Fitness professional stress the importance of stretching before and after exercise to prevent muscle injury and soreness. While you know that stretching feels good, you may be unsure why the actual mechanics of stretching make your body feel that way. Regardless, it is important that you stretch when your muscles are warm to prevent muscle strain or tension from stretching cold muscles. Consult your doctor for advice on how and when to stretch, and if muscle soreness persists or worsens despite stretching.
Brain Response
Your muscles are controlled by your central nervous system, which is the part of your brain you can control. Your brain sends messages to your muscles to move when you want them to; in turn, your muscles send messages to your brain about body position, pain and more. When you stretch, your muscles send pleasurable messages to your central nervous system, according to the Naked Scientists website, a group of Cambridge University researchers answering questions about the body.
Post-Workout Stretch
Stretching sore muscles after your workout also has physical effects on your body. If your body does not get enough oxygen while you are exercising, it begins to produce lactic acid as a waste product to obtain energy. Lactic acid can contribute to muscle soreness. When you stretch your sore muscles, the stretch helps to reduce the amount of lactic acid in the muscles. This can reduce your muscle soreness.
Muscle Tension
Muscle soreness can take several hours to develop. Your muscles may feel tight, as if they are being contracted, yet nothing is moving. When you stretch and elongate your muscles, you may feel a reduction in muscle tension, according to eOrthopod, an orthopedic-physician website. As you gain flexibility, you will have to put more effort into your stretch to experience a relief in muscle tension, which can diminish the muscle-tension-relieving benefits of stretching.
How to Stretch
To experience the maximum benefits associated with stretching, you should warm up your muscles first. Walking for five to 10 minutes before stretching can loosen and warm your muscles, increasing the benefits of your stretch, the Mayo Clinic explains. If you force a stretch too far, you may feel pain --- a sign you should relax the stretch slightly. Avoid stretching a muscle you suspect may be strained. Continuing to stretch this muscle can further strain it.
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