You may remember one of my previous blogs explaining why your muscles become knotted, tight and sore. But it’s not just massage therapy that’ll help with these issues. Stretching, if completed correctly, can mimic similar benefits.
Here’s the link if you didn’t see my previous article:
Yes, I’m the first to admit that the last thing you want to do after you’ve sweated your guts out on the gym floor is stretch. But even when you’ve gathered up the last bit of energy to collapse on the floor to stretch those glutes, it unfortunately won’t completely hold off the dreaded doms, correct your posture, prevent injury, or increase flexibility. You will need to continue the routine in between your training sessions, ideally for at least an extra hour throughout the week. Which in comparison to the intense pressure your muscles and joints go through (outside of the gym too) is a small ask, let’s be honest they’re crying out for some attention!
I often get asked which stretching technique is best, dynamic vs static, yoga vs Pilates? The answer of course is all of them, they all have their benefits at the right time, I tend to stick to the general rule of dynamic before exercise and static after. One technique I rarely get questioned about is PNF. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation is an advance form of flexibility training that is broken down into three similar techniques. The most commonly used involves passively stretching the muscle, followed by a isometric contraction, the muscle is then relaxed and the method is repeated. It relies on autogenic inhibition, a reflex that during this process reacts to prevent injury and allow muscle relaxation, gaining further movement on the next passive stretch. It was originally introduced to treat neuromuscular conditions so mainly used by therapists, however research has shown its benefits and is now widely used within the fitness industry. It is one of the most effective techniques to improve muscle length and joint range of motion, and best of all it’s results are immediate!
If you would like to know more and try out PNF stretching, make sure you’re stretching correctly and reap the benefits of a flexible lifestyle, join in with my stretching class on Wednesday’s at 11am 🙂
Carla Joseph
Better Body Group, Sevenoaks
