Think for a minute about what the components of a daily healthy routine are.
- Shower/Brush Teeth (general health)
- Healthy Meals
- Exercise
- Supplements/Vitamins (if lacking in diet)
- Hydration
Why do we stretch?
We stretch because one of the most vital parts of our bodies is the neuromuscular control of the kinetic chain. Do you remember that old song:
"the knee bones connected to the leg bone, the leg bones connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bones connected to the foot bone"?
That is what I mean when I say kinetic chain, every bone and joint in your body depend on another to work properly so that they in turn can also work properly. Any weakness in the kinetic chain can predispose you to injury.
The problem is, you may not even know you have weakness or dysfunction in any part of your body until it is too late. Often pain is the final notice that there is dysfunction in our bodies. Think of it as stretching a rubber band, you can stretch that rubber band a thousand times. As the rubber band is used repetitively, the elasticity breaks down, it becomes brittle and one day it will break. This is like using your muscles and where stretching comes into play. It is important that we keep our muscles loose and unrestricted in order for full function and good muscle health.
How do we stretch?
Stretching should never be performed on a cold muscle, meaning you want to make sure your muscles have been activated before you stretch them or "warm them up". You can achieve this quickly by doing some jumping jacks, jumping rope or upper torso twists. Once your muscles are warmed up you are ready to stretch. Take inventory of your muscles from head to toe, normal flexibility for different muscle groups are person-specific. Learn to know your muscles and their ability, are they tight/sore bilaterally (both sides)? This may be due to a functional adaption on an activity you perform every day. If there are asymmetric flexibility patterns this could mean dysfunction somewhere along that kinetic chain is already in progress.
Whats important is that you look at your body as a whole kinetic chain. Realize that when your hamstrings are tight, this affects your back, when your hamstring (thigh) muscles are tight this effects your core as well as your back. This is why it is important to stretch all of the muscle groups and keep them moving. The most effective way is to start in one muscle group and move down. Stretch for about 10-15 seconds and then take a few seconds to relax the muscle, repeat 2-3 times.
I have plenty of great stretches to share! Feel free to contact me by email cpietrodc@hohchiro.net for any information!
Stay Healthy!
Dr. Caitlin
