Flexibility
Flexibility: flex·i·bil·i·ty
/ˌfleksəˈbilədē/ - noun: flexibility
1. the quality of bending easily without breaking.
"players gained improved flexibility in their ankles"
The second part of the series has to do with flexibility, my least favorite of the three topics covered in this series, that is why I sandwiched it in the middle. As you can see above, the definition of flexibility is pretty straightforward. Though in the world of fitness and sports, it usually refers to a muscle’s ability to stretch and lengthen. As the definition states it, getting flexibility in the ankle is actually often referred to as Mobility, which we will cover in part three of this series. However, the two topics overlap of course, as do all things in the world of Strength & Conditioning.
For practical purposes we will say that to improve flexibility one must do some sort of stretching. Flexibility is a noun and stretching is a verb so we will be using that to discuss flexibility. I hope that is OK with everyone.
So why stretch? Why is it important? Is it important? When do you do it? When do you not do it? How do you do it? Those are all good questions to think about, so let’s get started.
Why Stretch?
When you stretch you are attempting to lengthen the muscle fibers. Now, there is a lot going on when you do this, as there are different types of contractions, the body wants to fight you on it with muscle spindles, there are stretch reflexes and then the connective tissue gets involved.
You can even get into different muscle types, types of contractions, muscle groupings and how they interact. So, there are lots of rabbit holes to go down if you so choose. You can find a great resource on it from MIT, it has a great deal of information about it, the link is below. I think you should take a look at it. http://www.mit.edu/activities/tkd/stretch/stretching_2.html
Why is it important? Is it important?
I believe it is important to stretch, at least some, because it will help your body move through its daily ranges of motion. Though I do not always like doing it, I think it does have value. If you are able to improve your ROM then your mobility will likely improve as well. To cite the initial definition regarding ankle flexibility, if a joint is to be mobile, then the muscles must allow it.
Harvard Medical School says it is important to stretch because:
“Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.”
Even the best medical school in the country does not draw a distinction between joint mobility and muscle flexibility, though doctors are not generally the people to ask when it comes to training modalities.
When do you do it?
I think the universe has agreed that it is not a good idea to stretch a cold muscle, so there should be some sort of warm-up activity prior to attempting to stretch any muscle. As you might have read in Part 1 of the series, stretching is not something I am a fan of, but I definitely will not do it cold. In my opinion, it is best do stretch either during a lifting session, between exercises or after any workout or practice. This way, your body is really warm and the stretching could, and should, have a greater effect.
When do you not do it?
We have partially answered this question, do not stretch when your body is cold. However, there are a few more instances when you should not stretch. I do not think you should stretch a muscle when it is sore, generally you are just making it worse. If you have a tight or sore muscle, you might be better off using a foam roller to compress the muscle, especially if there is a knot or trigger point in there. Many times, if something is tight or sore, it could be a different muscle group causing the issue. This is called Reciprocal Inhibition, one of the previously mentioned rabbit holes you can go down in the MIT link. If your [back, hamstring, lat] is sore, it may not be your [back, hamstring, lat] that is the issue. You also should not stretch if you have an injury to a joint.
How do you do it?
This is where you have to be picky, as there are lots of ways to stretch muscles, so we will make a list of just a few:
Ballistic Stretching: This type of stretching involves bouncing at the terminal end of the stretch. This is not always advisable and the world went away from it years ago, put there are times that is can be beneficial.
Static Stretching: This type of stretching is as the name implies, static. You go to a position and hold it for a period of time. Think of a simple toe touch hamstring stretch.
PNF Stretching: This type of stretching involves, usually with a partner, contracting and relaxing the muscle of a limb while it is held in a certain position in the range of motion. For a hamstring stretch, you would lift your leg as far as you can on your own and your partner would hold it there. You would then push against your partner and they would resist movement in your leg. After a few seconds you would relax and your partner would attempt to take your leg further into the ROM. You would do this 3-4 times per limb. This is an effective method of stretching, something I do not believe teams do enough of these days.
Active Isolation Stretching: This is a type of stretching that involves isolating a muscle group, performing a quick stretch (1-3 seconds) and then relaxing it and performing multiple repetitions of it in a row (usually 10). You can do this while holding a stretch or use a strap or band as well. I also like this for of stretching.
Yoga: Go to a yoga class. I hate starting a yoga class, I like it while I am doing it, but I love it when I am done. I feel much better and I believe it can have a great effect on your body, not just from a physical standpoint but mentally and emotionally as well.
Self-Myofascial Release: This is a fancy way to say Foam Rolling, but it is effective for helping to loosen the muscle tissue to become more supple and thus be better able to lengthen.
Body Tempering: If I am to include foam rolling in this article, then I would be remiss if I did not include body tempering as well. Body tempering is far superior by every measure, though it usually involves needing a partner to help you. Think of it as reverse foam rolling, instead of putting your body weight onto a roller, you put the roller on your body while you lay on the floor. This roller just happens to be a very heavy metal pipe. This is one of the greatest things I have come across in the past 10-12 years of working with athletes on performance and recovery.
As I wrote this article, I realized that I may not be as against stretching as I always thought. I guess that is a good thing to find out about yourself.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series: Mobility.
Stay Flexible!!