Stretching

2010 Colorado Cougar’s Stretching Zone: There are three problems with your standard toe-touch type of stretch. First, in this type of stretch, called a static stretch, the targeted muscles—in this case the hamstrings—are not isolated. So instead of a good stretch for the hamstrings you get a so-so stretch for the hammies, glutes and back. A second problem with static stretching is that the targeted muscles are not relaxed. Instead, they are contracting protectively against the pull of the stretch. The results of stretching are much better when the muscles are stretched in a relaxed state. Also, static stretching increases mainly the passive range of motion (how far your muscles can move with assistance), not the active range of motion (how far your muscles can move on their own). Active range of motion is what you need for muscle performance in activities ranging from sports to getting in and out of a car easily. Active-isolated stretching is a form of stretching that was created specifically to overcome the drawbacks of static stretching. In an AI stretch, you put your body in a position that allows you to stretch a single muscle group and then you repetitively contract the muscles opposite for just two seconds at a time, causing the targeted muscles to both relax and stretch. Most AI stretches require the use of a rope, sturdy elastic band or rolled-up towel. Consistent AI stretching will lead to quick gains in active range of motion that will improve your performance in other forms of exercise and in everyday activities. By focusing on the muscles you tend to work hardest, you can also reduce your chances of suffering overuse injuries that result from muscle imbalances. For example, if you run a lot, you’ll want to focus on the backs of your legs. Following are 12 sample AI stretches. (To learn AI stretches for muscles not covered here, see The Whartons’ Stretch Book by Jim and Phil Wharton.) You can do these stretches anytime, but following a cardio or strength workout is best because warm muscles stretch more easily. Stretch thoroughly at least three times a week. Neck Lace the fingers of both hands together and place them against the back of your head. Tip your head forward as far as comfortably possible and extend the movement slightly with gentle pressure from your hands. Pause for one second and relax. Perform 10 repetitions. Now place just the right hand on the left side of your head. Tilt your head to the right as far as comfortably possible, pause, relax, and repeat nine times more. Now stretch the other side of your neck in the same way. Shoulder Rotators Raise your arms into a "Don’t shoot!" position—upper arms forming a straight line with your shoulders, forearms vertical. Now contract the muscles of your rear shoulders and squeeze your shoulder blades together. At the limit of the movement (which will be quite small), pause briefly, relax and repeat. Perform 10 repetitions then invert your position so that your forearms are extended directly toward the floor and your palms face backward. Again, squeeze your shoulder blades together 10 times. Chest Stand comfortably and spread your arms wide so that they form a straight line perpendicular to the floor. Turn your palms forward. Contract your rear shoulders so that your arms swing slightly backward. Hold this position for two seconds and relax. Perform 10 repetitions. Triceps Stand comfortably with your left upper arm raised directly overhead and your left forearm dangling behind you. Place your right hand on your left elbow. Try to reach toward the floor with your left hand, using light pressure with your right hand to extend the movement slightly. At the limit of this movement, pause for two seconds, and then relax. Perform 10 repetitions and then stretch your right arm. Lower Back Kneel on your hands and knees. Inhale and rotate your pelvis forward (butt up, tummy down). Pause for one second and then exhale and relax. Do 10 repetitions (10 breaths). Hamstrings Lie on your back with both legs bent. Begin with one foot resting flat on the floor and the other leg elevated so that the thigh is perpendicular to the floor and the shin is parallel to the floor. Loop a rope, sturdy elastic band or rolled-up towel around the bottom of this foot and grasp the two segments together in your stretching-side hand at about knee height. By contracting your quadriceps, straighten the rope-looped leg completely. Pull toward your head on the rope until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings. Hold it for one to two seconds and relax. After completing 10 repetitions, stretch the opposite leg. Quadriceps Lie on one side in a fetal position. Rest your head on the floor or on a pillow. Grasp the bottom of your bottom foot with the same hand and the top of your upper foot with the upper hand. By contracting the hamstrings and glutes, swing your upper leg back behind you as far as possible. Extend this movement slightly by pulling with your arm. Pause for one to two seconds at the end of the movement and then relax. After completing 10 repetitions stretch the opposite leg. Glutes Lie on your back with one leg extended fully along the floor and the other leg bent to 90 degrees and elevated. Place the same-side hand on the hamstrings of this leg, just above the knee, and place the opposite hand on the shin, just below the knee. By contracting your abdominal muscles and hip flexors, reach the knee of this leg as far as possible toward the opposite shoulder. Use pressure from both hands to extend this movement slightly. Pause for one to two seconds at the end of the movement and relax. After completing 10 repetitions, stretch the opposite side. Hip Abductors Lie on your back with both legs fully extended. Loop a rope, sturdy elastic band or rolled-up towel around the top of one foot so that the two segments meet at the inside of that ankle. Snake the two segments around to the outside of your leg and grasp them at your upper thigh with the same hand. Grasp the ends in your other hand and rest that hand on your belly. By contracting the muscles on the outside of your hip, sweep the rope-looped leg out to the side, leading with your heel and raising it just far enough of the floor to make movement possible. Extend this movement slightly by pulling the rope gently away from your body. Pause for one to two seconds and relax. After completing 10 repetitions, stretch the opposite leg. Gastrocnemius Sit on the floor with both legs outstretched in front of you. Loop a rope around the bottom of the forefoot of one leg. Hold the ends of the rope in your hands with your arms outstretched, your torso upright, and tension in the rope. By contracting the muscles on the front of your shin, pull your toes as far as you can toward your body. Extend the motion slightly by pulling gently on the rope. Pause for one to two seconds at the top of the movement and relax. After completing 10 repetitions, stretch the opposite leg.

2010 Colorado Cougar’s Stretching Zone:

There are three problems with your standard toe-touch type of stretch. First, in this type of stretch, called a static stretch, the targeted muscles—in this case the hamstrings—are not isolated. So instead of a good stretch for the hamstrings you get a so-so stretch for the hammies, glutes and back.

A second problem with static stretching is that the targeted muscles are not relaxed. Instead, they are contracting protectively against the pull of the stretch. The results of stretching are much better when the muscles are stretched in a relaxed state.

Also, static stretching increases mainly the passive range of motion (how far your muscles can move with assistance), not the active range of motion (how far your muscles can move on their own). Active range of motion is what you need for muscle performance in activities ranging from sports to getting in and out of a car easily.

Active-isolated stretching is a form of stretching that was created specifically to overcome the drawbacks of static stretching. In an AI stretch, you put your body in a position that allows you to stretch a single muscle group and then you repetitively contract the muscles opposite for just two seconds at a time, causing the targeted muscles to both relax and stretch. Most AI stretches require the use of a rope, sturdy elastic band or rolled-up towel.

Consistent AI stretching will lead to quick gains in active range of motion that will improve your performance in other forms of exercise and in everyday activities. By focusing on the muscles you tend to work hardest, you can also reduce your chances of suffering overuse injuries that result from muscle imbalances. For example, if you run a lot, you’ll want to focus on the backs of your legs.

Following are 12 sample AI stretches. (To learn AI stretches for muscles not covered here, see The Whartons’ Stretch Book by Jim and Phil Wharton.) You can do these stretches anytime, but following a cardio or strength workout is best because warm muscles stretch more easily. Stretch thoroughly at least three times a week.

Neck
Lace the fingers of both hands together and place them against the back of your head. Tip your head forward as far as comfortably possible and extend the movement slightly with gentle pressure from your hands. Pause for one second and relax. Perform 10 repetitions. Now place just the right hand on the left side of your head. Tilt your head to the right as far as comfortably possible, pause, relax, and repeat nine times more. Now stretch the other side of your neck in the same way.

Shoulder Rotators
Raise your arms into a "Don’t shoot!" position—upper arms forming a straight line with your shoulders, forearms vertical. Now contract the muscles of your rear shoulders and squeeze your shoulder blades together. At the limit of the movement (which will be quite small), pause briefly, relax and repeat. Perform 10 repetitions then invert your position so that your forearms are extended directly toward the floor and your palms face backward. Again, squeeze your shoulder blades together 10 times.

Chest
Stand comfortably and spread your arms wide so that they form a straight line perpendicular to the floor. Turn your palms forward. Contract your rear shoulders so that your arms swing slightly backward. Hold this position for two seconds and relax. Perform 10 repetitions.

Triceps
Stand comfortably with your left upper arm raised directly overhead and your left forearm dangling behind you. Place your right hand on your left elbow. Try to reach toward the floor with your left hand, using light pressure with your right hand to extend the movement slightly. At the limit of this movement, pause for two seconds, and then relax. Perform 10 repetitions and then stretch your right arm.

Lower Back
Kneel on your hands and knees. Inhale and rotate your pelvis forward (butt up, tummy down). Pause for one second and then exhale and relax. Do 10 repetitions (10 breaths).

Hamstrings
Lie on your back with both legs bent. Begin with one foot resting flat on the floor and the other leg elevated so that the thigh is perpendicular to the floor and the shin is parallel to the floor. Loop a rope, sturdy elastic band or rolled-up towel around the bottom of this foot and grasp the two segments together in your stretching-side hand at about knee height. By contracting your quadriceps, straighten the rope-looped leg completely. Pull toward your head on the rope until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings. Hold it for one to two seconds and relax. After completing 10 repetitions, stretch the opposite leg.

Quadriceps
Lie on one side in a fetal position. Rest your head on the floor or on a pillow. Grasp the bottom of your bottom foot with the same hand and the top of your upper foot with the upper hand. By contracting the hamstrings and glutes, swing your upper leg back behind you as far as possible. Extend this movement slightly by pulling with your arm. Pause for one to two seconds at the end of the movement and then relax. After completing 10 repetitions stretch the opposite leg.

Glutes
Lie on your back with one leg extended fully along the floor and the other leg bent to 90 degrees and elevated. Place the same-side hand on the hamstrings of this leg, just above the knee, and place the opposite hand on the shin, just below the knee. By contracting your abdominal muscles and hip flexors, reach the knee of this leg as far as possible toward the opposite shoulder. Use pressure from both hands to extend this movement slightly. Pause for one to two seconds at the end of the movement and relax. After completing 10 repetitions, stretch the opposite side.

Hip Abductors
Lie on your back with both legs fully extended. Loop a rope, sturdy elastic band or rolled-up towel around the top of one foot so that the two segments meet at the inside of that ankle. Snake the two segments around to the outside of your leg and grasp them at your upper thigh with the same hand. Grasp the ends in your other hand and rest that hand on your belly. By contracting the muscles on the outside of your hip, sweep the rope-looped leg out to the side, leading with your heel and raising it just far enough of the floor to make movement possible. Extend this movement slightly by pulling the rope gently away from your body. Pause for one to two seconds and relax. After completing 10 repetitions, stretch the opposite leg.

Gastrocnemius
Sit on the floor with both legs outstretched in front of you. Loop a rope around the bottom of the forefoot of one leg. Hold the ends of the rope in your hands with your arms outstretched, your torso upright, and tension in the rope. By contracting the muscles on the front of your shin, pull your toes as far as you can toward your body. Extend the motion slightly by pulling gently on the rope. Pause for one to two seconds at the top of the movement and relax. After completing 10 repetitions, stretch the opposite leg.