walking) if not practiced.Īctive Movement – It seems like an obvious statement but in order to get better at moving you have to in fact move. Studies have shown that while long-term stretching has been shown to improve range of motion, those gains are not observed during functional tasks (i.e. The more similar the exercise to the task, the more likely it will transfer to improvements in the goal task. Specificity – In simple terms we get better at what we practice, so practice/stretch specifically for the movements you want to improve. Lasting improvements in range of motion take weeks or months of dedicated work, so the more you can incorporate range of motion challenges into your daily life, the better. Particularly if you are not limited by pain, then the longer and more frequently you stretch, the more effective it will be. Repetition – How much and how often should we stretch to make a real, permanent change? No one knows for sure, but probably a lot. Overloading does not mean torturing yourself but should be a gradual or graded progression and could include increasing the force, range, speed, and/or duration of the stretching exercise/activity. Load or Overload – The loading of the tissues being stretched needs to be greater than those we experience in normal daily activities and probably to the point of slight discomfort ( not pain). Baking a cake can turn out…if you have the right ingredients, just like stretching can yield results with the right ingredients. But does that actually happen – does stretching work? The simple answer: it can. So, it is assumed then that there are some benefits to stretching with the obvious one cited being increased range of motion or movement ability. I think most of us seem to believe it is important or “good to do.” In fact, a lot of people tell me they “should stretch” even if they admit to not doing it regularly. Walk into a gym and you’re bound to see a lot of stretching going on.

True stretch cage stretches