If you are suffering from nagging pain, a muscular imbalance might be the cause. Your muscles pair up to activate motion from your body. For example, your quadriceps and hamstrings work together to move your knee. Through imbalanced training or simply from everyday use, one muscle in a pair can become stronger, resulting in a muscular imbalance that leads to pain. Stretching is a vital tool for restoring balance to the area.
Stretching
Often, exercisers neglect stretching. However, studies show it not only improves flexibility and increases your range of motion, but also can prevent injuries and relieve stress. When you have a muscular imbalance, your stronger muscle also is tighter. Stretching it can help you restore balance and relieve pain stemming from the muscular imbalance. Use static or stationary stretching, where you hold a stretch for 30 seconds. You should stretch to the point that you feel a gentle tug in your muscle, never to the point that you feel pain in the area. Stretch daily to see the greatest results.
Chest Stretch
Daily activities such as lifting, driving and working on a computer take place in front of your body, resulting in stronger, tighter pectoral muscles in your chest and weak, overstretched trapezius muscles in your upper back. A pectoral stretch can help counteract this. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Clasp your hands behind your back and straighten your arms, lifting them away from your body slightly. Pull your shoulders back and lift your chin to the ceiling, feeling the stretch in the muscles across the front of your chest.
Back Stretch
Lower-back pain often is a result of two different muscular imbalances in the area. The first is stronger erector spinae muscles in your back combined with weaker abdominal muscles. Lie on your back for a stretch to loosen up your lower back muscles. Keeping your shoulders relaxed and your abdominal muscles pulled in, bend your knees and hug them to your chest. Grab your shins, as you press your lower back to the ground. To increase the stretch you feel, lift your head off the ground, curling your forehead toward your knees.
Hip Flexor Stretch
The second muscular imbalance that contributes to lower back pain is between your gluteal muscles in your rear end and your iliopsoas muscles in the front of your hips. Tightness in your iliopsoas, commonly referred to as your hip flexors, pulls your pelvis forward. Stretch these muscles while kneeling on your left knee with your right foot on the ground in front of you. Use a folded towel under your left knee for cushion. With your hands on your hips, gently press your hips forward toward your right knee. Repeat the stretch on the other side as well.
References
- Los Angeles Trade-Tech: Muscle Balance Lecture Notes
- MayoClinic.com: Fitness -- Stretching: Focus on Flexibility
- Sports Injury Clinic: Types of Stretching
- GirlsHealth: Fitness -- Stretching Exercises
- Sports Injury Clinic: Lower Back Stretch
- MayoClinic.com: Fitness -- Slideshow: A Guide to 10 Basic Stretches
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