As boring as it sounds, one of the most underestimated factors in injury prevention and rehabilitation is … stretching!

Ever noticed when you automatically stretch as you wake up in bed, or stretch your back backwards when sitting too long, or ever seen how a cat/lion arches their back? It can be a subconscious feel-good response, with so many benefits, particularly if we make a conscious effort to do them.

Why stretch?

There’s some conflicting evidence, however the general consensus is that stretching:

Warms the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) to help prevent injury
Maintains and improves flexibility and range of motion
Improves circulation and thus healing
Potentially reduces risk of injury
As we age, it can assist our balance and posture
Resolves tension, cramping and soreness in muscles
Improves our workout by improving strength
Improves our overall performance
Improves everyday movements and functions
Helps de-stress.

With every movement, our muscles and soft tissues contract. If we do any task or manual labour where we require more exertion e.g. lifting, weights, carrying children etc, then we are contracting our soft tissues even further. Imagine our muscles- if we keep contracting and shortening them, they will get shorter and tighter, we will lose range and potential function. Whereas if we stretch those muscles and joints out, it will maintain and improve range and function.

How to stretch

How often? - ideally daily, but at the very least after you exercise. Remember, the more often you do it, the quicker you’ll gain flexibility and reap the benefits.
How far? - only stretch to the point of first stretch, not sharp pain. Never stretch through pain and avoid any bouncing or locking of joints. Remember, slow and controlled.
How long? - aim for 15-30 seconds. Research has not shown that holding any longer will benefit. Set aside a good 10-15 mins for your stretching routine.
How many? - try at least 3 repetitions. I usually find it takes the third rep for the soft tissues to adapt and then can usually go further.

Types of stretching

Static - these are the traditional holding stretches. There is little evidence now for pre-exercise static stretching (in fact, research shows there is no improvement of performance; alternatively warm-up exercises or dynamic stretches are instead advised). It is ideal to perform static stretching after exercise though, whilst the body is still warm, to assist with body recovery and healing.
Dynamic - these are stretches that allow your muscles and joints to go through the full range of movement; they are not held and often used as a warm-up pre-exercise e.g. arm or leg swings, walking lunges, vinyasa flow sequence, practice of golf swing prior to golf.

My 3 favourite stretches

Back extension (Figure 1). This is a great stretch to help extend the spine. Most of our day consists of standing upright or bending forwards; so this is a nice stretch to reverse and balance out these postures. Think of trying to keep your pelvis on the floor, and feel every level arch as you push through your hands. If this is too advanced, do not extend your arms and instead weight bear through your forearms. You can also do a standing version of this where you place your hands behind your back and arch backwards.
Waking up stretch (Figure 2). This is a great stretch to help open up your front and upper range. Grasp your hands, and extend your arms to the ceiling. You can add some back extension at the same time and can perform this in any position i.e. sitting or standing.
Foam roller (Figure 3). Stretch your back by supporting your head with your hands as you ‘walk your feet’ so that the roller slowly glides up and down the spine. Focus on your mid spine region and roll to just below your rib cage. (*there are so many debated proposed mechanisms of how the foam roller actually works and what it actually stretches if any, but suffice to say it seems to reduce pain, and increase mobility).

Conclusion

If done properly, stretching is a simple way of maintaining our body’s alignment and function, preventing potential injuries, and vital in injury rehabilitation. The bonus is that almost everyone can do it independently. Be aware though, inappropriate stretching can cause further injury or cause some conditions to be more unstable.

So why not perhaps try some Hatha Yoga Classes to help get into a regular routine and don’t hesitate to consult with your registered physiotherapist to guide you through what stretches are most effective for you, particularly if you already have an existing condition.

Happy stretching everyone! Healthy regards, Karen :)

Resources

Baxter, C., Mc Naughton, L. R., Sparks, A., Norton, L., & Bentley, D. (2017). Impact of stretching on the performance and injury risk of long-distance runners. Res Sports Med, 25(1), 78-90. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2016.1258640

Behm, D. G., Blazevich, A. J., Kay, A. D., & McHugh, M. (2016). Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 41(1), 1-11. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0235

Blazevich, A. J., Gill, N. D., Kvorning, T., Kay, A. D., Goh, A. G., Hilton, B., . . . Behm, D. G. (2018). No Effect of Muscle Stretching within a Full, Dynamic Warm-up on Athletic Performance. J Physiol, 50(6), 1258-1266. doi: 10.1113/jp27545910.1249/mss.0000000000001539

Hotta, K., Behnke, B. J., Arjmandi, B., Ghosh, P., Chen, B., Brooks, R., . . . Muller-Delp, J. M. (2018). Daily muscle stretching enhances blood flow, endothelial function, capillarity, vascular volume and connectivity in aged skeletal muscle. 596(10), 1903-1917. doi: 10.1113/jp275459

Kataura, S., Suzuki, S., Matsuo, S., Hatano, G., Iwata, M., Yokoi, K., . . . Asai, Y. (2017). Acute Effects of the Different Intensity of Static Stretching on Flexibility and Isometric Muscle Force. J Strength Cond Res, 31(12), 3403-3410. doi: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000001752

Kim, G., Kim, H., Kim, W. K., & Kim, J. (2018). Effect of stretching-based rehabilitation on pain, flexibility and muscle strength in dancers with hamstring injury: a single-blind, prospective, randomized clinical trial. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 58(9), 1287-1295. doi: 10.23736/s0022-4707.17.07554-5

Opplert, J., & Babault, N. (2018). Acute Effects of Dynamic Stretching on Muscle Flexibility and Performance: An Analysis of the Current Literature. Sports Med, 48(2), 299-325. doi: 10.1007/s40279-017-0797-9

Palmer, T. B., Agu-Udemba, C. C., & Palmer, B. M. (2018). Acute effects of static stretching on passive stiffness and postural balance in healthy, elderly men. Phys Sportsmed, 46(1), 78-86. doi: 10.1080/00913847.2018.1421396

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Why stretching is important and how stretching works!