Everyone I treat or talk to schedules their sporting events and training around their busy lives but rarely find time to properly stretch. By this I don’t mean simply warming up/down pre/post exercising; this is about planning in a stretching-only session on a rest day or as part of a lighter training day.
Stretching is a simple yet highly effective activity that will help athletic performance, decrease risk of injury and minimise muscle soreness. By placing particular parts of the body in certain positions, we can increase muscle length, reduce muscle tension and enhance our range of movement. In doing this, we increase the distance our limbs can move before damage may occur to the muscles and tendons.
A great example of this is a swimmer who takes time to properly stretch their shoulders. This will improve the range of movement in the shoulder and therefore facilitate a more streamlined and efficient movement through the water. In this instance, not only is the risk of injury and fatigue reduced, but moving through the water more efficiently is likely to improve your overall performance and time and therefore a much more enjoyable experience!
I chose my website name ‘Range of Motion’ with great consideration. A lack of range and flexibility limits our movement and can contribute to muscle and joint problems. This can lead to injuries which prevent us from carrying out our daily lives or exercise. Improper muscle action can result in decreased performance and can result in loss of strength and power during physical activity.
Training which does not factor in a regular stretching regime can greatly increase the risk of muscular discomfort, loss of performance and injury.
Stretching will not necessarily make you run faster, cycle for longer or take that hard hitting tackle. What it will do is to increase your ability to avoid injury and keep you doing what you really want to do.
What stretching WILL do is release muscle tension, maintain flexibility and reduce post activity muscle soreness and fatigue. In addition to these benefits, stretching also gives you time to wind down, allow your body to slow down and help you reflect, take stock and relax – something we all need.
