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By a long stretch

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By a long stretch
Ross Royster

What does a dog or cat do when it first wakes up? It instinctively stretches, right? You may be doing the same thing to some extent, without really thinking about it. Why? Because it just feels good. Well, if you were to stretch conscientiously on a regular basis, just think how much better you’d feel. Stretching increases flexibility, muscle elasticity, circulation, range of motion and overall physical performance. It also reduces muscle cramping and risk of injury.

There are various categories of stretching. The exercises I teach my patients are static stretches, where you assume a posture and just hold it. When done correctly, I feel these are the most effective and safe stretches; but they have to be done correctly. There are three cardinal rules for stretching that I stress to all my patients:

  1. Never go to the point of pain. Just go to where the muscle is tight, but still comfortable. If it is painful, back off. If you stretch a muscle too far or too fast, you will trigger a reflex within the muscle that will cause it to tighten up to protect itself. You will get the opposite effect you desire.
  2. Hold the stretch without moving until the tightness is gone. Don’t count to 20, 30, 100 or whatever. That doesn’t mean anything. Hold it until the tightness is gone, and you’ll know you have it.
  3. Always stretch both right and left sides. The tighter side may just take a little longer, but if you do them both until the tightness is gone, you know you will be even in the end.

If you follow these three rules, you will not go wrong with stretching, and you will enjoy all of its benefits. For guidance on specific stretches, I recommend the book “Stretching” by Bob Anderson.