Total Body Transformation Training Blog

Stretching... Why and How

Stretching is one of those things we know we should do but usually find excuses not to do. When we are pinched for time, stretching always seems to be the part of the workout that is cut out or rushed through. Unfortunately, stretching is one of the most important things runners and strength trainers can do. Get used to it, because stretching now can save alot of later pain.

When to Stretch
The ideal time to stretch is not before starting the workout! Think of any workout -- strength or endurance -- as having four parts: warmup, stretch, main activity, and cool down. The warm up's goal is to raise the heart rate and your's body internal temperature. It can be 5 minutes on a bike, some brisk walking, or doing a shorted set of deadlifts with light weight. Stretching happens with a warm body. That is the key! If we are stretching to help prevent injury during a workout, then the best time to stretch is after the warm up and before the main activity. Depending on your activity it may also be a good idea to stretch as part of the cool down as well. Most strength training and running activities could benefit from lower back and hamstring stretches during the cool down.

Why Stretch?
The main reason to stretch is not "flexability" but rather mobility -- joint mobility.

We stretch to prevent injury resulting from forced muscle contractions and extended ranges of motion in a short period of time. Warming up and stretching before running 100 yards gives the muscles, joints, and ligaments time to pump blood into the areas that will be needed most. Ballistic movements require joint coordination and mobility and stretching helps with this.

We also stretch to prevent overuse injuries. Our bodies go through a restricted range of motion during any repetitive activity or workout. Stretching helps restore full range of motion to the body. This in turns helps prevent excessive wear and tear on the muscles and joints used workout after workout. For this reason (among others) it is always a good idea to mix types of workouts up so as to allow the body to be stressed in different ways.

How to Stretch
There are many forms of stretching: static, dynamic, active-isolated, relaxed tension, etc. Most popular in the US is "static" stretching where a particulr stretch is held stationary for 10-30 seconds. with static stretches the muscles should be stretched enough to feel it but not so much as to cause pain and discomfort. As you practice static stretching more, it becomes easier to stretch through the same range of motion so you constantly need to push yourself a little father but not to the point of pain.

What to Stretch
What to stretch depends somewhat on the activity you are performing. But in general it is good to promote full body stretching so as to allow for maximal ranges of motion in all the limbs regardless of the activity performed. There is no magic order as to what to stretch first and people differ in their specific routines. In general though you want to make sure you stretch all the joints and the body from top to bottom -- neck, shoulders, upper back, hips and pelvis, knees, thighs, hamstrings, ankles, and especially the lower back. Running and squatting activities can benefit greatly by emphasizing stretching the groin (inner thigh), hamstrings, and lower back. Upper body strength training routines need to stretch the shoulders, low back, and chest with extra emphasis.