If stretching is the most pleasurable component of a workout, and I would venture to say that it is, why is it that so many skip the fun part? Are they doing it in a way that does not feel good? Why do they struggle to make gains in range of motion? Are they discouraged by how quickly muscles tighten up again?

Anatomy Of Movement

Perhaps part of the problem with stretching is built in to the terminology. To many people, the word “stretching” elicits imagery of springy rubber bands doing their elastic thing. Unfortunately, this is not a useful image to hold when working with muscles. This can lead an athlete to force movement instead of request it at the neurological level. The distinction is subtle but can make a huge difference in the results obtained.

Elasticity is actually a property of structures closely related to muscle tissue: the fascia and tendons. These have a component called elastin, which does stretch, a little. Muscles are different. At the microscopic level, they are thought to ratchet in order to lengthen, shorten, or lock. No single muscle fiber actually stretches at any time. But they do move.

That said, after a nice game of tennis or brisk run, I agree that stretching sounds a whole lot better than ratcheting. Let’s watch this video to get a more accurate picture of how muscle movement works.

Get Your Mind Behind The Muscle

A better visual representation when working on your range of motion would be one that represents the relative filament sliding that actually occurs and would enable you to get your mind behind the process of stretching. Eric Franklin (see reading list) suggests the image of two hair brushes being pushed together or pulled apart. I like that, but I am Italian so I prefer the image of a few spaghetti strands sliding out relative to those still in the bag.

Choose the image that works best for you but the proper ideokinetic representation is one of parts moving relative to one another, not of ones being elongated individually.

How Not To Stretch

Leaning into it. This method is used by many. It may help you look athletic at the gym but it simply tugs on the the tendons and fascia. This may be helpful in certain instances but usually it just pulls on where these tissues connect muscle to bone. If these ‘anchor points’ are weakened the body may signal to its osteoblasts to strengthen the area by laying up extra mineral deposits.

Troubleshooting

Here are four situations that can steepen the stretching curve:

1. The Stretch Reflex (SR) is firing. By using mechanical force instead of neurological principles to stretch, you could be inadvertently activating a built-in protective system that limits your movement excursion.
2. Weak antagonist. If, for example, your extensors are chronically tight, it could mean that your flexors are not firing strongly enough. This may be due to lack of exercise, postural habits, injury, or situation Nos. 3 and 4.
3. Fascial adhesions or scarring. Some cases can be remedied by upping tissue hydration; receiving deep tissue, cross-fiber, or myofascial release work; or adding enzymatic nutrition. Medicine balls and foam rollers are good for do-it-yourself work.
4. Sensory-motor amnesia. The agonist-antagonist muscle team is functionally divorced and the firing sequence needs to be clarified with sensory-motor education as in Trager, Feldenkrais, or Hanna Somatics.

Getting It Right

Most of these issues will respond well to a combination of bodywork, movement education, and a high-tech form of stretching known as Facilitated Stretching, which is used by top therapists, trainers, and competitors worldwide.

Here’s how it works:

1. Position the target muscle, the one you want to lengthen, to its maximum pain-free end range.
2. Use an exercise partner or static object to provide resistance barrier.
3. Exhale and isometrically contract the target muscle against that resistance barrier for 10 seconds.
4. Relax and inhale.
5. As you exhale again, contract the antagonist muscle on the other side of the joint to lengthen the target muscle into a deeper ‘stretch’.
6. Reposition your self or your helper to take up the slack.
7. Repeat steps 1-5 a few times.

Stay in your comfort zone as you do this work. There should be no painful sensations.

Watch this brief video showing how facilitated stretching works. In the first segment you will see a passive method. In the second segment you will see the active method described here. The passive method does have therapeutic applications but the active one is the safest and most effective approach for self-help work.

Work slowly, stay in a pain-free zone, and soon you will leave the ranks of the “not very flexible” and return to the ranges of motion you were designed to have, barring mechanical limitations caused by past trauma… and incorrect stretching.

To further accelerate your movement life into high gear, take a Yoga class, read a book from the suggested reading list, and/or ask your practitioner for a hands-on facilitated stretching session.

References

Facilitated Stretching by R.McAtee and J.Charland, 2nd ed. 1999, Human Kinetics.

Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by H.D. Coulter. 2001, Body and Breath.

Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery by E. Franklin. 1996, Human Kinetics.

This article originally published in an abridged version on InnerRewards.com (c) 2008