STRETCHING

STRETCHING

Between playing competitive sports and working out for the better part of my adult life I can say with 100% confidence I have done some damage to my body.  I come from an era where stretching wasn’t exactly forced on you or encouraged by your coaches.  Stretching before practice was more of a chance to sit and relax for a bit before the real work started.  By the time most coaches (not all coaches) told you to stretch it was because you already pulled something.  And god forbid you actually took the time to stretch in the weight room before you started lifting weights.  At that time stretching was viewed more as a waste of time and energy than a benefit and help to your body.  The bad habits I learned at a young age continued to follow me through to my adult life.  I never took the time to stretch.

It wasn’t until I started working with a strength and conditioning coach that I learned about all the damage I had been doing to my body over the years.  I don’t want to bore you with a long list of reasons why you should stretch so I will just use one specific example.

I never and I mean never stretched my hamstrings out.  So naturally they were tight and constantly cramping up, whether it was from running or lifting weights.  Along with hamstring issues I also had some lower back issues I was dealing with.  I never would have guessed that the issues I was having with my lower back were related to my hamstrings.

Tight hamstrings can cause the hips and pelvis to rotate back flattening the lower back and causing a wide range of back issues, such as postural problems and sacroiliac joint pain.  When the hamstrings are tight they will pull the pelvis out of its normal position.  This can often cause a pinching of the sciatic nerve or what is commonly known as sciatica.  The pain caused from sciatica will start in the buttock and will radiate down the leg, it can radiate down as far as the foot and toes.

When muscles tighten up the blood has been squeezed out of them and your muscles are working at less than 100 % of capacity and your performance will be down as a result. Sports massage and stretching to improve muscle condition will not only reduce the likelihood of injury but may also improve your performance in the gym, on the track, or playing whatever sport you play.

The moral to the story…STRETCH BEFORE AND AFTER YOUR WORKOUTS!!!