Gymnastics skills revolve around the ability to easily stretch and manipulate the body through a range of motion. In order to allow for this range of motion, regular stretching is essential to keep the muscles, ligaments and tendons pliable through each gymnastic movement. However, this focus on stretching can backfire if you over-stretch.
Muscle Damage
Muscle damage, more specifically muscle strains or tears, are one of the main dangers of over-stretching as part of your gymnastics preparation. These strains are especially common during hamstring stretches and with stretches that involve the lower back muscles, according to MayoClinic.com. While a mild muscle strain might heal on its own with an ice pack for inflammation and rest, a more serious muscle tear will need diagnosis and treatment by a medical professional and can significantly affect your ability to continue in gymnastics.
Tendon Damage
Tendons can also be damaged through over-stretching in preparation for gymnastics. Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect the muscles and bones. As such, when you stretch a muscle too far, you are also at risk of over-stretching the attached tendon, resulting in a tendon strain. A common strain for gymnasts is of the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel, which can be strained during leg and ankle stretches. This strain can further be aggravated by the repetitive stress of jumping and landing in gymnastics routines.
Ligament Damage
Ligaments are also at risk for sprain during stretching exercises for gymnastics. The ligaments are tougher tissues that hold two bones together. One of the more common ligaments at risk from stretching are areas connected to the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL. The ACL is a integral ligament in the knee that can be sprained or torn during stretches that involve the legs, and aggravated by gymnastic movements such as tumbling or vaulting.
Avoid Over-stretching
In order to avoid injury from over-stretching, listen to your body. If while stretching you feel any pain, stop that specific stretch. Start small with your stretches. Push the body part being focused on only far enough to feel a slight stretch. As your tissues become more pliable you can slowly push the stretch further. Keep the stretch controlled and the movements slow. Only hold a stretch for 10 to 20 seconds and then release to avoid stretching tissues too long, increasing your risk for injury.
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