Have you ever wondered if you are stretching your muscles correctly?
Have you ever wondered why the holy grail of stretching seems to be 3 sets holding the stretch from anywhere for 30 seconds to one minute?
Have you ever wondered why professionals tell you that you need to feel that pulling sensation in the muscles for it to be effective?
Have you…….ever wondered?
I had so I went searching on the answers and didn’t like what I found. So I kept searching for what else was out there, what would be more effective, what would give you better results.
What I found absolutely blew my mind and made so much sense. It challenged the “traditional static stretch” and I am never going to prescribe another static stretch EVER AGAIN. NEVER!
If you are like me and your ears have pricked up and your eyes have opened wider and you may even be salivating a little from the mouth then read on, this is going to change EVERYTHING!
We are 3 dimensional in nature. We move forwards and backwards, we move from side to side, and we are able to twist our bodies one way and the other. Why is it then, that when we stretch, we only stretch in 1 dimension, not all 3, and insist on holding it until it fatigues, and not continually moving?
I do not know either.
Static stretching is not stretching a muscle in accordance with its true functionality. Muscles need to lengthen then shorten, lengthen then shorten. To hold a stretch deprives it of its shortening capabilities because it is always lengthened, its always in its end range. From there is fatigues quickly then is unable to effectively contract or shorten.
“Static stretching does NOT work. Static stretching is DEAD!”
The sensation you feel at the end of a static stretch, that tight pulling sensation, is your body’s way of defending itself from going too far or lengthening to the extreme. Too late, it’s already there. The funny thing is, you may be stretching a muscle which is already long and needs to be shortened.
Let me introduce to the beautiful world of dynamic stretching. You will be glad to take this step.
In dynamic stretching and movement, muscles BOTH lengthen and shorten, and lengthen and shorten, and lengthen and shorten, and……. I think you get the picture. By encouraging this pattern, the body naturally allows the short muscles to lengthen and the overstretched muscles to shorten and the body starts to feel happy again.
The real answer is movement but that is a topic I will explore at a later date. But for now, stay tuned as I will be showing you how to dynamically stretch and move in a 3-dimensional space and I will also show you if you are wrongly stretching an overstretched muscle.
If you want to know for sure, make sure you book in with one of our expert movement Podiatrist here at Border Podiatry Centre and we will have you moving in flow with your body in no time. Just click the BOOK NOW button below
