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There are a few influences on our flexibility and mobility. Some of them are obvious, some not so. Age is arguably the biggest factor. A reduction in elasticity lends itself to tightness as we age. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you’re more likely to have less flexibility than someone who is active on a regular basis.

Sex is a factor, and no, not the kind you’re thinking of. Females win the day on this one with generally more ROM than males. Let’s look at the different types of stretches we perform:

Dynamic – Dynamic stretching is mainly performed at the beginning of a training session in order to prepare the body for exercise as a part of your warm up routine. All movements are performed in order to work the muscles through a full range of motion under control.

Static – Static stretching is most commonly used at the end of a training session although some may use it to decrease the involvement of certain muscles in order to engage other muscles used in the performance of an exercise. Static stretches are effective for returning muscles to a correct resting length ensuring they are not in a shortened position. Stretches are held for around thirty seconds in a post workout routine and repeated.

PNF – Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation usually involves more than one person as this is a more effective way of performing this type of stretch. PNF stretching maximally contracts a muscle. There are two types of PNF stretches. Contract/Relax and Contract/Relax/Agonist/Contract.

Active –  Active stretching is performed by stretching a muscle whilst actively contracting the muscle in opposition to the muscle you’re stretching. Active stretching is demanding and is never usually performed for more than fifteen seconds.

Blog Title - Stretching

Passive – Passive stretching is performed by the use of some kind of external force i.e. a wall. Passive stretching should not be taken further than the point of bind. The point that you are comfortable with. The externally applied force helps to increase ROM.

Now we’ve covered the types of stretches, let’s have a look at some stretching guidelines: 

Time – Opinion is divided on how long you should hold a stretch for. We advise holding the stretch for thirty seconds and repeating. Before you repeat a stretch, ensure you inhale first and increase the stretch slowly as you exhale.

Deepness – The intensity of any stretch should not exceed the point of bind. This is the point where your muscle is fully contracted and taking the stretch on further may lead to injury. You’ll know when you reach the point of bind. Always perform stretches slowly and under complete control.

Frequency – A common question is how many times should people perform flexibility programmes throughout a seven day period…. 

Always after exercise.

A point to remember is that stretching is not time-consuming nor over exerting. It is something that you can do in the comfort of your own home in front of the T.V. If you feel you need to stretch at any point during the week, then do so.


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