Participating in sports requires a tremendous amount of muscle strength, and athletes spend a lot of time building up their muscles in order to increase their power. But a frequently overlooked aspect of muscle performance is flexibility. If your muscles aren’t flexible, it won’t matter how strong they are – they’ll be much more prone to injury. That’s why the importance of a sports stretching routine cannot be underestimated.
It’s been well established that stretching has many benefits, including:
1. Improving the flexibility of your muscles. Anyone can benefit from increased flexibility because it improves muscle performance in all your movements, from small tasks such as buttoning a shirt to the mobility required to pivot on the basketball court.
2. Increasing the joints’ range of motion. Having greater range of motion leads to better balance, which is important in the prevention of falls.
3. Improving blood flow and circulation. Stretching stimulates blood flow which improves muscle health and also boosts energy levels.
4. Relieving stress. Stretching relaxes tense muscles, which are usually a sign of stress. By relaxing those muscles, stress can be alleviated. And that’s important for any athlete!
There are several different kinds of stretching methods, but the most common are static and dynamic.
Static stretching is when a particular muscle or set of muscles are slowly stretched until they reach the point of resistance or mild tension. The stretch is held for a certain time period, usually 20 to 30 seconds, and then released.
Dynamic stretching involves movement and momentum during the stretch. These stretches are used by physical therapists for injury rehabilitation, and also by athletic trainers to replicate certain sports moves.
There are a number of guidelines that can help make your sports stretching routine more effective and reduce the chance of muscle injury.
1. Never stretch your muscles when they’re cold. A warm-up exercise, such as walking or some other low intensity exercise, should be performed for 5 minutes. Warm muscles are less likely to suffer stress and strain during stretching.
2. Don’t be in a hurry. Whether you’re performing static or dynamic stretches, perform them slowly and gently. Bouncing or stretching past the point of mild resistance can tear the muscle tissue.
3. Remember to breathe. It’s important that you don’t hold your breath while stretching, because breathing intensifies the benefits of stretching by helping you relax and maintaining blood circulation.
4. Don’t stretch to the point of pain.
5. Alternate stretching on each side of the body, and do each stretch three or four times, holding for 15 to 30 seconds.
Free Stretching Tips e-Course from The Stretching Institute
- Stay up-to-date with all the latest stretching and sports injury research.
- Get instant notification every time a new article or research finding is published.
- Plus, get a free 29 page PDF download: Stretching Tips! And a free 1 hour MP3 audio: Stretching Secrets Exposed.
