Benefits of Stretching - March 17, 2011

Dear Friends of Roscoe Chiropractic,

It's coming back into that time of year when even the people who don't usually exercise start getting more active.  I couldn't be happier about the prospect of taking walks on my lunch breaks again.  After several months of inactivity or at least less activity than normal I wanted to share some information about stretching.  I know I've believed some common misconceptions regarding healthy stretching before activity.

For decades it's been standard to believe that stretching the body before physical activity was key to increasing flexibility, avoiding injury and improving athletic performance.  This is actually based on a lot of assumptions and very little actual research on the topic.  In an article that was published in The Physician and Sport Medicine two doctors reviewed over 60 studies related to issues involving stretching and showed there were contradictions. The conclusion that was reached was that stretching may provide substantial benefits if used under appropriate conditions.

What does that mean? Well there are different kinds of stretching and they should be used in the right conditions before or after certain activities.  There are too many kinds of stretching to list but there are some techniques that fall under the following categories

1. Dynamic Stretching - This involves moving your whole body while engaging in stretching techniques. An example would be walking while swinging a leg up to your mid section, holding it for a second and then release and repeat with the other leg.  Some studies suggest dynamic stretching is best conducted before engaging in physical activity.

2. Static Stretching - The goal with static stretching is to stretch the muscle to it's farthest point without causing pain.  You generally hold a static stretch for 30 seconds. If the area is stiff you can increase that to 60 seconds. These types of stretches are best done after physical activity.

3. Ballistic Stretching - These are bouncing stretches. The research on this type of stretching has been mixed. Some believe it can put you at risk of pulling muscles. This type of stretching is not as familiar  but there is an advanced system called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation or PNF. This involves contracting specific muscle groups using resistance. It seems to activate muscles more quickly than other types of stretching.  Due to it's advanced technique it's best done first with a health care professional who has expertise in the area.

So there you have it.  Here is to good weather and better weather to come!