STRETCHING, THE ROAD TO FLEXIBILITY

STRETCHING, THE ROAD TO FLEXIBILITY
BY Bernard L. Gladieux, Jr.

It is one thing to be fast, strong, enduring and tough. These qualities are all palpable signs of athleticism and fitness. But there is also a more subtle, passive aspect of high quality fitness that many high performance athletes undervalue.

It is flexibility or more descriptively litheness – as in large cats (and small ones, too.)

It is tempting for many athletes to ignore, forget or otherwise put off tending to the range of motion of the various hinges (joints) in their bodies. But body stiffness has a way of creeping up on the training, aging and improving athlete. And at some point the slow, inexorable slipping away of flexibility will begin to impair performance, limit endurance and leave the athlete vulnerable to injury.

True runners and other athletes seem to get away with but minimal attention to their flexibility, but it is a very risky game they play with higher stakes than may be apparent when all is going well.

A middle aged runner and well developed, all-around athlete, friend and neighbor had always disparaged flexibility for himself. For many years he was able to run and cycle and play well in a wide range of sports. He was strong and tight. The fact that he couldn’t bend at the waist far enough to touch his shins without bending his knees never seemed to give him much concern or any obvious problem.

Then, playing in a pickup game of basketball, he stepped back hard on his heel, felt a “pop” and a sharp pain in his calf. He knew immediately that he had just disconnected his Achilles tendon from its attachment. It had, after all, become a familiar feeling since it was the second such “pop” he had experienced in the past two years. He was certainly familiar with the repair protocol – major surgery the next day to reattach this vital cord. That was the easy part. The six months in a hip-to-heel, rigid cast was the part that began to wear more than a little thin the second time around. Trauma like this may not be inevitable for the taut veteran athlete, but the risk is real, and the prevention relatively painless and easy once you get used to it. Achieving increased flexibility can even be pleasurable.

One of the first things you might do is to evaluate your own flexibility. Sitting on the floor, legs extended, knees unbent, can you lean forward and touch your toes without bending your knees? If not, it is a worthy initial goal to aim for.

There are other measures, but this one is key since it involves all of the backside muscles and connections. They are the ones most likely to become bunchy and tight in most active athletes.

One of the best and time honored ways to achieve and maintain flexibility is to stretch. Here are some ideas and approaches.

START:
Think about it and begin to work a stretching routine into your training. It need not be an elaborate or time consuming program. It’s most important to be regular about it.

LEARN:You can start modestly and intuitively, easing into it with the stretches that feel best for you. Or you can go out and get a find a guide from a book store or the Internet. You can also sign up for a yoga or flexibility class at your local fitness club or community group.

WARM UP:
Stretching before q workout should be gentle and easy, gradual and almost cursory. Save your major stretching until after you are thoroughly warmed during or after your workout or both.

SLOW:
Avoid ballistic stretching, that is stretching that involves short, bouncing motions. Ballistic stretching is, at best, the least beneficial stretching technique, and it can also produce injuries and otherwise be counter productive. Make your stretches deep and slow. Holding a stretch for as long as thirty seconds is generally not too long.

STRETCH FLEXED:One technique of stretching has been shown by research to give generally superior results. It is sometimes called “Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation,” but not very often. You may prefer “PNF “or “flex and stretch” as simpler terms of art. PNF is best done with a partner or when you can isolate and flex or tighten the muscles that are held while being stretched. The sequence: Stretch the muscle; contract it and hold for ten to thirty seconds; relax the muscle; stretch it again; contract; hold; relax; and finally, repeat the cycle a third time before moving on to the next stretch. You should notice a deeper stretch with each repetition.

PARTNER:
Passive stretching involving someone else actually applying pressure has some advantages over stretching by yourself., especially when it is combined with the PNF technique above. For example. Lying on your back with on leg straight up, have your partner push it gently but firmly further up, toward your head with a shoulder (like a football blocking sled trainer) Relax and accept the stretch then, on a signal, try to push against your partner’s shoulder at the limit of the stretch using only your hamstring muscles. Relax and repeat for a total of three times on each leg.

WHOLE BODY:
Runners, walkers and cyclists are usually the most in need of stretching, they should not forget the back and upper body as well, especially after any upper body strengthening work. The same principles should apply, namely, deliberate and slow.

QUICK FIXES:
If you develop any muscular pain or tightness that tends to limit motion, use ice heat, deep muscle compression massage and any other technique that works for you to relax the muscle, improve its blood circulation and by stretching, retrain it to remain supple and out of spasm.

REMEMBER:
Good flexibility is a reliable and inexpensive insurance against unpleasant surprises.

In Good Heath,
Bernard L. Gladieux, Jr.