Diet and exercise is not enough without assisted stretching
Having an effective exercise routine and nutrition regimen is a great start, but it is not enough for maintaining the health and functionality of your body. Regular stretching is crucial for preventing injuries and maintaining the integrity of our musculoskeletal system. Without it we lose the ability to move well and as a result our quality of life suffers. This applies to everyone not just athletes or avid gym goers. The more sedentary you are the tighter your body becomes, which makes stretching a necessity.
Just like with diet and exercise, you need to be following a complete stretching program, which involves targeting every major muscle of the body and any isolated problem areas. Many people don’t allocate enough time for this important aspect of body work, which is why assisted stretching is recommended. Assisted stretching is delivered one-on one with a certified expert that uses a wide range of techniques that involve PNF stretching to provoke muscle relaxation, flexibility and mobility.
The added benefits of assisted stretching
Assisted stretching enables you to stretch your body better than you can stretch yourself. Having a professional performing the stretch who understands the structure of the body and can address your specific needs is key for improving muscle and joint health, flexibility and resolving any pain or tension in the body. It’s important to keep a consistent stretching schedule to maximize and sustain your results. Improving your quality of movement is just one way in which assisted stretching helps improve your quality of life. Here are 5 other benefits:
- Reduces stress: Stress is usually carried in our muscles, which is why we feel so tense. Stretching forces your body to relax leaving you in a calmer state. The more the body relaxes the better you feel overall.
- Improves performance: By improving mobility and flexibility you’re able to gain better use of your muscles range of motion, which elicits the use of more muscle fibers and greater strength and power output. It also promotes better joint health and bone density as a result. This all can be especially useful for athletic performance.
- Helps with current and past injuries: Injuries often lead to compensations in the body, which impede your ability to move well! By reducing muscle imbalances through improved range of motion you can improve muscle length and quality of movement. This helps you heal faster and reduces the risk of recurrent or new injuries.
- Improves mobility: PNF stretching, also known as proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, is a stretching technique that involves contracting and relaxing muscles in specific patterns to help improve joint mobility.
- Helps with exercise recovery. Assisted stretching helps to speed up your post-workout recovery by increasing blood flow to the muscles and releasing lactic aid from an intense workout. This helps to minimize tightness and soreness in the muscles.
Different PNF stretching techniques
There are 5 types of PNF stretching:
- The hold and relax technique is the most commonly used type. This involves passively stretching the targeted muscles for a few seconds. Then you contract (squeeze) the muscle while in this stretched position by pushing against the stretch without actually moving. Hold this stretch and contraction for 10-15 seconds and then relax your muscle. This causes a reflex in the body which allows for then a deeper stretch the next time you do this. So then repeat this sequence exhaling into this stretch.
- The contract and relax technique is very similar to the hold-relax technique. The only difference is that the muscle is contracted while moving. You hold this contraction while moving the muscle in and out of its end range of motion and then release and hold the passive stretch for 10-20 seconds.
- The hold, relax and contract technique is very similar to the hold and relax technique. However, instead of relaxing into the passive stretch you actively push into the stretch.
- The contract, relax, antagonist, contract (CRAC) technique is like the contract and relax technique, but focuses on opposing muscle groups. In this stretch one muscle is contracting while the other relaxes or lengthens. The contracting muscle is known as the agonist and the relaxing muscle is the antagonist. This involves passively stretching the targeted muscle. Then you contract this muscle for 10-15 seconds. While still in the stretch you relax that muscle and contract the opposite muscle. Then you relax both muscles
- The hold, relax and swing technique involves combining static and isometric stretches with dynamic stretches. This approach is not recommended for beginners. It is similar to the hold-relax technique with the difference being that the ending passive stretch is instead a dynamic stretch.
When and how often should you stretch
Having a stretching routine just like with diet and exercise is the best way to guarantee you long-term success. For best results you should stretch several times per week ideally before and after exercise and anytime you’ve been sitting for more than an hour.
You should spend at least 1-3 minutes on each stretch and at least 20 minutes at a time stretching. It’s important to take the time to target all major muscle groups in the body to keep you mobile and pain-free and you should have your certified assisted stretcher pay particular attention to any tight or problematic areas. Your stretching routine should be treated with the same level of importance as your exercise regimen. Without proper stretching your exercise routine may become limited, your form will suffer and you’ll be at an increased risk of injury.
How to find a certified professional for assisted stretching
If you live in NYC we offer personalized in-home assisted stretch and massage therapy where we travel to your home and customize your session to suit your body’s needs. If you are looking for a professional outside of the NYC area it’s important to do your research. Look for companies that offer stretch therapy and read their reviews. You want to make sure you work with someone who understands how to identify and address tight or injury prone areas in your body and who listens and responds to your needs.