Optimum musculoskeletal health involves muscles which are both strong and flexible. As such, flexibility is linked to exercise performance, across many sports. A stretching programme can develop the range of motion in your joints, bringing benefits such as optimising your stride length for better running performance.
We naturally lose some flexibility as we grow older. Our muscles will adapt to our lifestyle – for example, if you sit at a desk or in a car all day and rarely stretch, you may find that your hamstrings (the muscles at the back of the thighs) become shortened and tight. For older people, poor flexibility is associated with falls.
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Why do we stretch?
Short and tight muscle fibres may prevent a joint moving in its full range of motion – for example, you may not be able to touch your toes without flexing (bending) your knees because your hamstrings may be tight. Stretching a muscle involves taking it into extension (lengthened). Regular stretches will help to ease muscular tightness and lengthen the individual muscle fibres, so over time you will start to notice you can go deeper into a stretch and have a greater range of motion in the joint.
Stretching regularly can help to prevent injury, too. When short, tight muscles are suddenly called upon in an activity that stretches them, such as playing sport, lifting heavy shopping bags or bending down to weed a garden, some of the individual muscle fibres can tear – which is a muscle strain. Regular stretching – alongside strengthening work – will enable muscles to cope with the demands we place on them and help to prevent injury from happening.
Muscles also require a good blood supply to function optimally. Stretching may help to improve blood circulation in muscles and break down scar tissue which can sometimes form from tears and smaller niggles and impede the flow of blood within a muscle.
What are different types of stretching?
There are various stretching techniques, which can be put into three main methods:
Static stretching
Static stretching involves a muscle being held without movement to the point of a stretching sensation. Typically, you hold these stretches for about 15 to 20 seconds to relax and lengthen the muscle fibres. Static stretches are most often performed actively and solo. Though with the help of a partner, they can also be performed passively (when a partner helps to hold the stretch for you).
When it comes to stretching and exercise, choosing the right type of stretch at the right time is key: studies show that static stretching leg muscles just before sprinting could actually slightly worsen performance. Instead, static stretching is commonly used at the end of a workout to enable muscles to loosen up and ease tension. It is also common in forms of yoga where a pose is held for a period of time.
Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching involves using movement to extend a muscle – taking a limb through its full range of motion and repeating. This type of stretching is common as part of a warm-up routine before sports to help warm up and prepare the muscles for the activity ahead. It is particularly used in sports which require running or jumping performance, such as football or sprinting, as it acts on the elasticity of muscles and tendons and so may aid performance.
You may also hear of another form of dynamic stretching called ‘ballistic stretching’ which involves rapidly moving a limb through its movement range to take it to a jerky ‘bounce’ at the end-range, however, this is no longer recommended because of an increased risk of injury.
Pre-contraction stretching
Pre-contraction stretching techniques, such as proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and muscle energy technique (MET), involve a contraction of the muscle being stretched (or its antagonist) before stretching. A more advanced form of stretching, all techniques require knowledge of muscles and movement to be able to get the best out of a stretch, and as such they are more commonly used in physical therapies.
3 simple static stretches to try
Repeat each of these stretches two to four times:
Hip flexor stretch
- Kneel on one leg and bend your other leg out in front of you, with the front foot flat on the floor.
- Keeping your back straight, slowly push your hips forward. You should feel a stretch in the upper thigh of your back leg and hip.
- Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds.
- Repeat with your other leg.
Hamstring stretch
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
- Slide your hands down your legs until you feel a slight burning sensation in the back of the thighs.
- Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly return to a sitting position.
Shoulder stretch
- Stand in a doorway. Bend one of your arms and place your forearm against the door frame, with your elbow a little higher than your shoulder.
- Relax your shoulders and lean forward, allowing your chest and shoulder muscles to stretch. To increase the stretch, slowly turn your body slightly away from your arm.
- Hold for 15-30 seconds.
- Repeat with your other arm.
Overall, is stretching good for you?
Regular full body stretching promotes flexibility, enabling you to perform daily tasks with ease, avoid injury and age well. It may also be a useful addition to an exercise plan to aid sports performance, with dynamic stretching beneficial as part of warm-up, and static stretching beneficial post-workout. Yoga and pilates often incorporate both static and dynamic stretching.
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