The good news is you can improve muscle flexibility and joint range of motion through stretching, despite physiological and other factors.
But what type of stretching is best?
Stretching can be grouped into 3 key types and all of these are important in keeping your muscles and joints at an optimum.
Dynamic stretching – are slow, controlled movements
Dynamic stretching helps the muscles to stretch through their optimal length and take the joint through a full range of motion prior to doing an activity.
It targets the most intensely used muscles in the activity, increasing their elasticity and as a result reducing injury risk due to muscle sprain/strain. An example would be hamstring swings for runners prior to running.
Static stretching – is where a muscle is held in a lengthened position for 20-30 seconds.
It is ideal for stretching connective tissue and helps lengthen a muscle. It is best to be used as a cool down after an activity. An example is a hamstring stretch after running.
3. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) is a type of stretching that promotes elongation of muscle tissue.
It aims to optimise the neuromuscular ‘stretch reflex’ response of the body. This involves stretching a muscle passively to its end of range, then either holding or contracting the muscle for 6 seconds, releasing and then stretching the muscle further to a new range, repeating 3-4 times. Yoga and pilates exercises are a form of PNF stretching.
Important to do 3 forms of stretching
To optimise the flexibility of your muscles and joint ROM, it is important to do all 3 types of stretching.
To improve flexibility I recommend …
1.dynamic stretching prior to exercise
2. static stretching after and
3. doing a session of yoga or pilates once a week
Or, make time for a good PNF stretch program once a week to keep you supple.
Tips to remember when stretching
• Always warm up before stretching. Stretching when your muscles are cold could lead to injuries.
• Stretch to the point where you feel some mild tension. You should not feel pain. If you do, stop and release the stretch. Try again in a shorter range, build up to the increased range.
