Stretch It!

By Ashley Mulhare

As someone who has dedicated a great deal of her life to exercising and working out, I found myself constantly battling injuries due to the sometimes harsh demands I made of my body. I was always confused as to why I would walk out of every workout in pain. It wasn’t until I asked my physical therapist where I had gone wrong that I understood how to work out in a healthy manner, thus decreasing my number of injuries. After watching my body’s position while lifting and hearing my typical workout routine, my physical therapist found the root of my issues, and it stems from how I stretch. 

As she described to me, before a workout it is imperative to not stretch statically, but instead to stretch dynamically. When our bodies are not warmed up and have not started the workout yet, the muscles are very tight with reduced blood flow. When we stretch statically before a workout, we send our muscles into a state of relaxation, making it hard for them to recoil again. I was putting unnecessary strain on my muscles when I would begin to workout. When this happens, our muscles get shocked from the sudden demand from our body, forcing them to contract. This causes muscle strains resulting in pain and injury. 

Instead of static stretches, such as a hamstring or calf stretch being held for longer than 5 seconds, to prepare for a workout it is best to complete dynamic stretches, such as a lunge walk or leg swings. When we stretch dynamically, we prepare the muscles for constant change between being relaxed and being contracted. Our muscle fibers become ready for an intense workout where they will be doing similar actions. While static stretches can be saved for the end of the workout, movement while stretching before a workout is essential in preventing strain on our muscles and tendons. By rethinking our workout plan we can protect our bodies and get stronger without sacrificing the health of our muscles.