after they have contracted themselves into a state of pain and injury. We can get away with the perception that stretching is unnecessary for only so long (usually our 30’s), until our bodies become less elastic and start to give us musculo-skeletal clues that a lifetime of contraction without extension isn’t beneficial. Joint issues, imbalances, uneven tendon and ligament wear and tear, low back pain and more all stem from a lack of elasticity and length in the tissues. Although you’ll probably never be able to put your leg behind your head again like you did when you were 8, boosting your flexibility will make life activities more easy and fluid, enhance balance and increase active range of motion.
What is stretching? For the purpose of this post, I’ll define it as an activity or movement that returns a part of the body to a lengthened and extended resting position. For example after sitting for many hours at a computer our hip flexors (muscles that bring our leg toward our chest) have been held in a shortened position. Because they attach to our anterior lumbar vertebrae, if they are not lengthened back out, we increase the risk of low back pain.
How does it benefit us? More flexible tissues allows our life more lightness and ease. It’s wonderful to have the shoulder mobility to reach backwards for something, or lift our foot up to clamber over a boulder on a hike without worrying about it. Stretching creates more mobility around joint, reducing wear and tear and the risk of injury. Decreased pain and tightness during activities, and increased reach and ability ripples out into our life, reducing our stress levels and boosting our health span.
Why is stretching so uncomfortable? You may be overdoing it. The discomfort comes from pain receptors in the muscle when it is overstretched. Muscles are also attached to tendons and tendons should not stretch, so being aware of how to address stretching correctly and safely is important. Dehydration can also be a factor. (see my previous post).
How do I stretch pleasurably? Warm up a bit first. Think of your muscles like uncooked spaghetti. Cooked spaghetti is much more mobile. Even 5 minutes of movement will increase the metabolism in the muscle and move some blood through. Irrigated and warm tissues are pliable and more willing to accept length. Use the idea of green-, yellow-, and red-flag pain markers. Move yourself slowly into the yellow-flag stretchy-discomfort feeling, and then slow down your breath to access your calming parasympathetic nervous system. Don’t let yourself go into red-flag pain - your muscles will contract to protect themselves. Moving slowly bypasses the muscle spindle reflex - a reflexive contraction in your muscles that protects from damage due to a sudden unexpected lengthening. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds. Stretch after your work out, it’s not so important before.
