Stretching is something that all of us can benefit from, readers, even if we’re not athletes in a professional sense! Being more flexible makes us less prone to injury when we do decide to do something physical, and it can also help keep some aches and pains at bay.
Doing your stretching incorrectly, however, can actually do more harm than good and even lead to injury. So, as you consider your stretching routine, keep these three things in mind.
Flexibility and stretching are two different things
Flexibility, in general, refers to the range of motion in your joints. How much flexibility you have is influenced by your connective tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, and your muscles. When you stretch, you’re doing an exercise that can actually increase your flexibility over time.
Everyone’s ideal flexibility amount is different
A limited range of motion in one of your joints may be stemming from stiff or tight muscles, unless that joint is injured. This is often linked to poor posture, chronic pain and injuries. If you have muscles that are too tight, you may need to start stretching.
On the flip side of things, being too flexible isn’t always good, either. Too-loose muscles may be weak, and this can cause dislocation and instability in the joints. If you think you’re too flexible, it may be time to strengthen those joints and muscles with resistance training.
In general, the level of flexibility you need is going to correlate to the primary movements of your sport or daily life. Pitchers in baseball, for example, have to have more flexibility in their shoulders than runners.
Do static stretching at the right times
A static stretch is when you stretch a muscle slowly to its end position for a brief period of time, often between 10 to 30 seconds. This is very common and often done before exercise, but that’s actually also a mistake.
Don’t do things like reach for your toes for a leg stretch and then head out on a run or put your hands behind your back to stretch your chest before bench pressing. This type of stretch is not meant for a warmup, and it can actually decrease your performance and make you more prone to injury if done before a workout. Keep your static stretching as part of your dedicated flexibility routine instead.
