Stretching and Tools for Home
Stretching and Tools for Home
Stretching is one of the most useful things you can make time for between treatments. It is simple, it is free, and it holds the work your therapist has done.
Why it matters
Exercise, poor posture and age all put stress on our muscles and cause them to tighten, which can lead to injury and pain. One of the main benefits of stretching is increasing your range of motion, which means your muscles and joints can move further before injury occurs.
Stretching after exercise also aids recovery, reduces muscle soreness, and leaves your muscles and tendons better able to cope with the demands of sport and training.
What you can expect from stretching regularly
- Reduced muscle tension
- Increased range of motion
- Improved muscular coordination
- Increased circulation
- More energy
How to stretch properly
The best way to improve a muscle's range of motion is to hold an easy, gentle stretch long enough to overcome the muscle's natural stretch reflex. Short, sharp or bouncing stretches work against you, because the muscle tightens to protect itself.
Ease into the position until you feel a comfortable pull rather than pain, then hold and breathe. If you are shaking or holding your breath, you have gone too far.
Ask your therapist. The stretches that help most are the ones chosen for your body and what you do with it. Ask at your next appointment and we will give you two or three that are worth the time, rather than a long list you will not do.