Following principles of stretching can help increase your flexibility while helping you avoid stretching and exercise-related injuries. Stretching lubricates your joints, increases blood flow to muscle tissues, helps muscles generate more force and enhances post-workout recovery. Stretching exercises should only cause mild discomfort without any pain. Hold individual stretches for at least 30 seconds. Holding individual stretches for 60 seconds may provide the most long-term flexibility adaptation, according to the IDEA Health and Fitness Association.
Warm Muscles
Stretching is safer when performed on warm muscles, stretching cold muscles may lead to injury or inappropriately stress individual muscle fibers. The National Federation of Personal Trainers recommends performing stretching exercises primarily during the final phase of a workout session. You may also perform mild stretching exercises after warming up the target muscles for five to 10 minutes, or in between resistance exercise sets.
Gentle
Stretching exercises should be gentle. The Caritas Medical Group of Alberta's Misericordia Community Hospital suggests that stretching exercises should be so gentle that muscular tension dissipates after holding a particular stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Applying excessive force can counteract a stretch by causing the target muscle to contract. For example, your knee may bend and contract the hamstrings, if your partner applies too much force when helping you stretch during a supine hamstring stretch.
Slow
Stretching your muscles slowly is the safest and most effective method of performing stretching exercises. According to strength and conditioning specialist, James Kohler, slow and smooth stretching movements are safer, because they stimulate less reaction from stress receptors. Moving your muscles slowly while stretching also helps you avoid injury by increasing your awareness of muscle tension, even when tension is minimal. You should also slowly return to a relaxed position after holding individual stretching postures. Any jerky movements can cause tension, which counteracts the stretch.
Frequency
Perform stretching exercises at least three days each week, recommends the National Federation of Personal Trainers. You can increase your flexibility even more by stretching more often, according to James Kohler. The Caritas Medical Group recommends performing 10 sets of stretching exercises four times a day when your want to improve flexibility of a particular muscle. Perform each set at different times throughout the day, and reduce the frequency to twice a day after you reach the flexibility that you desire.
References
- National Federation of Personal Trainers: Personal Fitness Trainer Manual; Ron J. Clarke; 2008
- Rejeneration: Basic Principles of Stretching; Jenna Howe
- Caritas Health Group: General Principles of Stretching
- Bodybuilding.com: Flexibility Training Types & Effects; James Kohler
- IDEA Health and Fitness Association: Safe and Effective Stretching; Amy Ashmore, Ph.D.
