Flexibility Extras

After receiving some feedback on my last post, I wanted to add in a few extra notes concerning flexibility and flexibility training:

1: When performing a static stretch, make sure to hold the position for 20-30 seconds to make it worth your effort. If you are especially tight, go for 2 sets of 30 seconds.

2: Self-myofacial release, aka foam rolling, has been getting more recognition these days and for good reason. There are many benefits to massaging your muscles, but because most of us cannot afford a personal masseuse, the foam roller is a cheap substitute that can still have beneficial effects on the muscles. I recommend using this when you have a knot, but some people liking using it for every warm-up. Either way, the goal is to roll over the muscle at a slow rate, and if you do find a knot, use your weight to put pressure on the tight area for 20-30 seconds, then continue rolling. If you have never done this before, be warned, it can be a little painful the first few times, but it gets easier the more you do it.

3: Pre-workout stretching should consist of dynamic stretching. Save static stretches until the end. Dynamic stretching means that you are taking your body through various ranges of motion while staying active. An example would be air squats or lunges. You are stretching out the muscles but you are moving too, trying to get your core temperature up before exercise.

4: In explaining the problems that can arise because poor range of motion, I left out a key factor. While I mentioned that having a tight muscle can restrict its own ability to move functionally, I failed to explain that this also inhibits the surrounding muscles. This means that you now have a multi-directional dysfunction, which can only lead to further alterations in movement patterns. In turn, you end up with weakened muscles surrounding the joints, leading to poor joint mechanics, and making injury all the more likely to occur.

5: The last thing I would like to say is that with the major factor in all of this being injury prevention, we must recognize that along with an injury taking us out of the gym, it also makes future injury more likely to occur. Unless you change your stretching habits after an injury, the reasons that the injury occurred in the first place will only get worse, only now you have another area that will be adding dysfunction to your movement. It turns into a cycle that can only be broken by altering the training program.

If there are any more questions or concerns, feel free to ask, I am always open to elaborate on a topic. Thanks for checking me out, I hope you come back soon!

-Colin