- Health, Fitness & Weight Loss
- Sport Specific Performance
- Getting Down and Dirty at Tough Guy!
- Jade's Marathon Effort
- Fitness Training for Skiing and Snowboarding
- How to Prepare for your First Marathon
- How Posture Affects Running Performance
- Medicine Ball Training
- Recovery and Regeneration
- Stretching for Optimal Performance
- Tips for New Runners
- Training in your Target Heart Rate Zone
- Why I Fell for my Foam Roller
- Nutrition
- Training with Specific Conditions
- References
Stretching for Optimal Performance
How Stretching will Help you Perform Better
Stretching is an integral part of any conditioning programme as it keeps your muscles and joints balanced and pliable, allowing you the benefits of a full range of movement, reduced muscle and joint overload and a lesser likelihood of injury.
The goal of stretching is to improve flexibility; the ability of a muscle to move through a full range of motion. Improving the range of motion of a muscle optimises functional movement allowing you to get maximum output with minimal effort. If neglected it is inevitable that certain muscle groups will become dominant leading to poor static and dynamic posture, faulty movement patterns, improper technique or overuse.
Muscle imbalances represent a vicious cycle where dominant short-tight muscles over ride long-weak muscles, which in turn further over loads short-tight muscles. If unaddressed, these imbalances pull you out of postural equilibrium (or neutral posture), leading to joint and spine overload which will eventually present as pain, injury and/or impaired performance. Whether you are a regular runner, avid gym goer or a competitive athlete, if you are serious about your physical health and performance, there is no arguing that stretching is an integral part of your training.
Stretching Tips
- Warm up first: warm muscles, tendons, and ligaments are more flexible and stretch more easily. Stretching cold muscles can cause tears.
- Stretches should always be gentle and gradual. Never stretch to the point of pain.
- If you are stretching in preparation for an athletic event dynamic stretching will bring you the best results. If you are following a static stretch programme then don’t hold your stretches for any longer than 15secs.
- Pay special attention to tight areas, doubling up on a stretch if necessary.
- Don’t rush your stretching; use it to mentally and physically prepare for your event or session.
- When warming down hold each stretch in a static position for 20-30secs, allowing the muscle to lengthen slowly (do not bounce).
- Don’t stretch between sets of weights. If you are trying to increase your strength in a particular muscle group then stretching may inhibit the muscles performance. Save the stretch for the end of your workout.
To see the benefits of stretching you need to be patient and consistent. Stretching should be done gradually over a period of time and then maintained. While you will almost immediately feel better after a good stretch out, the actual physical effects of your efforts generally won’t show for at least four to six weeks. As the saying goes, good things take time!
If you are concerned about your flexibility and mobility, the Posture Perfect programme then is for you. Contact Pulse PT to learn more about getting a corrective exercise programme or stretching plan (see diagram) tailored to your specific needs and lifestyle.
By Hamish Abbie BPhEd, BComm, CHEK L1, XLR8 Coach, REPs - 30/11/2006