Almost everyone, from office workers to athletes, can benefit from stretching. But it is all about a balance. If you're flexible, you most likely do not mind stretching, but it you are not flexible, you may find yourself avoiding stretching of any kind. It is common to make the mistake of stretching muscles that do not need stretching and not stretching the ones that need it most. If you are stretching correctly and do not feel tightness, that muscle does not need that particular stretch.
Finding Optimal Flexibility
We are all different. What is right for some may not be right for you. Most people do not need to have the flexibility required to enter an advanced yoga class. You do, however, need a certain level of flexibility, which many people are deficient. The stretches referenced here will help you determine which of your muscles need stretching in order to balance your body.
If you are naturally tight and want to participate in a sport or leisure activity that requires more flexibility than you currently have, becoming more flexible will help you avoid injury. Many people spend most of their day sitting - on the job, in the car, on the couch, at the dinner table. Sitting for extending periods throughout the day, without adequate movement and stretching, will lead to, at the very least, decreased flexibility and muscle imbalances. It will not take long before you lose so much flexibility that bending over to pick something up becomes a challenge.
If you are naturally tight and want to participate in a sport or leisure activity that requires more flexibility than you currently have, becoming more flexible will help you avoid injury. Many people spend most of their day sitting - on the job, in the car, on the couch, at the dinner table. Sitting for extending periods throughout the day, without adequate movement and stretching, will lead to, at the very least, decreased flexibility and muscle imbalances. It will not take long before you lose so much flexibility that bending over to pick something up becomes a challenge.
Posture and Stretching
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Good posture keeps muscles in balance and your body well aligned, allowing optimal efficiency of body systems. Poor posture places abnormal weight on joints and stresses muscles and tendons, often leading to pain. Additionally, poor posture does not adequately support internal organs, hampering circulation and creating an environment that favors disease and dysfunction.
Muscles act as pumps to move fluids through the body. When good posture deteriorates many of your muscles can not effectively pump fluids. To better appreciate the importance of good posture, muscle function and fluid flow, think of a body of water. If a pond does not have a steady source of fresh water coming in and outlet taking water away, it becomes stagnant and eventually toxic. Now, take a look at yourself in a mirror. If your posture is such that you can project a straight line up from just in front of your anklebone and have it run midway between your hip, shoulder and ear, your posture is good. If your posture is poor, you will see increased or decreased curves in the spine, the belly may protrude and the head will often be forward. Poor posture always indicates the need for stretching, to lengthen short muscles, as well as exercise, to tighten weak/loose muscles. Poor posture and muscle imbalances are a result of misuse. Some muscles react to faulty loading by shortening, tightening and becoming hyperactive; they are called tonic or postural muscles. Other muscles do the opposite; they become longer and weaker when exposed to the same stressors; these are called phasic or mover muscles. The tonic muscles, by design, have a tendency to overwork, while the phasic muscles are naturally lazy. When exposed to stressors that either directly hurt the muscles or cause holding patterns, such as a chronic emotional stressor, the tonic muscles will shorten and tighten while the phasic muscles in the same area will often lengthen and may weaken. This is why those who experience traumatic events, such as a car accident, often end up with chronic muscle and joint problems and may develop poor posture over time. |
Good Posture vs. Poor Posture. Image by Chek, P.
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Address Imbalances Before Exercising
To better understand how muscle imbalances affect your body, think of a bicycle wheel. If a bicycle wheel is out of balance and you then take that bike for a ride, chances are the bicycle will not handle well. The stress of riding on a crooked wheel could cause the wheel to fall apart. To get a crooked bicycle wheel to roll straight or true, you must shorten/tighten the loose components and lengthen/loose the tight ones.
If you have poor posture or have been injured, the tonic muscles tend to get short and tight while the phasic muscles tend to lengthen and weaken, pulling you out of balance just like the bicycle wheel. If you expose yourself to the stressors of exercise you must attempt to lengthen the short tonic muscles and strengthen or tighten any long or weak phasic muscles to bring your body back into balance. The last thing you want is to turn your attempts to achieve a healthy body through exercise into long-term ailments.
If you have poor posture or have been injured, the tonic muscles tend to get short and tight while the phasic muscles tend to lengthen and weaken, pulling you out of balance just like the bicycle wheel. If you expose yourself to the stressors of exercise you must attempt to lengthen the short tonic muscles and strengthen or tighten any long or weak phasic muscles to bring your body back into balance. The last thing you want is to turn your attempts to achieve a healthy body through exercise into long-term ailments.
Body Balancing Stretches
To determine which stretches you should complete before beginning your workouts, simply perform each of the stretches exactly as directed in the corresponding link. If you perform any of the stretches as outlined and the muscle(s) do not feel tight, that mean you do not need to include that stretch in your program. Only include those stretches that give you the feeling that there are tight muscles to be released when doing that particular stretch.
It is recommended to re-test yourself every two to four weeks. By identifying muscles that have become loose and no longer need stretching, as well as identifying muscles that may have become tight from participating in your exercise program, you will know exactly which stretches keep your body in balance. Stretching muscles that are already loose is like loosening the spokes on a crooked wheel - it will leave the body loose and crooked. Not stretching at all before you exercise leads to your body becoming tight and crooked. You want to stretch the mucles that are tight to avoid either of these situations.
It is recommended to re-test yourself every two to four weeks. By identifying muscles that have become loose and no longer need stretching, as well as identifying muscles that may have become tight from participating in your exercise program, you will know exactly which stretches keep your body in balance. Stretching muscles that are already loose is like loosening the spokes on a crooked wheel - it will leave the body loose and crooked. Not stretching at all before you exercise leads to your body becoming tight and crooked. You want to stretch the mucles that are tight to avoid either of these situations.
Stretches
Many of the stretches below will use a contract-relax method. The three basic phases of this type of stretch are:
Click the following image for a more detailed description.
- Move into initial stretch. You should feel the muscles being stretched, but it should not be uncomfortable.
- Contract the muscle being stretched. Use either your hand or the floor to provide resistance. Use only a light force when you contract.
- Relax, moving immediately into the stretch position after your release the contraction. You should find that you can move farther into the stretch.
Click the following image for a more detailed description.
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References
Chek, P. (2004). How to eat, move and be healthy. San Diego, CA: C.H.E.K. Institute.
