There’s no such thing as effective shortcuts, especially when it comes to taking care of your body and preventing injury, but there are tried and true methods of stretching that have been applied by yogis, dancers, gymnasts, and athletes alike for thousands of years that are safe and effective:
1. Breathe deeply through the stretch. Allow every inhale to feel as if it’s creating space in the tissues and muscles between the bones – then allow every exhale to release tension and ease deeper.
One of the first things that happens when we’re uncomfortable is we stop breathing deeply – humans are the only animals that do this! It’s our attempt to gain control over the situation, even though all it does is make it worse.
2. Hold for 2 minutes – but no longer than 10.
When you stretch, you’re stretching muscles and tendons. Your body is well-equipped to protect itself from injury, so you need to hold the position long enough to establish a new norm:
Your muscles speak to your brain through the muscle spindle; it has a length to which it’s programmed to safely stretch. If the spindle senses that the muscle is stretching past its safe point, the brain will literally stop the muscle from moving further.
Your tendons are what connect the muscles to the bones in your body; they speak to the brain via the Golgi tendon organ, which senses increasing tensions and either stops or allows movement in accordance to what it believes to be safe.
Basically, when you hold a stretch and allow yourself to deepen slowly into it, you’re making your brain say “ok, we’re entering a new safe space,” allowing your tendons to release tension and your muscle fibers to lengthen further.
3. Build a strong core. Rock-hard abs aren’t just for looking good in a bikini; your core is the origin of your entire body’s balance. When you lack core strength, you lack stability – so your body is uneasy in entering any new posture. Strengthening your core will allow your body to trust that moving into a new range of motion is safe. Looking for a core challenge? You can do my FREE 30 day six-pack abs challenge HERE.
4. Be consistent. Stretching is one of those things where short and sweet every day is better than long and deep sporadically. When you’re not consistent, your brain will tell your muscles and tendons to go right back to their original safe zone. Inside my Stretchy Fit app I have a 30 Day Stretch challenge that only takes 5 minutes a day and will guide you through each posture so you can soak up all the benefits it offers.
5. Increase movement throughout your day to avoid additional tightness. If you’re sedentary for many hours of the day, 10-20 minutes of stretching is certainly better than none, but it’s not going to equally counteract that much lack of movement. If you work in an office, simply stand up for a few minutes every hour; extend your arms overhead; even shake out your hands and feet – whatever gets the blood flowing (dance break, anyone?)!
My Stretchy Fit app has hundreds of different workout and yoga styles, lengths, and levels for you to choose from. OR you can follow along with the monthly calendar I create to take the decision fatigue out of it. You can download and start TODAY with your free 7-day trial HERE.
Not ready for the commitment – jump into one of my FREE guides to get you started. Either way, I’ve got you boo and want to see you succeed in your health and fitness goals.
