Everything You Need to Know About Stretching

Stretching (or lack thereof) is one of the most commonly misunderstood and misused activities for most casual athletes, often leading you to a session with a sports injury specialist for some intensive sports physiotherapy. Here’s some useful information on the mechanics, techniques and best practices for stretching, from Form + Function Physio in Richmond.



What Does Stretching Do?
Stretching is a bit like flossing our teeth – we all know we should do it, but we’re not quite sure how it helps. The interesting thing is that what stretching does on a neural and muscular level isn’t very well known – we know it improves flexibility and range of movement, but we’re not quite sure how. Current thinking is that increases in flexibility are partly due to neural mediated effects of stretch tolerance, as well as histological effects on the muscles and tendons. Pretty technical, but the fact remains that it improves range of motion and flexibility when done right. It also helps relieve tension in muscles and tendons, and provides pain relief when performed by a sports injury therapist as part of sports physiotherapy.

What Types of Stretching Can I Do?
Every person’s abilities, strength, body and goals are different, so stretching should follow a custom program that sports injury specialists at Form + Function Physio in Richmond can develop for you. A stretching regime used by an experienced yoga practitioner or a marathon runner just won’t work for someone who exercises on a casual level, and can be too intensive – leading you right back into sports physiotherapy.

Your stretching routine should take about 10-12 minutes before and after activity, and may include:

  • Rehabilitative stretching – A sports injury specialist will target certain muscle groups to help speed healing and build strength when you have been injured. These low intensity exercises help prevent further injury and correct alignment issues.
  • Static stretching – This is the type of stretching that most people are familiar with. It’s one of the safest ways to stretch too. By stretching a muscle group and holding for 20-30 seconds before and after activity, you help ease tension from the muscle. Don’t bounce or overstrain yourself in these poses.
  • Dynamic and ballistic stretching – If you play sports regularly, are competitive or professional, your sports physiotherapy specialist will recommend a specific stretch routine for your activity. These exercises move your body through its entire range of motion as would be required in the sport you participate in.
  • Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation – If you need to increase your flexibility, these are the kind of stretches you’d perform. They involve repetitions of stretching and releasing muscles in order to stretch further – elongating muscles in the process. You’ll see a lot of this type of stretching in Pilates and yoga.
Sports Physiotherapy at Form + Function Physio in Richmond
Form + Function Physio in Richmond offers sports physiotherapy to every level of athlete, including professionals and people who want to start a new activity on the right foot. If you need a sports injury specialist to help you overcome an injury or want to find out how best to stretch and manage your transition into a new activity, visit us today for a welcoming and informative sports physiotherapy session.

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