FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY

Here in America “stretching” is almost a cult fitness phenomenon. You would be hard pressed to find a fitness guru who did not advocate the myriad supposed benefits of stretching exercises. Many of you, perhaps, have a number of stretches you have been performing for years that you swear by. Yet more often than not I have discovered that the majority of people have no idea how to improve or maintain real flexibility or even how much “flexibility” constitutes enough. No fitness topic seems to generate more confusion or inspire more heated debates than the idea of stretching for flexibility.

Whenever I ask someone why they stretch invariably they reply that they are either loosening up their muscles, trying to prevent injuries, or that they are “warming up”. This is standard exercise doctrine for anyone who has grown up here in the U.S over the past 20+ years. These answers are based upon the following two premises: Muscles and connective tissues need to be stretched to improve flexibility and the more flexible one is the better off ones’ performance will likely be. My purpose in this article is to debunk this first myth. Next month we’ll talk about how much flexibility is enough and how to get started.

Stretching is not the best way to become flexible. Let me repeat that statement. Stretching, as we have come to know it, is not the best way to become flexible. Though this may come as a surprise to most of us, it is actually based on hard science and good common sense. Most of us rely on the elasticity of our tissues when we stretch. Yet as we age we begin to lose a good deal of our flexibility. This is because a life-time of activity builds up micro-trauma in our muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Whenever this trauma heals, it forms a scar which pulls the wound together, and in turn shortens the length of muscle and stiffens the ligaments and tendons. Furthermore, studies have shown that as we age, our tendons and ligaments, which are comprised of the fibers collagen (the tensile type of fiber) and elastin (the “stretchable” type of fiber), begin to shift their constitution predominantly towards collagen. Imagine the difference of trying to “stretch” a toothpick compared to a rubber band and you can see why this type of “stretching” just doesn’t make sense.

The other major reason why traditional stretching does not improve or maintain flexibility is a phenomenon called antagonist passive insufficiency. This is simply a fancy term given to a protective response of your nervous system. Based on previous experiences such as sitting all day, repetitive work tasks, or poor exercise techniques, your nervous system develops and maintains a comfortable length for your muscles. Whenever you attempt a new activity or stretching exercise, fear and tension kicks in and this reflex action of your nervous system prevents your muscles from reaching its full length. A good example of this action would be if you attempted to perform a traditional gymnast split. The truth is that the only reason why you can not perform a split like a gymnast is because of this nervous system principle, not because of your muscle length. Sound crazy? Take a look at any anatomical picture of your legs and you will see that your leg muscles boast independent suspension-in other words, your leg muscles from your right leg do not cross over into your left leg. Learn to rewrite your body’s software program and there is no reason why you can not have the flexibility of a gymnast.

Real flexibility has everything to do with the condition of your nervous system and joint health and nothing to do with the elasticity of your muscles, ligaments and tendons. Regardless of what you have been taught, or your current age or conditioning level, you can improve your flexibility and ability to move by re-learning the correct way to “stretch”. Talk to one of our personal trainer’s today on how you can start to learn some correct techniques or try out our weekly Yoga class. Keep your eyes peeled for next month’s article on how much stretching is enough and for a few new “stretches. Have fun, and learn how to stretch the functional way!