Fifty-Plus Fitness Library

Library : Year 2 | Session 8: Adding Flexibility Exercises To Your Routine

STRETCHING - A key to avoiding athletic injuries

"No pain, no gain" has been a credo of some coaches and athletes regarding warm-up stretches. Here are better words to keep in mind while you stretch: "No pain, no pain."

"You can do a disservice to yourself when you stretch past the point of pain," said Edward R. Laskowski, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center, Rochester, Minn. "We always say you should never hold a painful stretch. You should back off just to where it's not painful, and that's what you want to hold during the duration of the stretch."

The goal of routine stretching exercises is to improve flexibility. Flexibility, aerobic conditioning and strength training are the three broad objectives to focus on as you maintain your body for the rigors and enjoyment of sports. Proper stretching actually lengthens the muscle tissue, making it less "tight" and therefore less prone to trauma and tears. A stretching routine also feels good and can be a relaxing period of your day.

Click here* to see quick-loading diagrams of a stretching program for basic muscle groups.

Don't stretch these rules ...

Dr. Laskowski advises the following to get the most out of your stretching program.

• Everybody's different - We all aren't gymnasts. Focus on maintaining adequate flexibility for your sports and activity level.
• Be sport-specific - Different sports emphasize different muscle groups. Concentrate on the range of motions and the muscle groups that you're likely to use in your sport.
• Start slowly - Example: A ballet dancer begins slowly, with one hand on the bar, before beginning high kicks out on the floor.
• Hold your stretch - It takes time to lengthen tissue safely. Hold your stretches at least 30 seconds - and up to a minute with a particularly tight muscle or problem area.
• Stretch 'heated' muscles - Stretching a cold muscle can strain and irritate the tissue. Warm up first. Walk before you jog, jog before you run, etc. It's most beneficial to stretch after you exercise, when the muscle is heated by blood flow and is more accommodating of a stretch.
• Do not bounce! - Bouncing can cause microtrauma in the muscle, which must heal itself with scar tissue. The scar tissue tightens the muscle, making you less flexible - and more prone to pain.
• Think equality - Strive for balance in flexibility on each side of your body. For example, if one hamstring is tighter than the other, you may be more prone to injury.
• Don't be afraid to ask - A sports medicine specialist, athletic trainer, physical therapist, or health-club advisor may help improve your stretching technique.

New research

Mayo sports medicine doctors are researching whether total relaxation of a muscle may be an important part of achieving flexibility, perhaps apart from or in combination with stretching. Anecdotally, they've observed a high degree of flexibility in "tight" people while they are under general anesthesia - even though their muscles are structurally the same as when they are awake. Although it's too early to draw conclusions, the theory behind this new research is that stimulation from the central nervous system influences the flexibility of muscles, and that relaxing a muscle may be a viable method of enhancing flexibility.

For more information

• Stretching by muscle groups - An illustrated guide

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