One of the biggest issues I often see with my martial arts students, and one
of the biggest causes of injuries during and even after exercise, is that
they just don't stretch correctly. This is almost always an issue with those
who are new to exercising, and results mostly from laziness, but also from
ignorance.
Many people don't want to stretch, don't know how, or don't know why they
should. Often it's a combination of the three. What I'll go into here
includes not only the how of stretching, but also the why. You'll get a list
of great exercises and a mini-anatomy lesson to boot.
Why do we stretch?
We stretch for a variety of reasons and at a variety of times, often doing
so without even thinking. Unconscious strecthing can occur when we stand
after sitting for a long while, after leaving a cramped car, or when we wake
up in the morning. Deliberate stretching is usually done before, during, and
after sports or other strenuous physical activity.
When we stretch unconsciously it's usually because our muscles are stiff
from under-use. Sleeping for eight hours provides great rest, but it also
causes very minor atrophy (weakening due to lack of use). You wake up and
stretch to get back to your normal level of strength and ability, and it
only takes a few moments and movements to achieve.
Atheletic stretching, by definition, takes more energy and time to induce
benefits and can cause harm if done improperly. One of the most common
injuries that cuts a training session short in martial arts is during
stretching, and I've been the one hurt as well as watched someone get hurt.
Done properly stretching has the potential to:
Improving Flexibility
Your muscles are made up of stretchy cords or bundles called fascicles,
which in themselves are made up of muscles cells containing myofibrils.
These myofibrils contain the proteins actin and mysosin, and they're the
cells that cause the entire muscle to contract or go limp. The muscle we're
concerned about are skeletal muscles which, like their name suggests, are
attached to the skeletal system. These are the ones you stretch when you put
your arm behind your head, for example.
Stretching works because muscles only have two modes: relaxed or contracted.
When you stretch you're training your muscles to contract fully, then
stretch just a little bit more than you're comfortable with. This elongates
the muscle tissue via small tears, and when they heal they are longer and
stretchier. This is the same idea used for muscle growth only in another
direction: weights make them thicker, stretching makes them longer.
Reducing Injury
Muscles contract, and in order to move at all they have to contract the
correct way. Exercise and strenuous physical activity forces muscles to move
in odd and stressful ways. Over time they adapt to the stress and become
stronger and more flexible.
All of which is great to know, but what does that have to do with preventing
injury? In a word: everything!
A little pre-workout stretching will get the blood and nutrients your
muscles need flowing to the right places. You'll have an increased ability
to contract the muscles you need because your body is already prepared to do
so, and the muscles themselves have been activated. The activation of muscle
through stretching performs a kind of holding maneuver where everything you
need for a strong contraction is willing and able. This all prevents what I
like to call "cold reps," or those done without any preparation where the
muscles are forced to perform below peak ability at peak weights.
Put simply: it hurts to lift too much weight, run too far, or do too many
hard kicks without warming up first!
Helping Sore Muscles
If you read through the last section, you already know that stretching helps
get the blood flowing to the right place at the right time. That's the same
theory we use to help heal muscles after a big workout. During exercise
muscles are stressed from over stretching, over lifting, and funky range of
motion. It hurts and the muscles are the ones taking all the impact.
Whenever you lift a heavy load enough times you're breaking down and tearing
into your muscles. The fibers tear away just a little bit from one another,
and the proteins in your cells have to compensate by bridging the new gap.
The result is a bigger, more awesome looking muscle. In stretching you
change the direction of that bridge and make them slightly longer (to an
extent), but mostly just more elastic.
By stretching post-workout you increase the blow flow to your muscles again,
but this time you're helping your body deliver essential healing proteins to
repair the damage you inflicted. Keep in mind that your body needs
carbohydrates to heal too, since they solve all your energy needs. Thus,
when getting the blood flowing after you exercise you're also delivering new
energy molecules to your flagging systems.
The Techniques
Here's a good routine for stretching before just about any sports practice,
though you'll have to make sure you hit any areas of particular interest as
well. For instance you might want to focus more on shoulders and arms if
you're going to be playing baseball, or more on your legs if you're going
for a run. For ease of reference we'll start on the upper body and move our
way down to the legs and feet.
Disclaimer: these stretchs are safe for almost anyone, but they are in no
way a substitute for medical advice. If your doctor tells you not to bend
over and touch your toes, don't do it. Period. Always ask first if you have
a serious medical condition.
Neck Rolls
Look straight forward and then bend your neck forward and down. Now roll
your head on your shoulder, like you're watching a very large object hover
in circles around you. Keep your shoulders stationary and absorb all the
motion with your neck.
Ear Bends
Look straight ahead again, but this time try to touch your left ear to your
left shoulder without moving the shoulder. Do the same on the right side.
Repeat 2-3 times.
Shoulder Rolls
Lift your arms out in front of you, palms down. Now roll your arms all way
above your head and then drop them down behind your back as far as you can.
Complete the circle by bringing your arms down past your thighs and back in
front of you. Complete 3-4 circles forward, then reverse the motion and
complete 3-4 circles forward.
Arm Stretch
This stretch is one of the easiest to explain: lift your left arm to the
side of your body, now put it over and behind your head. Push down slightly
on your elbow with the right hand. Hold for a few seconds, then switch and
do the other arm. Repeat for both arms 2-3 times.
Wrist Rolls
With your arms straight out in front of you, rotate your wrists in large
circles. Go 3-4 rotations to the outside, then rotate 3-4 to the inside.
Both hands can be at the same time, so this one should go quickly.
Truck Rotations
Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, and your hands on your hips
like a Superhero. Bend your back slightly and bring your hips foward; now
move them to the right and back, creating circles around your feet. Reverse
direction and do the same the other way. Complete 3-4 full circles in each
direction.
Trunk Bends
Standing like you did during the rotations, bend yourself backward until
your almost off balance, arching your back and pushing your belly forward.
Hold here for a few seconds, then return to start. Now reach the opposite
direction and touch your toes (or as close as you can). Hold for a few
seconds. Repeat the whole movement 3-4 times total.
Optional: Trunk Twists
I love to crack my back, it makes it feel great since I spend so much time
sitting and writing (the things I do for you people!). The best way I've
found is the trunk twist. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart,
arms out to the sides. Now twist your back, keeping your hips as stationary
as possible. If you're like me you'll be rewarded with a sound like fingers
running down wooden blinds.
Butt Clasps
This is a funny one, and people might not even know you're strecthing. Just
stand like you did the last few exercises, hands on your hips. Now clench
your glutes (butt muscles) as hard as you can and hold for about 3-4
seconds. Repeat this 3-4 times.
Just like your biceps-triceps pairing, your thighs are made up of two
opposing muscles: the quadriceps (front) and hamstrings (back). So we need
to stretch both.
Thighs (back)
Have a seat on the ground and place your right foot out in front of you,
with the left folded back. The bottom of your left foot should be touching
the inside of your right thigh. Now reach forward and place your hands as
close to the floor in front of your right foot as possible. The goal here is
to put your sternum (the bone in the middle of your chest) on your
thigh/knee area. Point your toes forward during this part. Hold for 3-4
seconds, then relax and let yourself up. Repeat 2-3 more times. Now switch,
putting out your left foot and bringing your right foot in to your groin
area. Stretch the same way as before, 3-4 second holds, 2-3 reps.
Thighs (front)
If you have good balance on one foot then stand as normal, if not go find a
wall to help support yourself. Now that you're balanced, bend your right leg
up and try to place your foot on your glutes. Assist yourself by reaching
back with your right hand and grabbing your ankle. This will cause those
quads to stretch out nicely. Hold each stretch for 2-3 seconds and repeat
2-3 times with each leg.
Ankles
If you're at a wall, you're ready, if not then go find one. Now, place your
right foot against the wall so that your heel is on the ground and your toes
touch the wall. Lean foward with your body so that your toes bend as far
back towards your body as you can without breaking it. Hold a few seconds,
then let up on the pressure. Repeat 2-3 times with that foot, then switch
and do the same with your left ankle.
Alternate Ankle
I've found that some students just aren't that good with the wall stretch
above, so here's another idea. Standing with your hands on your waist, or
even sitting down, lift your right foot off the floor and rotate your foot
at the ankle in big circles. Switch directions and do it again. Now do the
same with the other ankle. Complete 4-5 rotations on each side, in each
direction.
Closing Up
All in all a good strecthing routine will probably add a good 10-15 minutes
onto the beginning of your workout. Use the individual stretchs whenever you
feel a little stuff during your normal workout to help get the blood flowing
again. At the end of your workout do one or two reps of each stretch, or the
full routine if you like. Remember that no work out plan is complete without hitting all the
bases: stretch, cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and a good diet.
Take a look at some of the other articles on this site for tips on getting the other
essentials set up and putting yourself on the fast track to good health!
of the biggest causes of injuries during and even after exercise, is that
they just don't stretch correctly. This is almost always an issue with those
who are new to exercising, and results mostly from laziness, but also from
ignorance.
Many people don't want to stretch, don't know how, or don't know why they
should. Often it's a combination of the three. What I'll go into here
includes not only the how of stretching, but also the why. You'll get a list
of great exercises and a mini-anatomy lesson to boot.
Why do we stretch?
We stretch for a variety of reasons and at a variety of times, often doing
so without even thinking. Unconscious strecthing can occur when we stand
after sitting for a long while, after leaving a cramped car, or when we wake
up in the morning. Deliberate stretching is usually done before, during, and
after sports or other strenuous physical activity.
When we stretch unconsciously it's usually because our muscles are stiff
from under-use. Sleeping for eight hours provides great rest, but it also
causes very minor atrophy (weakening due to lack of use). You wake up and
stretch to get back to your normal level of strength and ability, and it
only takes a few moments and movements to achieve.
Atheletic stretching, by definition, takes more energy and time to induce
benefits and can cause harm if done improperly. One of the most common
injuries that cuts a training session short in martial arts is during
stretching, and I've been the one hurt as well as watched someone get hurt.
Done properly stretching has the potential to:
- improve flexibiilty
- reduce injury
- help sore muscles
Improving Flexibility
Your muscles are made up of stretchy cords or bundles called fascicles,
which in themselves are made up of muscles cells containing myofibrils.
These myofibrils contain the proteins actin and mysosin, and they're the
cells that cause the entire muscle to contract or go limp. The muscle we're
concerned about are skeletal muscles which, like their name suggests, are
attached to the skeletal system. These are the ones you stretch when you put
your arm behind your head, for example.
Stretching works because muscles only have two modes: relaxed or contracted.
When you stretch you're training your muscles to contract fully, then
stretch just a little bit more than you're comfortable with. This elongates
the muscle tissue via small tears, and when they heal they are longer and
stretchier. This is the same idea used for muscle growth only in another
direction: weights make them thicker, stretching makes them longer.
Reducing Injury
Muscles contract, and in order to move at all they have to contract the
correct way. Exercise and strenuous physical activity forces muscles to move
in odd and stressful ways. Over time they adapt to the stress and become
stronger and more flexible.
All of which is great to know, but what does that have to do with preventing
injury? In a word: everything!
A little pre-workout stretching will get the blood and nutrients your
muscles need flowing to the right places. You'll have an increased ability
to contract the muscles you need because your body is already prepared to do
so, and the muscles themselves have been activated. The activation of muscle
through stretching performs a kind of holding maneuver where everything you
need for a strong contraction is willing and able. This all prevents what I
like to call "cold reps," or those done without any preparation where the
muscles are forced to perform below peak ability at peak weights.
Put simply: it hurts to lift too much weight, run too far, or do too many
hard kicks without warming up first!
Helping Sore Muscles
If you read through the last section, you already know that stretching helps
get the blood flowing to the right place at the right time. That's the same
theory we use to help heal muscles after a big workout. During exercise
muscles are stressed from over stretching, over lifting, and funky range of
motion. It hurts and the muscles are the ones taking all the impact.
Whenever you lift a heavy load enough times you're breaking down and tearing
into your muscles. The fibers tear away just a little bit from one another,
and the proteins in your cells have to compensate by bridging the new gap.
The result is a bigger, more awesome looking muscle. In stretching you
change the direction of that bridge and make them slightly longer (to an
extent), but mostly just more elastic.
By stretching post-workout you increase the blow flow to your muscles again,
but this time you're helping your body deliver essential healing proteins to
repair the damage you inflicted. Keep in mind that your body needs
carbohydrates to heal too, since they solve all your energy needs. Thus,
when getting the blood flowing after you exercise you're also delivering new
energy molecules to your flagging systems.
The Techniques
Here's a good routine for stretching before just about any sports practice,
though you'll have to make sure you hit any areas of particular interest as
well. For instance you might want to focus more on shoulders and arms if
you're going to be playing baseball, or more on your legs if you're going
for a run. For ease of reference we'll start on the upper body and move our
way down to the legs and feet.
Disclaimer: these stretchs are safe for almost anyone, but they are in no
way a substitute for medical advice. If your doctor tells you not to bend
over and touch your toes, don't do it. Period. Always ask first if you have
a serious medical condition.
Neck Rolls
Look straight forward and then bend your neck forward and down. Now roll
your head on your shoulder, like you're watching a very large object hover
in circles around you. Keep your shoulders stationary and absorb all the
motion with your neck.
Ear Bends
Look straight ahead again, but this time try to touch your left ear to your
left shoulder without moving the shoulder. Do the same on the right side.
Repeat 2-3 times.
Shoulder Rolls
Lift your arms out in front of you, palms down. Now roll your arms all way
above your head and then drop them down behind your back as far as you can.
Complete the circle by bringing your arms down past your thighs and back in
front of you. Complete 3-4 circles forward, then reverse the motion and
complete 3-4 circles forward.
Arm Stretch
This stretch is one of the easiest to explain: lift your left arm to the
side of your body, now put it over and behind your head. Push down slightly
on your elbow with the right hand. Hold for a few seconds, then switch and
do the other arm. Repeat for both arms 2-3 times.
Wrist Rolls
With your arms straight out in front of you, rotate your wrists in large
circles. Go 3-4 rotations to the outside, then rotate 3-4 to the inside.
Both hands can be at the same time, so this one should go quickly.
Truck Rotations
Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, and your hands on your hips
like a Superhero. Bend your back slightly and bring your hips foward; now
move them to the right and back, creating circles around your feet. Reverse
direction and do the same the other way. Complete 3-4 full circles in each
direction.
Trunk Bends
Standing like you did during the rotations, bend yourself backward until
your almost off balance, arching your back and pushing your belly forward.
Hold here for a few seconds, then return to start. Now reach the opposite
direction and touch your toes (or as close as you can). Hold for a few
seconds. Repeat the whole movement 3-4 times total.
Optional: Trunk Twists
I love to crack my back, it makes it feel great since I spend so much time
sitting and writing (the things I do for you people!). The best way I've
found is the trunk twist. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart,
arms out to the sides. Now twist your back, keeping your hips as stationary
as possible. If you're like me you'll be rewarded with a sound like fingers
running down wooden blinds.
Butt Clasps
This is a funny one, and people might not even know you're strecthing. Just
stand like you did the last few exercises, hands on your hips. Now clench
your glutes (butt muscles) as hard as you can and hold for about 3-4
seconds. Repeat this 3-4 times.
Just like your biceps-triceps pairing, your thighs are made up of two
opposing muscles: the quadriceps (front) and hamstrings (back). So we need
to stretch both.
Thighs (back)
Have a seat on the ground and place your right foot out in front of you,
with the left folded back. The bottom of your left foot should be touching
the inside of your right thigh. Now reach forward and place your hands as
close to the floor in front of your right foot as possible. The goal here is
to put your sternum (the bone in the middle of your chest) on your
thigh/knee area. Point your toes forward during this part. Hold for 3-4
seconds, then relax and let yourself up. Repeat 2-3 more times. Now switch,
putting out your left foot and bringing your right foot in to your groin
area. Stretch the same way as before, 3-4 second holds, 2-3 reps.
Thighs (front)
If you have good balance on one foot then stand as normal, if not go find a
wall to help support yourself. Now that you're balanced, bend your right leg
up and try to place your foot on your glutes. Assist yourself by reaching
back with your right hand and grabbing your ankle. This will cause those
quads to stretch out nicely. Hold each stretch for 2-3 seconds and repeat
2-3 times with each leg.
Ankles
If you're at a wall, you're ready, if not then go find one. Now, place your
right foot against the wall so that your heel is on the ground and your toes
touch the wall. Lean foward with your body so that your toes bend as far
back towards your body as you can without breaking it. Hold a few seconds,
then let up on the pressure. Repeat 2-3 times with that foot, then switch
and do the same with your left ankle.
Alternate Ankle
I've found that some students just aren't that good with the wall stretch
above, so here's another idea. Standing with your hands on your waist, or
even sitting down, lift your right foot off the floor and rotate your foot
at the ankle in big circles. Switch directions and do it again. Now do the
same with the other ankle. Complete 4-5 rotations on each side, in each
direction.
Closing Up
All in all a good strecthing routine will probably add a good 10-15 minutes
onto the beginning of your workout. Use the individual stretchs whenever you
feel a little stuff during your normal workout to help get the blood flowing
again. At the end of your workout do one or two reps of each stretch, or the
full routine if you like. Remember that no work out plan is complete without hitting all the
bases: stretch, cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and a good diet.
Take a look at some of the other articles on this site for tips on getting the other
essentials set up and putting yourself on the fast track to good health!
Stretching 101
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
NEWS: 10/28/07: Initial Testing and Set-up Complete 10/26/07: Site Launched |