Anyone who has ever tried hatha yoga, the millennia-old series of stretching postures, doesn't need research to convince them that stretching has many benefits - relaxation, stress relief, and greater range of motion to name just a few.
What many consider the bible of yoga, B.
K.
S.
Iyengar's classic, Light on Yoga, lists hundreds of benefits.
One benefit is certain, stretching feels good whether you give it a couple minutes or hours.
There isn't much conclusive research yet on stretching.
What has been done questions some of our long-held beliefs, such as whether stretching reduces soreness or injury, whether it is best before or after physical activity, and whether it improves athletic performance.
One cardinal rule remains: don't bounce.
Bouncing greatly increases the likelihood of muscle injury.
Whatever your reason for stretching, there are a couple of truths I've learned in 35 years of practicing and teaching stretching techniques from a variety of traditions including hatha yoga, modern dance, martial arts, and gymnastics.
First, stretching should be uncomfortable but not painful.
Find the limit of a stretch for a particular muscle group and go just a bit beyond that to an uncomfortable level, but not the "you're going to hurt yourself.
" level.
Try it and you'll immediately understand the difference between pain that's OK and pain that's injurious.
In fact, this awareness is a great way to protect yourself from injury.
Second, hold this position of discomfort for a bit.
How long? At least 30 seconds according to one study.
And since this study applies only to hamstrings, it begs the question as to whether there are different hold-times for different muscle groups.
Now ask a yoga practitioner and the answer is the longer you hold it the better.
Here's why: muscle is like a rubber band - it stretches and contracts.
Now stretch the muscle and hold it for 30-60 seconds (1 elephant, 2 elephants, 3...
) and a fascinating thing happens - the muscle stretches and contracts like that rubber band, but it doesn't contract entirely back to where it began.
Do some kind of full-body stretching routine regularly and you get progressively longer and more pliable muscle tissue, which means, you'll feel like a million! My experience of stretching regularly for over 30 years leads me to believe that so much more occurs in the course of that 30-60 seconds than stretching muscle tissue.
I've felt a boost in the immune system, quicker healing of injuries, more coordinated movement, faster reflexes, relief of joint stiffness and pain, a calmer body and mind - a new day! I believe stretching is a cure-all, and look forward to future research confirming the multitude of benefits that the hatha yoga tradition claims.
What many consider the bible of yoga, B.
K.
S.
Iyengar's classic, Light on Yoga, lists hundreds of benefits.
One benefit is certain, stretching feels good whether you give it a couple minutes or hours.
There isn't much conclusive research yet on stretching.
What has been done questions some of our long-held beliefs, such as whether stretching reduces soreness or injury, whether it is best before or after physical activity, and whether it improves athletic performance.
One cardinal rule remains: don't bounce.
Bouncing greatly increases the likelihood of muscle injury.
Whatever your reason for stretching, there are a couple of truths I've learned in 35 years of practicing and teaching stretching techniques from a variety of traditions including hatha yoga, modern dance, martial arts, and gymnastics.
First, stretching should be uncomfortable but not painful.
Find the limit of a stretch for a particular muscle group and go just a bit beyond that to an uncomfortable level, but not the "you're going to hurt yourself.
" level.
Try it and you'll immediately understand the difference between pain that's OK and pain that's injurious.
In fact, this awareness is a great way to protect yourself from injury.
Second, hold this position of discomfort for a bit.
How long? At least 30 seconds according to one study.
And since this study applies only to hamstrings, it begs the question as to whether there are different hold-times for different muscle groups.
Now ask a yoga practitioner and the answer is the longer you hold it the better.
Here's why: muscle is like a rubber band - it stretches and contracts.
Now stretch the muscle and hold it for 30-60 seconds (1 elephant, 2 elephants, 3...
) and a fascinating thing happens - the muscle stretches and contracts like that rubber band, but it doesn't contract entirely back to where it began.
Do some kind of full-body stretching routine regularly and you get progressively longer and more pliable muscle tissue, which means, you'll feel like a million! My experience of stretching regularly for over 30 years leads me to believe that so much more occurs in the course of that 30-60 seconds than stretching muscle tissue.
I've felt a boost in the immune system, quicker healing of injuries, more coordinated movement, faster reflexes, relief of joint stiffness and pain, a calmer body and mind - a new day! I believe stretching is a cure-all, and look forward to future research confirming the multitude of benefits that the hatha yoga tradition claims.