I am going to answer some of the most common questions I receive in regard to stretching…
- Why should I do it??
- Is it necessary and what is the benefit?
- I’m having problems with some stretches and it hurts, what am I doing wrong?
- I don’t seem to be making progress, what should I do?
Here is some information on the benefits of stretching and what you can do to become more flexible and make the exercises easier.
Why should I stretch?
Stretching is one of the best physical activities you can perform for your body!
It helps to…
- Increase flexibility and allow you to maintain it throughout your lifetime
- Improve explosive power
- Create a greater range of motion
- Prevent muscle injury
- Increase circulation
- Improve oxygen and nutrition transport.
- Improve cellular waste removal
- Increase strength, stamina, endurance
Is stretching necessary and what is the benefit?
As the body ages, it becomes increasingly difficult to move with ease and your range of motion is reduced because muscle fibers tend to shorten and both tendons and ligaments tend to harden.
- Tendons and ligaments harden from a natural calcification process that occurs when bone repair cells move on to a tendon or ligament and depositing calcium in an attempt to fix cracks or fissures. Over time, this turns the once soft and flexible tissue into hard stiff tissue, making movement increasingly more difficult.
- Muscle fibers shorten from either a lack of use or the replacement of muscle fibers with fatty collagen, as a result of heavy use as in weight lifting, lots of bending, standing, walking all day, etc.
Stretching prevents the loss of mobility and helps to increase your range of motion though the flexing of your tendons and ligaments which breaks up calcium deposits. By also pulling on your muscles, you help to break up and eliminate fatty collagen fibers.
The Light Warrior stretching program is based on an ancient Daoist system that also opens the meridians, or rivers of energy throughout your body, that in turn removes energy blockages and maintains your natural chi flow.
I’m having problems with some stretches and it hurts, what am I doing wrong?
Age and gender is not necessarily a factor in your level of flexibility. Males & females, children, adults, and seniors almost always have a problem with pain and a lack of flexibility when they first start.
A key to developing better flexibility and range of motion, is stretching for longer periods of time and sitting in the various positions for 10 – 15 minutes each, or as long as you can.
Here are a couple of suggestions…
Stretch while watching television or focusing on another activity like reading
When you stretch that is usually all that you are doing, thus the brain concentrates only on the pain you are feeling, making the process feel much worse that it really is. Without something to distract your mind the pain seems more intense and results in reeling from the pain, letting go and stopping the stretch. None of which helps increase your flexibility.
On the other hand, when you watch TV while stretching, or distract the mind with an additional activity, the pain seems less intense and leads to stretching farther and for longer amounts of time. The pain is in your mind, not in your muscles…if you focus on something else, your mind stops dwelling on how bad “you think” it hurts and you have a much easier time stretching.
Relaxing music can also be helpful, however it is not as distracting as watching TV or reading, so it is important to follow the lyrics or the melody in your mind.
Sit in or hold each position for longer amount of time
Holding a stretch position for about 10 -15 minutes is a big help when trying to increase flexibility and let’s use the figure four position as an example.
1. Sit on the floor with your right leg forward and your left foot against your thigh.
2. Lean forward and use both hands to grab the sides of your right foot, your toes, or your ankle.
3. Hold that position for 10 – 15 minutes while you are reading or watching TV, with a goal of putting your nose on your knee by the end.
By holding this position for an extended period, your muscles slowly start to let go and stretch out because they have time to relax. Without time to relax, you will recoil from the pain or “fight the stretch,” as I say in class, which only creates more muscle tension. The exact opposite of what your muscles should have while stretching.
Each stretch helps the other stretches
Going through each stretch in the program helps not just the tendons, ligaments and muscles you are stretching, but also the ones located nearby. Holding each stretch and stretching position, helps you become more flexible in the other positions too.
Stretch each day
There are very few Gumby people and almost no one is born super flexible. Everyone has to work at it, myself included, but the benefits are well worth it.
It is a good idea to stretch at least once a day. The best time is in the morning, but you will find that your muscles are tighter than they are at night because they contract while sleeping. My favorite time to stretch is at night before bedtime when the house is quiet and I sleep much better when I do.
I definitely recommend stretching before any kind of training, especially martial arts, as it gives you greater speed, power, endurance and range of motion. You will have a better workout and greatly reduce the possibility of injury.
Please note that is you feel a burning sensation like someone holding a match under your skin, stop stretching immediately. That can be a sign of over stretching or a muscle pull. It almost never happens when stretching, but if it does, apply both heat and ice packs, alternating them for about a half hour each for a few hours or until you feel better. If you continue to feel pain, please consult your doctor.
If you have any comments or questions, I would love to hear from you.
Sensei Bill
If you have any comments or questions, I would love to hear from you.
Sensei Bill
