Warm up, work-out, then warm down and stretch if you have time, sound about right?
Entire exercise concepts such as Yoga are based solely on flexibility and stretching muscles, surely this reflects its importance in physical training. So why on earth is it shunted to the back of our exercise priority list in favour of grunting like a wild pig to awkwardly push out that last repetition, or blitzing those fragile knees on the treadmill!?
Interestingly, stretching is far more applicable to improving our exercise performance than it seems!
For those of you who will weight train or run till exhaustion or until the muscle fails, but take no time to stretch, here’s a chain of events that may help you to understand why you ache like an 80 year old when you get out of bed and move more mechanically than a star wars droid!
Muscles actually require energy to relax following exertion. If the muscle is energy depleted following vigorous exercise, it will not have the energy to relax. Over time this results in a progressive shortening of the muscle and surrounding connective tissue and stiffness in the affected area. Muscular stiffness has all manner of associated problems that are beyond the scope of this article, but trust me they involve long-term pain!
More applicable to the knuckle heads out are suggestions that stretching causes an increase in the amount of protein stored within the muscle, and as muscles shorten the amount of protein stored in the muscles decreases! By not stretching you could be putting in a lot of work for very little gain in terms of muscle mass and strength! Muscle shortening and stiffness causes the body to perceive an effort as greater than it actually is e.g. the weight you lifted the day before when you weren’t stiff will seem a lot heavier than when you try and lift it with stiff muscles! Again, no gains because your body won’t permit you to lift more, run faster or cycle longer!
Muscle contraction also stops the blood supply to muscles until relaxation of the muscle ensues and the blood flow returns to normal, this system acts as a pump, increasing blood circulation, hence active people have better blood circulation because they move more! If we adopt a sedentary posture or do not stretch after exercise, certain muscles become tight, short and have a less efficient blood supply. Considering blood provides the ingredients necessary for growth and repair, these muscles are doomed! And they’re the ones that need repairing the most!
The two most common types of stretching are:
Static
The muscle is held in a stretched position for between 15-30 seconds. Shown to reduce strength and explosive power of muscles during activity so avoid using it prior to training. Best used when muscles are completely relaxed, preferably following a warm bath.
Dynamic
A method commonly used in warm up routines by games players. Muscles are stretched by performing movements throughout a joint’s full range of motion. For example, lunging or swinging one’s leg at a controlled speed. This method stretches muscles in a specific manner relative to how they will be stretched during the game or gym session.