I know you’d like to improve your flexibility. I hear this from my clients all the time! So far, I’ve showed you how to increase your shoulder flexibility, how to use fruit to keep your muscles limber, and given you 7 strategies to increase your hip flexibility. But we haven’t yet talked about the physiology behind flexibility, and understanding how your muscles work is crucial to maintaining a healthy, limber body for the rest of your life.
Most of my clients are making the same mistake when it comes to increasing flexibility. They diligently attend yoga classes, do pre- and post-work out stretching routines, and even get plenty of massages. They just don’t understand why they’re not seeing results! It seems like they might make a few initial gains, but after a couple of weeks the body just plateaus and they don’t experience any additional flexibility.
Well, here’s the reality: It’s not the length of your muscles that determines how far you can stretch. In reality, you’re just as flexible as the yogi who can tuck his foot behind his head.
Impossible! you say. I know it might seem that way, but consider this: A 70 year-old man whose muscles are so tight and restricted he can barely bend his legs to walk up the stairs goes into the hospital for surgery. This is a man who can’t even touch his toes! The nurses put him under anesthesia in preparation for the surgery. Now they have to be extremely careful moving this man because his muscles and joints are so loose they can easily dislocate something!
Fast forward to post surgery when the anesthesia wears off and the man wakes up…he’s back to his original range of motion. What the heck happened?!
Clearly it’s not the physical restriction of the muscle that’s preventing this man from tucking his leg behind his head – the nurses could have easily manipulated him into this position under the extreme relaxation of anesthesia.
So, why is he so immobilized?
The truth is, it’s his neurological make-up that is keeping his muscles tight and tense. You see, every muscle has a “set point,” a point at which little tiny sensors in the cells send a message to the brain insisting that if the muscle is extended any further, it will tear. This is called the “stretch reflex,” and it initiates a contraction in the muscles.
That’s where you experience the limit of your flexibility. Simply pulling on your muscles is inefficient for increasing flexibility unless you plan to stay there long enough to override the power of your stretch reflex – way too long for most people’s patience.
Instead, you have to reprogram your nervous system into allowing your muscle to stretch a little further. Strength plays a part in this. If your muscle is weak, your nervous system will protect it by not allowing it a very large range of motion. Strengthening your muscles in their FULL range of motion is crucial to healthy flexibility.
If you’re unsure of how to start reprogramming your neurological wiring, start by simply taking the muscles and joints through a full range of motion several times. For example, if your ankles have limited range of motion, balance yourself against a wall or chair and hold your foot in front of you. Point your toes toward the ground and then lift them toward the sky, repeating 7-10 times in each direction.
This takes all the muscles along the front and back of your lower leg through a full range of motion and sends a signal to your brain that you need to be able to use your foot this way. With repetition, you’ll notice more freedom in your ankle joint (if done daily, you should notice a difference within seven to ten days). It also retrains muscles that may have become “frozen” in a shortened position.
Ida P. Rolf – founder of the Rolf Method of Structural Integration – always said, “When flexors flex, extensors extend.” This means that when you contract muscles on one side of a joint, the muscles on the other side need to lengthen. Repeated mobility exercises train your body to move in this healthy manner.
The same strategy can be applied to any area of your body that you would like to see increased mobility and flexibility. Move only one joint at a time to start.
Sukie, I have to respectfully disagree with your statement that “stretching won’t increase flexibility.” I personally, successfully increased my range of motion (rom) and flexibility through systematic stretching exercises during high school and through college. Have you ever spoken with gymnasts or ballerinas about gaining flexibility?
I agree that static stretching might not be the most efficient, but we can’t ignore the fact that the tradition of static stretching in gymnastics and ballet has produced tremendous flexibility results.
Perhaps, your relevant statement is that proper stretching takes “way too long for most people’s patience” – and not, that “stretching won’t increase flexibility.”
Hi Darla,
You make some excellent points. Static stretching CAN increase flexibility, but it by no means the safest or most effective approach.
I have, actually, spoken and worked with gymnasts and dancers, including studying the training secrets of Chinese acrobats who can literally bend in half. These people, first of all, spend a minimum of 2 hours and up to 8 hours per day in training. That’s out of reach for most people who have to work and take care of families. Also, dancers and gymnasts are in a very effective, highly refined strength training program (dancing requires immense body integrity and muscular control). Your average person will not have the time or even the knowledge to engage proper strength training (5 lb dumbbells do NOT count). Proper strength training will increase flexibility, as I have personally experienced and witnessed.
Also, studies have repeatedly shown that stretching prior to working out can actually weaken the muscle, making you more susceptible to injury, so there is some inherent risk with static stretching. Lots of people use it to “warm up” before running or cycling, but in fact, dynamic joint mobility is far more effective for warming the body, maintaining healthy joints, increasing range of motion, and preventing injuries.
On a final note, while ballerinas are often tremendously flexible, they often engage in many unhealthy habits to reach that point. Some of the ‘stretching’ I’ve read about would be considered pure torture in certain circles. And if you’re not naturally flexible, all the holding of a static stretch in the world, while it may give small gains, will not turn you into a professional yogi.
Thanks for chiming in on this!
So your argument is “people who are really flexible spend more time stretching than most others are willing to commit to.” According to that logic, you should also write an article entitled “why weightlifting won’t increase muscularity” and then follow it up with “why practice doesn’t improve performance”.
Nope, not my point. My point is that active stretching is more effective than passive stretching, at least in my clinical experience. Thanks for reading and for your comment.
Since those of you responding to this woman’s attempt to provide additional considerations for those wishing to obtain ultimate flexibility, insisting upon doing so by misconstruing what is written here, with argumentative, derogatory, attempts to challenge, a theory that you have yet to put to the test; I figure I’ll put in my 2cents also, I mean u know, since my experience is actually worth something, where your ignorance on the other hand, is not. I WAS a gymnast, and presently specialize, in a rare form of urban body choreography, and although I was aware in my youth of the superior increase of flexibility brought on by excercise & movement repetition in comparison to merely stretching, I only recently discovered the actual physical & neurological processes behind the results I experienced. In terms for the lay, man, …if your ignorance & contentious pride weren’t blinding you, you’d realize you were arguing scientifically proven fact. And, in short, with all the time u obviously have on your hands, re-read what’s written here and stop embarrassing yourselves, by attempting to contradict a woman on topics you clearly didn’t obtain efficient knowledge of. I feel guilty merely by the act of wasting my time to refute your foolishness. What do YOU feel?
Sukie, my question is this: I stretch after every workout, whether it be just an hour of cardio or that hour combined with weights. I have seen major improvements in my rom, for example, I can now touch my forehead to my knee in a hurdle pose. However, I have one spot that just won’t improve. Googling muscle anatomy leads me to believe it is the gracis. So when I try to stretch with my legs in a vee position that area feels like it has no give. Is this part of what your article is about or is there something I can do about it? Thanks, Rachael
Thank you, very interesting article i recently started implementing dynamic streches over static and i admit i’ts very difficult due to my lack of physical strength but it gets easier every day.
I am SO glad you posted this, Sukie!
I also teach my clients how they can increase their range by embodying better function (through improved proprioception & utilizing imagery) which simultaneously increases strength and coordination. If your alignment is wonky, stretching will only make the body more tense. It’s as if it’s trying to tell you to stop.
I am a barefoot runner and I feel more flexible after running because I am connected to how the bones & muscles are moving which helps them work more efficiently during my runs. (And no stretching. ;-))
xo
So apparently my over splits have nothing to do with the time and effort that I put into stretching.
Haven't read the article, but I'm sure its going to be about static stretching vs dynamic or something dumb like that. Makes no sense otherwise.
Precicely.
That’s not at all what I’m saying. If you have oversplits, I’d venture to guess you are also very strong and have a highly tuned nervous system. That, in my experience, is what begets flexibility, not passive stretching where you just hang out and wait for your muscles to let go.
Interesting, I am trying to increase my flexibility to reach some of the yoga asanas (of course the teachers advice is just come back everyday, that’s how you get better). But I have been reading about the resistance stretching, along the lines of what you are talking about, and then the other side, of holding for 2 to 3 mins, (Vague on the names of both so as not to provide promotions here, but one can search the web and find then, for a small fee of course).
I have read this somewhere before and forgot about it, I have been sort of combining the 2 methods. Now I have to rethink it again. Will the flexibility of youth come back with work and practice?
Hi Will,
With practice, you should be able to regain any lost flexibility, barring traumatic injuries such as broken bones or major surgeries which can really slow the process down and cause flexibility issues for years.
Keep at it. Consistency is what you need for results!
Dude, I could never touch my toes when I was 5, I'm still the same now.
My mate at school who had never strecthed before used to be able to do the splits with a warm-up. I'll never be flexible – I have been stretching all my life.
I am currently focusing on my front splits, but I am still about two feet off the ground! Is there any advice that you could give?
You really need to get a golf ball muscle roller, it did wonders for my muscles flexibility, seriously check it out! http://www.zzathletics.com