Basic Rules of Stretching
Stretching is not about adopting pretzel-like postures
Stretches increase your range of motion. It applies to both your muscles and your joints.
As I mentioned in my Delicious Stretches blog, when you stretch this shouldn’t increase your pain. Of course, you should expect to feel some tension because that’s what a stretch is. Moderate your stretch to your own body rather than attempting the ultimate stretch worthy of someone with the National Ballet or Cirque de Soleil.
Don’t bounce in your stretch because that can injure a muscle by taking you beyond a comfortable range of motion. You should always ease into a stretch.
When you stretch, breathe into it. If a stretch is difficult to hold, a tendency is to stop breathing. All that is doing is depriving you of oxygen.
I always advise that you hold a stretch for between 30 and 40 seconds, or up to a minute for a problem area.
If you are into a particular sport, research the major muscles used in that sport and focus your stretches on these muscles accordingly. If you are a soccer player, for example, you are going to need better leg extension which means that your hamstrings need to be well stretched and not restricted by tight, immobile musculature.
Focus your stretches on major muscles groups such as calves, thighs, hips, upper back, lower back, neck and shoulders.
Just as you need to have equal strength to both left and right side, focus on having equal flexibility on both sides of your body. This will help with maintaining good balance, especially important as you get older.
Stretching doesn’t just apply to those who play sports but it is for any activity in which you engage including work related movements.
Stretching can be time consuming but in the long term it will reward you with fluid, possibly pain free movement. An important caveat is that you need to stretch on a regular basis and, probably for best results, at least three times a week. Otherwise your range of motion will perceptibly decrease.
I would recommend choosing what I call elongating exercises such as Tai Qi, Yoga, or Pilates and incorporating these into you daily activities. These exercises are about stretching you physically as well as mentally.