Stretching

Also known as: Flexibility Training.

Stay lean and limber. The humble stretch is one of the most important and most often overlooked elements of keeping fit and in good physical condition. Stretching is crucial when it comes to staying flexible, having a good range of movement, allowing your muscle tissues to heal properly after exercise and generally avoiding injuries.

How does it work?

You might think stretching is a simple case of touching your toes after you’ve been for a run, but if you’re serious about limbering up those muscles, there’s a whole host of different ways to bend and flex.

• Active stretching – this is when you stretch a muscle while using it to hold the stretch. For example, in a side bend, the muscles you are stretching are also being used to support you.

• Passive stretching – this is when you stretch a muscle while it is relaxed, for example, if you pull your knee up to your chest and use your arms to support it rather than the leg’s own muscles.

• Ballistic stretching – this type of stretching is when you ‘bounce’ slightly while your muscles are extended. There are some training experts who say you should avoid this kind of move as it can actually damage your joints and muscles more than do them good. Others (particularly in martial arts) say that gentle ballistic stretching can increase the elasticity of your muscles and improve your flexibility by pushing you beyond your usual range of motion.

• Dynamic stretching – this is when you move or swing parts of your body, staying within their normal range of motion. The aim is to loosen up your joints and wake up your muscles. Dynamic stretches are good for warming up or ‘shaking off’ after you’ve exercised.

The best time to stretch is when your muscles are warm after a work out or a warm up. A typical stretching routine will work through all the major muscle groups, particularly focussing on areas of the body that you have exercised more aggressively. Each stretch should be held until you feel a slight release or notice you’ve become more comfortable in the stretch. If you then stretch a little further (holding for about 15 seconds more) it’s called a progressive stretch; this is the ideal way to make sure your muscles are supple and elegantly lengthened.

Is it for me?

Even if you’re not a gym bunny, it’s important to keep your beautiful bod in good nick. Stretching is particularly important to keep mobile as you get older and should be a regular part of everyone’s fitness regime.