A cat wakes up after a long nap, and the first thing she does is stretch. Ditto a dog.
 |
 |
|
Clockwise from top left, Glenn Holland demonstrates how to stretch five muscle groups: quadriceps, iliotibial band, calf, hamstrings and front hip muscles. (John Beale, Post-Gazette)
Click photo for larger image.
Stretching Smart
The Basics:
QUADRICEPS STRETCH: Stand on one leg and bend the opposite leg behind you. Pull your heel closer to your buttocks until you feel a mild stretch, keeping knee in line with the body. Hold 20-30 seconds. Repeat three times, slowly extending the stretch each time. Repeat on opposite leg.
ILIOTIBIAL BAND STRETCH: The ITB is a thick band of tissue that extends from the thigh down over the knee and attaches to the tibia in the lower leg. Stand with foot pointed out and cross one leg over the other with the knee slightly bent and bend sideways with your trunk to the same side. Arms are extended above your head. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat three times, slowly extending the stretch each time. Repeat on opposite side.
CALF, OR ACHILLES, STRETCH: Stand facing a wall with one foot in front of the other and your hands against the wall. Bend the front knee, leaving the back leg straight. Keep your feet flat on the ground. Increase angle of lean until you feel a mild stretch. Hold 20-30 seconds. Repeat three times, slowly extending the stretch each time. Repeat on opposite leg.
HAMSTRING STRETCH: In a sitting position, extend one leg and bring the sole of the opposite foot to the inside of the straightened leg. Keeping knee fully extended, lean forward at the hips -- not the lower back -- until you feel a stretch in the back of your leg. Hold 20-30 seconds. Repeat three times, slowly extending the stretch each time. Repeat on opposite leg.
FRONT HIP MUSCLES STRETCH: Bend one knee in front of you until it is directly over the ankle and extend the other leg behind you with that knee and the toes touching the ground. The hand on the side of the bent leg rests on the knee, while the other hangs loosely by your side. Hold 20-30 seconds. Repeat three times, slowly extending the stretch each time. Repeat on opposite leg. Lean forward gently avoid stress to the low back.
|
When it comes to maintaining joint and muscle health, they're a lot smarter than most of their owners.
Contrary to popular opinion, stretching isn't the exclusive purview of athletes and yoga buffs. It's for everybody.
Yet stretching is often the most overlooked aspect of a well-rounded fitness program, which should also include aerobic exercise and strength training.
The growth of the fitness industry has generated an increased awareness of the benefits of stretching, prompting an array of new books and gadgets on the market.
Moreover, the rising popularity of yoga and Pilates has introduced the general public to a new array of stretching movements aimed at relaxing the body and mind, as well as increasing flexibility.
Thanks to recent research, stretching has become much less onerous, more pleasurable and an effective stress reliever in our fast-paced world.
Taking the long view
"It helps joints, loosens things up and makes you feel better. Every muscle is going to tighten up a little bit," said Dr. Edward Snell, team physician for the Pirates and director of primary sports medicine at Allegheny General Hospital.
Bob Anderson of Palmer Lake, Colo., one of the early gurus of stretching, emphasizes its importance in keeping the body limber.
"I believe one of the reasons you stretch is to keep what you have. If you can touch your toes at 20, you want to be able to touch your toes at 50. At some point, you should be happy to maintain [your current condition]," he said.
Anderson, who has a degree in physical education, just published a 20th anniversary edition of his book "Stretching."
Other stretching advocates agree on its importance for long-term health.
"I have people who are sedentary in an office who become tight just walking to the bus stop and get hip bursitis. ...If a hamstring gets tight, it's going to affect your back," said Glenn Holland, a physical therapist and certified athletic trainer at UPMC's Sports Performance Complex on the South Side.
Steven D. Stark, a sports medicine-oriented podiatrist in British Columbia, and author of the new book, "The Stark Reality of Stretching," predicts dire consequences for middle-aged people if they don't do some flexibility training.
If you don't stretch at 50, he said, "you will be crippled by damage to joints and the spine. People don't shrink -- they compensate and round at the spine. It's a predictable and preventable thing.
"We didn't notice it 300 years ago; you died at 19. Now we're running around on an artificial surface your [body] is not prepared for and living until you're 80. It doesn't work so well."
The problems, he said, will increase for the rest of your life.
The basics
While flexibility experts have their own styles and different areas of focus to achieve a healthy body, they all agree on these latest stretching ideas:
Pain is bad: Don't strain or push a muscle too far. If a stretch hurts, ease up.
"I tell people they should feel the stretch; they should be able to say 'I feel it, but it doesn't hurt,'" Anderson said. "Many men grew up being told 'If it hurts, I'm doing it right.' But if it's real pain, something is wrong."
If you stretch only until you feel it, the muscle will elongate without tearing.
Start slowly, exhaling as you gently stretch each muscle.
You don't have to be flexible: "The over-emphasis of flexibility hurts a lot of people because they're not good at it, and people don't like to do things they're not good at," Anderson said.
"People who are not flexible can stretch like anybody else but they're not going to look the same."
No bouncing: A style of stretching called ballistic, in which you bounce gently while in a stretch position, has lost favor because it increases the risk of injury. Holding a stretch is more effective.
Experts prefer quiet, or static, stretching or doing these exercises with a partner, in which you push your stretching muscle against the partner's hold in a kind of isometric exercise. This method extends the stretch further than someone could do alone. Partner stretches should be done with someone trained in them to avoid injury.
"The reason [for no bouncing] is that it actually has a negative effect on the muscle-tendon connection," said Snell of Allegheny General. Bouncing can cause a muscle contraction. "If you're going to go out and run or something afterward and you're tight it can cause a tear."
Snell suggests you do a slow steady stretch for 15 seconds, although experts differ on duration. Stark, the British Columbia podiatrist, said stretches never should be timed, but held "until the tension in the muscle group is gone."
Never stretch cold muscles: Don't stretch a muscle that is not warmed up. Do some walking, move around or even take a warm shower beforehand.
Helpful gadgets?
During the past few years, various new products -- from elastic bands to exercise balls -- have been marketed to aid stretching.
"Every couple years, somebody trying to be innovative comes out with something," said John Welday, strength and conditioning coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"The bands, all they usually do is stretch themselves to the point [of a partner stretch], pull your leg closer [to the trunk], but a towel can do the same thing. The balls you can roll over on to stretch your back."
There even is a contraption called a power stretcher. "You put your legs in it, crank them out in front of it or crank your groin out to a position and hold it for a while," Welday said.
The Penguins coach believes none of those devices is necessary, but Snell, the Pirates' doctor, said they can be useful in some cases.
"Some of them, if they're used the wrong way, can have a detrimental effect," he said. "If you overstretch or put pressure on the joint there can be tears. But some of these products can really help people who have problems with joints or their backs."
Another new stretching trend calls for people to focus on the large muscles first because they take the brunt of activity, Snell said.
Asked to name the five most essential stretches, the experts interviewed for this article didn't agree on which large muscles to focus on first.
Snell said he would stretch the thighs (quadriceps), the hamstrings (muscles in the back of the upper leg), the calves, the shoulders and the back.
Stark said he would concentrate on the big muscle groups in the hips and legs.
Holland also chooses to concentrate on lower body muscles. "Most people don't get tight in the upper body," he said.
His chosen stretches are for the hamstrings, hip flexor and quads, iliotibial bands (a thick band of tissue that extends from the thigh down over the knee and attaches to the tibia in the lower leg), and calves.
In his book, Anderson offers an eight-minute daily routine of 20 stretches covering all the major muscle groups in the body.
He and Holland both advocate the use of sports-specific stretches as well. For example, Holland says baseball pitchers and other athletes who throw things should stretch the rotator cuff, which is in the shoulder.
And how often should you stretch?
"I believe once a day, personally, for the average person," Snell said. "Twice if you're exercising, once after you've broken a light sweat and then after the exercise."
Pohla Smith can be reached at psmith@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1228.
E-mail this story 
