People say it to me all the time:
"…but Caolan, stretching is boring…"
...you know what, you're right…it is…but that doesn't make it any less essential. Let's talk through why it's important:
Stretching increases your range of motion and flexibility…well duh, of course…but why is this THAT important?? Well, the old adage of "use it or lose it" applies - if you do not continually put your body through it's full range of motion, you will lose the outer ranges of movement over time…
"…but Caolan, I don't need ALL that range of movement, do I?? I mean, I don't want to be a gymnast or a ballerina…"
…no, you won't always utilise that entire range of motion…but that range of motion is important…I won't bore you with the exact calculations, but a loss of 2-5% in muscle length can result in a 7.5-12.8% reduction in muscular strength…sound like more than you thought it would be?? That loss in strength is not the most crucial part of this loss in range of motion…
We all know stretching and exercise should go together, but why?? It's pretty simple - most exercise is compressive, you need to shorten a muscle to perform the task. The body has a habit of leaving things how they are and adapting to how it is used, so if you exercise consistently your body will leave those muscles shortened. If you continue to exercise with shortened muscles, sure you'll get stronger and bigger (or leaner if you're working on toning) but you won't be using the full range of the muscle and therefore it won't be as beneficial as it should be and you'll be wasting a fair part of your effort…and I'll be honest, a longer leaner muscle is a lot more flattering...
Injury is another place where stretching is important. Most major injuries involve a period of immobilisation…I think you can see where this is already heading…and that means that the body will generally shorten and tighten muscles over that period, not just as a function of habit but also as a function of protection. The injury may also have left scarring and adhesions within the joint or muscle itself, and stretching will help break these down, and restore the body to a more functional state.
Stretching in injury prevention is also just as crucial. A longer muscle, able to utilise it's entire range of motion is less likely to be injured, and more likely to be able to protect surrounding joints from injury. Your balance is also largely dictated by your muscles' ability to control movement easily, and this becomes more crucial with age.
"…Caolan, mate…I don't exercise…and I haven't had an injury in years - why do I need to stretch??"
…okay, I'm going to have to ignore the "I don't exercise" statement…but there is a point there: what benefit does stretching have to everyday life?? Well, a large number of us work relatively sedentary jobs…sitting for eight to ten hours a day (even up to 16 knowing a couple of my patients) - that's 8-10 hours sitting with your hip flexor muscles and hamstring muscles in a shortened position. Now think about your body posture during those hours, usually stooped forward in front of a computer screen - do you think that posture might contribute to some sore and stiff muscles??
Now I throw in that ugly S word…stress…and let's be honest, we're all under stress. Stretching is a great stress reliever. It's ten to fifteen minutes (yes, at least that long) of your own brainspace, where all you have to concentrate on is freeing up your body's little aches and pains. Stretching improves circulation to all parts of your body, and that increased blood flow will bring endorphins to all parts of your body. Tight muscles can also affect your mood - the tighter those muscles, the higher the resting tone of your body - the higher the resting tone of your body, the more on edge you will be mentally, emotionally and physically…
Finally…you know what…I don't know a way to make stretching exciting, I just know what I do to make it less boring…I usually either do it with someone else and talk my way through the entire thing…or I pop the headphones in, and listen to a few of my favourite tunes while I release some tight and sore muscles…give it a try, because I know your body will thank you for the benefits of your work…
...I can hear the complaints already...
...okay, let me make it easy for you...every beer you drink means you will have to spend about 6 minutes running, 18-20 minutes walking or 8-10 minutes on a bike or in the pool...a glass of wine is reasonably similar, although a glass of red will tend to pack about half the calories of a beer...
