Including a stretching session in your daily routine seems like a no-brainer, but it is often quite a challenge to tackle this in the right way. Doing the wrong stretch can not only make your stretching session less effective, it can also cause injuries. That's why we tell you how you can prevent these stretching mistakes, so that you can become more flexible and recover better.
Read also :'3 stretches you can do to loosen your back'
It is not only important to breathe well during your workout itself, your breathing is also essential during your stretching session. It often happens that people hold their breath when working on their flexibility, especially if you are a little stiffer. Unfortunately, this ensures that your body remains tense and your muscles are tense, so that you cannot stretch properly.
The solution :Start your stretching session by taking a deep breath. This will allow your muscles to begin to relax. Then exhale slowly as you slowly begin to stretch. Continue to take slow, deep breaths while stretching to avoid stiffening your body. It can also help to count out loud while stretching, because that will automatically help you breathe more slowly.
When your goal is to improve your flexibility, you may think that the more you do, the better the results get. But when it comes to stretching, that's not the case. In fact, research showed that stretching more often and for longer made no difference in the flexibility of joints. So make sure that you don't stretch too long unnecessarily!
The solution :The advice for targeted stretching of a muscle group is to hold a stretching exercise for about 10 to 30 seconds. You do this for about 60 seconds per muscle group in total. You get the best results with a daily stretching session, but also 2 to 3 times a week can make a big difference.
Every time you take a muscle and extend it past its normal stopping point (as in a stretching exercise), you will feel some slight discomfort. While it's normal to feel some discomfort as the tension builds, you shouldn't feel any sharp pain. Stretching too far or too hard can injure the muscle or the surrounding joints and tendons. So when stretching hurts, you have to stop it immediately.
The solution :Instead of stretching too hard or too far, you can try to reduce the intensity a bit. Stop when you feel a slight tension on your muscle. Aim for a 3 or 4 on a scale of 10 when it comes to intensity.
The majority of people benefit from a good stretching session as part of their fitness routine, but this does not apply to people who are hypermobile. This makes the joints and tendons much more flexible than normal, so that you can get injured more quickly. Stretching a hypermobile joint can lead to strains, partial dislocation or the development of osteoarthritis.
The solution :While a light stretch might still work for hypermobile people, it's better to focus on strengthening your muscles to provide stability to your joints. Low-intensity aerobic exercise, such as walking or cycling, may also be helpful. If you want to be sure which exercises you can do if you are hypermobile, it is best to discuss this with a physiotherapist or specialist.
There are many different types of stretches, but the most common are static and dynamic stretches. Depending on your goals, one stretch is probably more appropriate than the other. A static stretch is when you hold a stretch in a fixed position. This type of stretching can be useful if you want to improve the range of motion of a joint. A dynamic stretch is a stretch in which you gradually move back and forth between tensed and relaxed positions. This kind of stretch can be good for warming up your muscles and preparing for your workout.
The solution :If you want to stretch before your workout, opt for a dynamic stretching session. Start with your muscle in a comfortable position and stretch until you feel a slight tension, then return to your starting position and keep repeating this rhythm for about 30 to 60 seconds. Do you want to relax a certain joint? Then choose a static stretch and follow the steps as in point 2.
Plyometric workouts such as jumping cause a muscle to lengthen at an accelerated rate, followed by a rapid shortening. While it may seem like a good idea to stretch before a similar workout, there's also evidence that stretching a muscle gives it strength during accelerated shortening.
The solution :The best way to prepare yourself for a plyo workout is a dynamic stretching session. This form of stretching is more similar to the movements you will make during the workout, especially if this workout includes jumping or other fast movements.
Although you might think that stretching helps to prevent injuries, this effect turns out to be not nearly as great. A Study in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism found that there is minimal evidence that regular stretching effectively prevents muscle injuries, such as strains or tears. Doubts are also mentioned about the effect of stretching before your workout on preventing muscle soreness after your workout.
The solution :While there are concerns about stretching before your workout to avoid injury, that doesn't mean you should stop stretching. In fact, the positive effects of stretching – better range of motion, better muscle function – still seem to be the reason why you should include stretching sessions in your fitness routine.
If you want to do a static stretching session to improve your flexibility, it's important to warm up before you start. When you warm up, your blood begins to flow to your muscles and their internal temperature rises slightly. This makes the muscle more flexible and they can better withstand the stretching that causes the stretching.
The solution :Warm up for about 5 to 10 minutes before starting your stretching session. You can do this by, for example, walking, cycling or jogging slowly. A light dynamic warm-up in which you make movements that you also make during exercise can also help.
