Muscle-Elongating Exercises

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends stretching exercises at least two or three days each week to lengthen muscles. Each stretch should be held for 10 to 30 seconds and repeated two to four times. Stretch to the point of tightness or slight discomfort. Various static and dynamic stretching techniques have been found to be effective. Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm. Light aerobic activity or a hot bath is effective to warm the muscles before stretching.

  1. Importance of Warming Up

    • Stretching to elongate muscles is much more effective when the body is warm. Any activity that raises body temperature will work. Hot baths, heated rooms or a very warm environment can all be used to raise the body temperature for improved stretching. Another approach that is effective is to do your stretching at the end of a conventional cardiovascular or strength training workout, when the muscle will already be warm.

    Using the Breath

    • Attention to breathing is an effective way to relax the body and allow muscles to lengthen more. This technique is widely used in yoga, but no yoga experience is required to reap the benefits. One way to develop this attention to breathing is to hold each stretch for a specific number of slow, deep breaths rather than a number of seconds. For example, holding a stretch for three slow breaths would be adequate to last 10 to 30 seconds and meet the ACSM recommendations. As you place attention on each breath, you will notice the body naturally relaxing on the exhale. This relaxation during the exhale is a good time to move slightly deeper into the stretch.

    Getting Dynamic

    • Combining movement with stretching is a good way to enhance effectiveness and reduce boredom. During dynamic stretching, utilize the breath by slowly moving into the stretched position during the exhale and backing out of the stretched position during the inhale. Dynamic stretching is effective any time, but this technique can be more useful as a warmup for intense activity, as the movement will create some body heat.

    Reciprocal Inhibition

    • Whenever you contract one muscle group, the opposing muscle group tends to relax. This property of the human nervous system can be used to enhance any stretch. One specific example is during hamstring stretching. Any forward bending of the body will stretch the hamstring muscles on the backs of the thighs. During this type of stretch, try to engage the muscle on the fronts of the thighs. Contract the muscle around the kneecaps pulling the kneecaps upward. This will relax the hamstrings by reciprocal inhibition.