Why and when to stretch

As every trainer should, I incorporate flexibility training into every workout. However, I must say that many of my clients simply hate it. Although they all agree that it is important, they are quite happy to skip it and have a rough time doing it on their own. I thought I’d share some of the reasons stretching play an important role in helping you work towards your fitness goals.

Every joint in your body has tendons and ligaments associated with it that facilitate articulation (i.e., movement). Tendons connect muscles to bones and ligaments connect bones to bones. A joint’s range of motion is determined by how flexible these tendons and ligaments are. The tighter a tendon or ligament, the less movement takes place at that joint. Poor range of motion is detrimental for several reasons. The less range you have at a joint, the more likely you are to exceed that range and injure yourself by straining or tearing a tendon or ligament. Additionally, poor range of motion adversely affects the development of muscles associated with that joint. For example: let’s say your range of motion at the elbow joint was so poor that you could only straighten your elbow halfway before it got too tight. Consequently, any exercises you perform for your biceps or triceps muscles can only be done halfway, which obviously affects your ability to strengthen those muscles. Although few people have such poor flexibility at the elbow joint, many have this problem at the knee and hip joints.

The best time to stretch is right after you finish your exercise routine. This is when all the muscles, tendons, and ligaments are warm from your exercises routine. Tendons and ligaments behave not unlike rubber bands. Let’s say you were to take a rubber band and let it sit in hot water for a minute. When you remove it from the water, the rubber band will stretch a little farther than when it was cold. Additionally, when the rubber band cools, it will now continue to stretch beyond its original capability. Your tendons and ligaments behave in much the same way. When they are warm, you stand the best chance of increasing their overall level of flexibility.

Stretching helps to reduce the risk of injury, not only when you are exercising, but also as you perform your regular daily activities. It also helps to maximize your strength training workouts by allowing for greater range of motion. Ensuring a proper stretching regimen immediately after your exercise sessions will help ensure you’re workouts are safer and more effective.

- Jeff

Image courtesy of LetMeGrowStudio.net