When preparing for sport, a comprehensive range of stretching helps to improve this range of movement. It also helps to reduce the chance of injury and improve the performance of the muscles. A common mistake is to start stretching before warming up. When the muscles are stretched from cold, they are less likely to stretch properly and can actually increase the chance of injury.
| This specially made bench can measure flexibility of
the hamstrings |
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There are different types of stretching:
DYNAMIC Stretching is when movement of the limbs is
involved. This often involves "swinging" movements but not bouncing.
BALLISTIC stretching involves "bouncing" movements.
Ballistic stretching is usually only done under close supervision or
by very experienced athletes for a specific reason as it can result
in damage to the muscles through overstretching or "stretch reflex contraction".
This is where the muscles actually become shorter rather than longer!
STATIC stretching is the most common and usually safest
way to stretch. This is where the muscles are gradually lengthened but
there is no movement at the joint. 10 to 15 seconds is often used as
a maintenance stretch although 30 seconds is often used when training
for long term increases in flexibility.
PASSIVE stretching is where a partner or other people
help the athlete to stretch by holding them in position. This helps
to allow all other muscles in the body to relax as well as the one/s
being stretched.
Are the below stretches "Passive" "Dynamic" or "Static"?
More information:
Try this experiment: put an elastic band in the fridge or freezer and
wait until it is cold. Put another in a bowl of warm water. Try stretching
them both and note the difference in distance they will stretch and
how they feel. The same principle applies to your muscles.
30 seconds is a good time to stretch each muscle group for. However,
a maintenance stretch of 10 - 15 seconds is often used as part of a
quicker warm up. There are stretches for every muscle group in the body.
Different activities will require an emphasis on different muscle groups.
For example: runners will often stretch the lower body more than the
upper body, whilst boxers might put greater emphasis on the muscles
of the upper body.
