I think most people as a rule love a good stretch - maybe that’s an overestimation but allow me for a moment.
If you’ve ever had a pet: be it a puppy, cat or any animal for that matter I’m sure you’ve noticed how often they do a downward dog or full superman.
Meet our puppy Nel
She’s very very fond of stretching: from the moment she wakes to the moment before she sleeps.
So why do animals stretch and are we the same?
how is stretching helpful for our physiology, anatomy, mental and spiritual health?
Stretching improves Joint range of motion:
Joint range of motion is a wonderful factor that supports and increases quality of life throughout life but most importantly as we approach our 70s, 80s and 90s years here.
Range of motion describes whether a joint can be moved actively (by the person), or passively (by the practitioner) and to what degree that joint is performing its “normal” movement.
For instance a ball and socket joint like a hip will normally move (unless damaged) in:
Flexion (lifting the leg forwards)
Extension (lifting the leg backwards to the back of the body)
Abduction (moving the leg out to the side of the body away from the midline)
Adduction (moving the leg towards the midline)
Internal rotation (turning the toes towards the middle of the body with a straight leg)
External rotation (turning the toes away from the body with a straight leg)
Range of motion is governed by the health of the joint (particularly when it’s being moved passively by the practitioner).
Things that can stop a healthy range in its tract are for example any pathology that changes the structure of a joint.
Osteoarthritis is a prime example of this, where cysts form on the articular (the place where the bones interact) surface of the joint capsule - in a hip between the hyaline cartilage of the top of the ball of the femur and the hyaline cartilage of the capsule of the socket of the pelvic acetabulum.
Fascia and connective tissue (has now been found to offer active contraction that’s embedded after an injury unless treated) can also restrict range of motion to that joint passively.
Muscles and their tendinous attachments also restrict range of motion both actively and passively.
Stretching improves blood flow around the joint and limb:
Moving a joint releases any impingement on key arterial supply that may be restricted around that joint.
Thereby increasing oxygenation to the surrounding tissues, improving fluid balance between and within cells, improving lymphatic drainage and the health and nutrients arriving to the surrounding tissue structures.
Stretching and moving a joint increases the degree of synovial fluid present in the joint capsule:
This one isn’t as well known, when we stretch rhythmically (moving between two places repetitively) the act of muscular contraction on bursa (little fluid filled sacs located under tendons surrounding the joint) squirt the synovial fluids bursa hold into the joint.
This is one of the major reasons that those with osteoarthritis will report improved sensation and ease of movement in an arthritic joint after a gentle stretching and movement session.
Synovium acts like a lubricant in a hinge, offering greater glide and ease of movement to the joint, whilst also helping alleviate inflammation.
Stretching increases proprioception:
Proprioception is the awareness we have of our body in space at any given moment.
If you lift your arm up and then shut your eyes - unless something neurologically is wrong, you won’t stop perceiving your arm just because your eyes can’t see it.
Good proprioception means we can counteract as we fall.
We feel our ankle twisting especially over twisting as we’re running and in a split second our body changes position and goes to the other side where there isn’t any danger.
This is an example of good proprioception where we can recalibrate and avoid an injury on the fly.
Proprioception is largely thought to be held by ligaments and nerve endings to them around the joint capsule.
After accidents, injuries or surgeries our proprioception is reduced and we need to actively engage with it to increase it once more.
Falls in older people are the number one cause for reduced mobility and function leading to a downtrend in mental and physical health.
A few movements a day can really reduce this injury risk and offer better quality of life.
I think it’s worth the effort!
Stretching releases muscle tension from psychological stress:
Learning to actively relax and unwind your body’s tension that’s built up from that massive to-do list you have in the back of your mind could never be a bad thing, in my humble opinion.
It empowers us, makes us more resilient and gives us tools to manage better with what life throws at us, so that we are happier, healthier individuals and better able to offer love and compassion to ourselves and our relationships.
I can’t argue with that!
Stretching improves psychological mood by endorphin release:
Any physical activity including slow movements like walking have been undeniably shown to improve mood by release of powerful hormones such as endorphins.
Why not improve the way you feel in the morning before work within 15 mins!
Does stretching reduce injury risk in sports?
The jury is actually out on this one because it’s so hard to measure.
From a logical standpoint it makes sense if we are warming a muscle with increased blood flow prior to sport then we have more dynamic load bearing range, available to us if something should over stretch a joint during the actual activity. We are also building neurological awareness (proprioception) about where we are and the activity to switch on and off a muscle at speed.
However whilst it’s really hard to measure and the studies are therefore in contention I will leave it to you to decide.
Anecdotally I warm up for my sport with sport appropriate movements.
If I am about to start squatting heavy I take an empty bar and perfect the movement and range and build speed before ever adding weights incrementally.
I don’t just reach for 80kg or more without any preparation.
That feels like common sense to me.
Before I start with a bar I assess how my body feels and if I have walked in with tight hips I do some mobilisations that progressively ease them back to my resting baseline of mobility.
Part of stretching on the regular enables me to have a good sense of what’s normal for me and therefore what’s abnormal or needs a little bit of help to restore.
Think about it the next time you're in the gym and do what you feel is right - listening to your body will always help you make good decisions.
We all in my opinion have stressors in life, I believe that knowing how to return to baseline and find ease is a wonderful skill to build resiliency in every aspect of life.
Look out for more,
Next week we are talking about how to stretch rather than the why of it!
As ever, every bit of health and happiness to you and your families.
Much love
Carmen
Makepeace & Massage.
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