HOW TO ACHIEVE
MAXIMUM
FLEXIBILITY
By Doug Fogel,
"The Headache Guy"
and Paul Bacho,
Certified Athletic Trainer
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 4 - How to Stretch Properly to Avoid Chronic
Pain and Achieve Maximum Flexibility
Page 5 - Understanding Flexibility
Page 7 - A Breakdown of Stretching
Page 8 - Elastic Property
Page 9 - Plastic Property
Page 13 - Summary to Increasing Flexibility
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Disclaimer
For obvious reasons, we cannot assume the medical
or legal responsibility of having any of this material
considered as a prescription for anyone.
Treatment of illness or injury must be supervised by
a physician or other licensed health professional.
Accordingly, either you, or the professional who
examines and treats you, must take the
responsibility for theses made of any of this
material.
Copyright 2008 Healthmeisters Publishing Co., Inc.
PO BOX 542 GEYSERVILLE, CA 95441
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HOW TO STRETCH PROPERLY TO AVOID
CHRONIC PAIN
AND ACHIEVE MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY
Stretching.
Everyone who's physically active knows that it's part
of a good workout regimen. It's also very important
to stretch properly if you're trying to improve your
posture.
Unfortunately, most people stretch improperly.
Have you been stretching for a long time - years
maybe - but seem to be getting less flexible? You'd
think that since you've been stretching for so long,
you'd be getting more flexible, not tighter.
I'll explain why this is happening in the following few
pages.
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Understanding Flexibility
Flexibility can be described as the range of motion
(ROM) through which a joint moves. It primarily
involves the connective tissue surrounding the joints
and adjacent musculature.
These connective tissues include the joint capsule,
ligaments and tendons. It is important to note that
the muscle itself is not the primary concern for ROM.
Rather, it's the connective tissue which surrounds
the individual muscle fiber units (myofibrils).
Why be flexible? Because:
* a stretched, or elongated muscle is an efficient
muscle (you'll have better performance and be less
likely to suffer chronic pain)
* the tightness of a muscle must be overcome by
an earlier and increased contraction of the opposite
muscle (example: when running, the quadriceps
would have to begin contracting sooner and with
more force in order to move a tight hamstring
through a complete ROM)
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* inflexible muscles can, and will, change basic
movement mechanics
Therefore:
* a more efficient muscle is less likely to be
injured
* less strength is needed to overcome internal
resistance; more strength is available for additional
work (this results in increased strength and
endurance - you'll run faster and jump higher)
* abnormal mechanics will strain supporting
structures, which can result in injury (example: tight
calf muscles will cause the foot to roll in or pronate
excessively; this is one of the causes of shin splints)
Too often, the attainment of flexibility has been
limited to the demonstration of various stretching
positions with limited instructions.
For example, you'll see a chart with a series of
stretching positions illustrated, with instructions to
perform these stretches for "30 seconds, relax, then
repeat."
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To more fully understand specific stretching
procedures and how to perform them properly, some
background information is in order.
Once grasped, you'll understand exactly what
flexibility is, what specific tissues are involved, and
what needs to be accomplished physiologically so
that you'll have more permanently flexible muscles.
A Breakdown of Stretching
Connective tissue is the ultimate concern of any
flexibility program. It is the connective tissue that is
primarily responsible for the limitations in ROM
around a joint. Connective tissue is fibrous protein
material that is organized into:
*
*
*
*
ligaments
tendons
joint capsules
fascial sheaths
A muscle is surrounded by an extensive array of
connective tissue. The connective tissue (fascial
sheath) contributes to limiting joint ROM.
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The muscle itself is not of primary concern.
Muscle is extremely flexible. It's the connective
tissue holding the muscle together that needs to be
stretched.
So what happens when a stretch position is assumed
and the tissue is thus put under stress? And what
should the goal be in order to increase flexibility?
Some background about connective tissue
properties will aid your understanding. Specifically,
there are two basic properties of connective tissue.
They are the elastic property and the plastic
property.
Elastic Property
The elastic property of connective tissue can be
likened to a rubber band. When you stretch a rubber
band and let go, the rubber band snaps back to its
original shape.
The same thing happens in the elastic portion of the
connective tissue. The change in shape (length) of
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the tissue is only temporary, since it returns to its
original shape after the stretch is removed.
Plastic Property
The plastic property of connective tissue refers to
the elements in the connective tissue that do not
recover their original shape after a stretch is
removed. This can be compared to what happens
when you stretch putty - the shape obtained during
stretching becomes a permanent alteration.
Connective tissue does not exhibit elastic or plastic
properties exclusively. Instead, there is a
combination of the two. The ratio of plastic-elastic
elements differ according to the type of connective
tissue and its function. This combination of
properties is referred to as its viscoelastic
properties (the flexibility of your tissue is largely
inherited; that's why some people don't stretch and
are very flexible, while others need to stretch all of
the time).
So what types of connective tissue property
changes are desired - elastic or plastic?
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Let's review. Elastic properties are temporary;
flexibility under this property are only obtained
during a stretch. Plastic properties are permanent;
flexibility under this property continues after the
stretch.
Since you want increased flexibility to extend
beyond your stretching regimen, you have to
increase the plastic property of the connective
tissues your stretching.
So what protocol will bring about the greatest
amount of plastic change? Well there are three
elements to consider:
*
*
*
the amount of force of your stretch
the duration of this force
the temperature of the tissue to be stretched
In medical annals, it is generally accepted that a
slow, steady, even stretch (called static) is much
more conducive to gaining flexibility (improving the
plastic property) than a short, intense stretch
(called ballistic).
A short, intense, bouncy stretch applied to a cold,
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stiff muscle is counterproductive. It can:
* strain or tear a muscle and/or connective tissue
* initiate "stretch reflex," where a muscle quickly
contracts as a result of a violent stretch (often
causing a muscle spasm)
Structural damage results from any type of
stretching, but maximal damage occurs when a large
force is applied to a "cold" muscle.
Therefore, it make sense to follow a program that
will give maximal optimal results and minimal
negative results.
With all this in mind, what you want to do is apply low
tension force over a long period of time to a warmed
up muscle. This results in plastic changes with
minimal structural damage.
Now that a proper protocol has been established, I
anticipate you have the following questions:
Q: What is low tension? How do you know when
to stop pushing?
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A: Well, any force that causes pain is too much. The
body uses pain as an indicator that the affected area
has reached its physiological limits. Pain indicates
that damage is being done.
Therefore, you should feel tension during your
stretch, but no pain.
Q: How long is a long period of time?
A: A stretching period of three to five minutes per
muscle or muscle group should be sufficient. Some
individuals may require a little more, while some a
little less (when recovering from an injury, stretching
several times a day may be necessary).
What is a warmed-up muscle?
A: A working muscle generates heat. As heat
increases, so does the temperature in the muscle.
Sub-maximal exercise (enough to break a sweat)
should be done prior to stretching (a brief jog,
calisthenics, a few minutes on a stationary bike,
etc.). Increased muscle temperature enhances
plastic changes.
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Summary to Increasing Flexibility
1. Do some light warm-up exercises to increase
tissue temperature before stretching - warm
muscles stretch better.
2. Assume a comfortable position that can be
maintained for the duration of the stretch.
3. There should be no pain in the muscle being
stretched - pain=injury (forget "no pain, no gain" - it
doesn't apply here).
4. Hold the stretch position for a minimum of
three minutes (preferably five) continuously.
5. Individuals with specific flexibility problems
should stretch before and after their activity.
That's it! If you follow this stretching protocol, you'll
definitely improve your flexibility. As a result, you'll
have better performance and a lower risk of injury
and headaches- in other words you'll more fully enjoy
your workout activity and workaday life.
*** One final note. Yes, three to five minutes per
stretch will seem like a long time, especially at first.
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However, you can find comfort in the fact that after
you obtain increased flexibility, you won't have to
stretch as often.
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