Did You Know Stretching Could Improve Your Overall Health?
Did you know that some of the minor physical motions dramatically improve your overall health, wellness, and quality of life? In the case of stretching, the answer is most definitely yes.
Tons of people beginning an exercise or physical therapy regimen are given a specific set of exercises. Still, these instructions don’t always come with proper guidance on the stretching that should accompany the program.
Stretching exercises are a staple of physical therapy for just that reason. You might be surprised to discover just how many ways stretches can help you, primarily if they are performed correctly.
To ensure that you can either avoid injuries or, at the very least, prevent existing ones from worsening, here’s a comprehensive guide to different types of stretching and their benefits!
How Does Regularly Stretching Help With Wellness?
Stretching has several advantages for helping your body maintain its health, and stress alleviation is one of the best ones! Everyday life presents you with several challenges, and the accompanying tension can be stored in your muscles.
Stress causes cortisone and adrenaline, which are “fight or flight” chemicals, to flood your body. An immune function might be suppressed due to these abnormalities, making you more susceptible to viruses and other infections. Another severe side effect of continuous stress is hypertension.
Regular stretches help your body release all that pent-up stress. By relaxing and loosening your muscles, you can maintain better control over your blood pressure, avoid chronic muscle pain, and keep your immune system ready for anything.
Active stretching
Active stretching techniques require adopting and holding a position or pose using only the muscles in the corresponding group to the one being targeted.
Consider an ankle being flexed back and forth as an example. Still, the calf muscles holding toes in a pointed position or raised toward the shin are referred to as the “agonist” and “antagonist,” as they perform opposing functions. In any stretch, the agonist muscle is the one contracting, and the antagonist is the one lengthening.
While this technique can be applied all over the body, allow the limbs or joints in question to move naturally through their full range of motion, holding at each end.
This is ideal when warming up in preparation for an activity, rather than lengthening the muscle as part of a proactive program to improve flexibility.
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching
PNF stretching, short for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, is a set of techniques most commonly encountered in a rehabilitation setting to restore range of motion to an injured or weakened muscle.
Begin by moving the limb in question or target muscle into a stretched position, and then contract that muscle group for 4-6 seconds while a helper or fixed object (like a wall or table) provides resistance that keeps everything in place.
Release the contraction, hold the stretched pose in place for 20-30 seconds before shaking loose and taking another 30-45 seconds to relax completely, and then repeat in cycles.
By combining passive and active fundamentals, PNF stretching can be a highly effective “best of both worlds” choice, making for a safe set of exercises ideal for recovery.
Stretching is all about enhancing performance and reducing injury, so to get the most out of stretching, it’s essential to know when each is most useful and not get too excited about speeding up the process!
Dynamic stretching
Dynamic techniques are a bit more lively, putting the body in motion and relying on momentum to flow through a series of repeated movements.
For example, a hamstring stretch. The leg is swung upward in a kick through its range of motion, and it gradually increases in height with each pass.
It’s important to know the limits of the regular range of motion, as excess momentum can put the limb in a compromising overextended position likely to cause injury.
A baseball player or someone preparing for a throwing motion might begin their shoulder warm-up with widening, concentric arm circles, expanding the range of motion bit by bit until the regular full range is accounted for.
Passive stretching
For most folks, images of “stretching” tend to conjure passive techniques. Whether the pose is held by hand or with gravity, one is largely stationary and exerts a force to lengthen the target muscle by reaching the outer limits of the range of motion.
Poses that can be held for an extended period of time are an indication that the muscle hasn’t reached its full potential and that a gradual, deeper stretch is needed. While passive stretching is beneficial for improving overall flexibility and balance, prolonged muscle extension before intensive activity might impair explosive powers, thus it’s better to perform it after a workout rather than right before a workout.
Snag These Benefits For Yourself!
Stretching can be done correctly or incorrectly. For starters, different types of stretches have distinct advantages. Active stretches (moving a body part without assistance), passive stretches (holding or supporting a body part), or both may be appropriate for your condition.
Stretches can potentially cause injury if done wrong, so it’s a good idea to talk with a professional before you start aggressively throwing yourself into random exercise routines! Contact our physical therapy clinic in Bogalusa or Franklinton, Louisiana now to learn how our physical therapist can help you stretch safely and effectively.
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