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I’d be willing to bet that you don’t spend too much time
stretching. Do you? First of all, let me state that I, myself, have never been
mistaken for Gumby (or Stretch Armstrong for those of you who are a
bit older). And no, time for stretching is not inked (or even
penciled) into my daily planner. Regardless, let me share with you some
of my tips and strategies for stretching enough to keep serious
complications at bay.
WHAT
ARE THE BENEFITS OF STRETCHING?
The benefits of stretching are numerous. As a Doctor of Chiropractic
Rehabilitation, I would say that up to about 85% of the patients I treat
for biomechanical pain and dysfunction could have prevented or delayed
their condition with proper stretching. I even tell my patients this. I
give them information that would decrease my patient treatments
by 85%, but very few listen to me.
A tight muscle can, in and of itself, cause pain. I can't begin to count
the number of patients who have told me that they have 'a pinched
nerve,' when their pain really came from a hypertonic (tight) muscle. In
other words, a tight muscle can really hurt. Once a muscle has been
tight long enough, scar tissue can form in an effort to permanently
‘fuse' the muscle in its new, shortened position. This happens,
essentially, to preserve energy.
Because it takes ATP (cellular energy) to cause a muscle to contract
(shorten), it would be more energy efficient to fuse that muscle into
position with what is essentially scar tissue. Stretching can prevent
this cycle of events from ever beginning. That scar tissue, once formed,
is tough to get rid off. A manual therapy does exist that can be very
effective at ridding the muscle of this anted tissue, however, it can be
rather painful. As any of my patients who have had me perform this
therapy on them will tell you, it’s much easier to prevent the problem
in the first place.
Stretching can do wonders for preventing injuries. As you could imagine,
if you take a tight muscle and stretch it to what should be its maximum
length, you could very well suffer a muscle strain or tear. This is
especially true if one does so rapidly, as occurs when running sprints.
More than one bodybuilder I was working with has torn a hamstring
running sprints to get ready for a contest. I now screen these athletes
for tight hamstrings and prescribe some prophylactic stretching in order
to prevent these types of injuries. Knock on wood; I haven't had another
contest athlete tear a ham. The moral of the story is that tight muscles
tend to tear easily.
For those of you interested in building
muscle, you should know that research shows that stretching actually
increases the size of a muscle by causing it to lay down new muscle
tissue at the ends of the muscle, consequently lengthening the muscle.
This would give the muscle larger and fuller look to it, especially when
flexed.
Maintaining proper flexibility of the muscles around a joint will help to
ensure that the joint functions in a biomechanically correct manner,
thus avoiding premature wear-and-tear. When the muscles on one side of a
joint are tight and shortened, they cause misalignment and improper
articulation, thus leading to premature wear and tear.
WHEN
SHOULD YOU STRETCH?
It was originally thought that it would help to prevent injuries by
stretching before a workout. Recent studies show that this is most
likely not the case. For maximum safety and effectiveness, it's best to
stretch after a light warm-up and/or at the end of your workout.
Although it may not prevent injuries like we used to think, I still like
to lightly stretch before my weight-training workouts and after a total
body warm-up. I simply feel better during my workouts after doing so.
Regardless, no one would argue that one of the best times to stretch is
immediately after your workout. In essence, you have just spent an hour
tightening up your muscles; now loosen them up by stretching. Leaving
them tight is asking for trouble.
HOW
LONG SHOULD A STRETCH BE HELD?
I have
typically subscribed to the more is better mentality when it comes to
how long one should hold a stretch. My admittedly unscientific reasoning
is that the longer a muscle is held in a lengthened position, the more
likely it will be to stay that way. However, I must tell you that some
studies show no difference between holding a stretch for 30 seconds
versus one minute. They do, however, show that holding a stretch for 30
seconds is superior to holding it for only 10 seconds. To summarize, you
should hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds.
Oh,
and for those of you who still wear a Member’s Only jacket, bouncing
while stretching (ballistic stretching) is not only way out of style, it
can also be dangerous. Ease into your stretches, stopping when you feel
a nice but comfortable stretch, and then hold it for the prescribed
amount of time.
HOW
OFTEN SHOULD YOU STRETCH?
Most
of the studies that I’ve came across had the subjects stretch each
muscle for the allotted time, rest for a moment or stretch the opposite
side, then re-stretch for the allotted time. This protocol is typically
performed once per day. I still think, to an extent, that more is better
as far as frequency goes. I have also seen much faster improvements
among my patients when they increase their number of stretching sessions
per day. if someone has a truly hypertonic muscle that is giving him or
her a problem, I (and other authorities) recommend stretching it once
per waking hour. That may sound excessive, but it works. For a general
stretching program aimed at improving flexibility, try stretching each
muscle two or three times daily, For a maintenance program, stretching
once per day should suffice.
WHICH
MUSCLES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO STRETCH?
There
are certain muscles that, in almost everyone, are likely to be
hypertonic. As alluded to above, it is very common for people to have
tight hamstrings, especially those of us who spend a lot of time sitting
(either at a desk or in a car) and who train with weights. Sitting can
also lead to an excessive tightness of the hip flexor muscles, as does
performing certain exercises like leg raises, running, and walking on an
incline. The calves are often tight as well. Moving back up the body,
most people also suffer from tight lower back (erector spinae) muscles.
Next on our list of statistically tight muscles is the chest and
anterior deltoids.
A tight subscapularis (the 'cuff' muscle responsible for internally
rotating your arm or turning it in) virtually always accompanies the
hypertonic chest and anterior deltoids. Moving on, the upper traps along
with a similarly functioning muscle that lies underneath the upper traps
- the levator scapulae - are often affected by tightness, especially in
those who have bad shoulder posture and/or who work at a desk. Lastly,
the muscles at the base of the skull that cause the skull to tilt
backward on the spine, the suboccipitals, are very commonly tight. This
often results in tension headaches.
Commonly Tight Muscles
- Calves
- Hamstrings
- Hip Flexors
- Lower Back Upper
Trapezius / Levator Scapulae
- Suboccipitals
ADVANCED STRETCHING
Research
shows that Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitative (we'll just Call it
PNF) stretching is by far the best type to perform for maximum results.
To perform PNF stretching, you essentially take the muscle to its
endpoint (a light to moderate stretch) and hold for about ten seconds.
Then lightly 'push' into whatever is being used for resistance (a
partner, wall, etc.) without allowing any movement. Hold this light
contraction for about 10 seconds before relaxing. When you relax the
muscle, it should be able to stretch a little farther before getting
back to its endpoint. Repeat this contract/relax at least three times.
True PNF stretching can be much more complicated, but that overview is
enough to greatly enhance your stretching regime.
Another
advanced tidbit is to place moist heat under or on top of a muscle being
stretched. That really seems to (and research supports this) enhance the
quality of the stretch, especially in a really stubborn muscle. I also
like to follow that up with a few minutes of ice on the muscle while
still holding it in the stretched position.
Dr. Perry
BONUS TRAINING
Do not try to "burn fat" while weight
training because you will not achieve it. Do not make your workouts
longer thinking that more time equals more results. Keep your weight
training brief and focused. Complete your workout in less than 45
minutes. This short time period will ensure you do not over do it, it
will ensure intensity. It's much easier to focus for 30-45 minutes than
it is an hour. The growth-assisting hormones secreted in your body
actually peak after about 30 minutes of weight training and then begin
to decline rapidly. So keep it quick and intense. Choose one or two
muscle groups, train hard & leave under 45 minutes.
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