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1-week archive:
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Ricardo Thomas / The Detroit News
Fitness trainer Kara Van Zandt, left, and trainer and Fitness Together manager Chris Centivany work out the kinks before exercising. Stretching can improve performance and endurance, along with other long-term benefits.
Stretch it out
Fitness experts stress benefits of a good warm-up
Lauralee Ortiz / Special to The Detroit News
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Ricardo Thomas / The Detroit News
John Connolly, executive vice president of Clinical and Hospital Operations at TheraMatrix Physical Therapy in Pontiac. See full image
D ave Milczarski, 47, of Farmington has one fierce golf swing, an effort that he attributes to only one thing -- stretching.
"Stretching has improved my posture and helped me make good shoulder turns," he says. "It also helps me feel more relaxed and have better concentration."
Fitness experts don't doubt it. In fact, they say that stretching the muscles regularly -- especially before and after physical activities such as golfing, weight lifting, bicycling or tennis -- will not only improve performance and endurance, but can provide a list of long-term benefits to overall fitness.
"The benefit of stretching you hear about most commonly is that it decreases the chance of injury," says John Connolly, executive vice president of Clinical and Hospital Operations at TheraMatrix Physical Therapy in Pontiac. "And that's true because what you're doing is improving your muscle flexibility and allowing more range of motion during activity."
Bu, stretching is not only good for athletes. A simple, daily routine of bending, reaching, folding and extending different body parts can improve flexibility and allow for a better range of motion necessary for performing everyday tasks such as walking, lifting and climbing stairs, Connolly says.
Not only that, adds Angie Kielar, a personal trainer who runs Fitness RX in Farmington Hills, regular stretching can increase blood flow to muscles, which can shorten recovery time from previous injuries, improve posture by keeping muscles from getting tight, provide stress relief by relaxing tense muscles, enhance coordination and make you less prone to injuries.
"I stress it because, from my own experience, I know that stretching has helped keep me injury-free," she says.
Kielar, a former body builder, certified golf conditioning specialist and yoga instructor, teaches a 60-minute class during which she takes students through a series of stretching moves to align the body. The key, she and Connolly agree, is to take the time to do it and do it right.
Start with a warm-up
"What I typically do in my class first is warm my students up," Kielar says. While her students prefer sun salutations, she says this activity can include walking, performing jumping jacks or jogging at a low intensity level for five to 10 minutes to increase the blood flow to the muscles.
"I think the biggest contraindication of stretching is to stretch a cold muscle," she says. "You try too hard and overstretch it."
Connolly agrees.
"Jumping right into a workout with cold muscles can cause pain in joints and muscles," he says. "Movement literally warms up the muscles and reduces risk of injury."
He says his office is filled with clients with sports injuries that could have been avoided had they just warmed up and stretched.
Forget the bounce
While a lot of baby boomers had physical education teachers that encouraged gentle bouncing to stretch muscles, fitness experts no longer agree with that technique.
"Don't bounce," Connolly says. "We've gotten a lot smarter and have realized that the bounce is contraindicated. That means it can cause damage and strain to the muscle."
The proper method, he says, is to take each movement to the point of a moderate stretch that you can hold for 30 seconds.
"You shouldn't stretch it to the point of flat out pain, either," he adds.
Listen to your body
Before you get started, heed this advice from Beaumont Hospital's Women's Heart Center, Royal Oak and Troy: Flexibility, like all forms of fitness, is an individual matter, so move at your own pace. If a stretch causes pain, stop doing it. And, if you have injuries, consult with a health care professional to ensure you will not cause further damage.
Basic stretches
Muscles affected: Rotator cuff and deltoids (shoulder)
Proper technique: Stand tall. Raise arms above your head. Bend elbows so forearms align directly above crown. Use left hand to grab onto right elbow and slightly pull right arm up. Hold for 30 seconds. You should feel a slight tug in your shoulder muscle. Switch arms. Repeat. Do two sets.
Why this is important: Stretching these muscles not only can improve your golf swing, it can help improve flexibility for everyday lifting and movement of your arms. Strain and injury from such things as bad posture and tight tissues around the joint can cause trauma and pain.
Muscles affected: Upper, middle and lower trapezius (back)
Proper technique: Sit in a chair with back as straight as possible and feet firm on the ground. With arms out, elbows bent, slowly twist upper trunk to the right and hold for 30 seconds. You should feel the muscles gently pull across the right side of your upper and middle back. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite side. Do two sets.
Why this is important: Back muscles are important in maintaining good posture and balance. The most common causes for injuries, strain and pain occur due to weak muscles, improper lifting and twisting. The low back is particularly at risk for injury because it bears the weight of the upper body. Muscle strains are the most common cause.
Muscles affected: Extensor, flexor, gluteal (lower back, hip and buttocks)
Proper technique : Lay flat on your back with spine close to the floor. Keep left leg extended. Bend right knee and cross leg over to the left side. Your lower trunk should twist and lift off the floor slightly. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite side, two sets.
Why this is important: The large bones that make up the hip joint also serve as anchors for several muscles. Some of these muscles move down the thigh to the knee; others move across the abdomen or the buttocks. When overuse or injury stretches or tears the muscle fibers, the resulting injury is called a strain. The risk of muscle strain increases if you had a prior injury in the area, do not warm up properly before exercising or attempt to do too much.
Muscles affected: External and internal obliques (side trunk)
Proper technique: Stand tall with spine as straight as possible. Face forward with arms to your sides. Lift left arm above and over your head as you lean to the right. You should feel this stretch in the entire left side of your body. Once you are as far down as you can go without pain, hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite side. Do two sets.
Why this is important: The obliques flex the trunk forward, support and contain the abdominal contents, function during breathing, rotate the ribs and pelvis in opposite directions from one another, tilt the pelvis and laterally flex the spine. These muscles also protect the lower back from injury.
Muscles affected: Hamstring (upper back leg)
Proper technique: Lay on your back near a door frame. With left leg extended forward and pressed to the floor, lift right leg and rest heel on the wall. Scoot body forward so right leg is as straight as possible without being painful. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on opposite leg. Do two sets.
Why this is important: This series of muscles is at the back of the thigh and primarily serves to bend and protect the knee. Injury is very common and often the result of overload or trying to move the muscles too fast. Strains are common in all sports, especially ones where sprinting is involved.
Muscles affected: Achilles tendon (it is just below the back of the ankle and connects the calf muscle to the heel bone)
Proper technique: Lean forward on wall. With left leg slightly bent at knee, extend right leg back and plant foot firmly on the ground and push heel to the floor. Bend your forward keen until a comfortable stretch is felt in your back calf. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite side. Do two sets.
Why this is important: The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body and can withstand forces of 1,000 pounds or more. But it is also the most frequently ruptured tendon, and both professional and weekend athletes can suffer from Achilles tendonitis, a common overuse injury and inflammation of the tendon.
Sources: John Connolly, TheraMatrix Physical Therapy, Pontiac; American Academy of Oestopathy, Indianapolis, Ind.
Photos by David Coates / The Detroit News Model: Brian Cardeccia, Pontiac
Lauralee Ortiz is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.
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