Many people think of stretching as something done by fitness enthusiasts or athletes. The truth is we all need to stretch in order to maintain our mobility and range of motion. Stretching should be a daily part of our wellness routines. But where to start?
Why Muscles Love Stretching
Stretching keeps the muscle tissue flexible, strong, and healthy. That suppleness & flexibility is critical in maintaining joint range of motion & strength. Without adequate stretching, muscles can shorten and become tight. Shortened muscles are weak muscles. When you ask a shortened muscle group to perform a strenuous or novel activity, their lack of mobility puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.
Muscle strength is nothing more than potential for contraction. A lengthened (stretched) muscle has more potential for contraction that a shortened (tight) one.
When tight muscles are suddenly called on to perform a strenuous activity that stretches them, they may become damaged from that sudden abrupt stretch. Herein lies the importance of a regular stretching routine or at the very least, a warm up stretch. Regular stretching keeps muscles long, lean, and flexible, and this means that exertion is less likely to result in injury or soreness.
So many muscles: where to start?
With a body full of muscles (over 600 as a matter of fact), adopting this concept of daily stretching may seem overwhelming. Luckily, you don’t have to stretch every single muscle you have in order to reap the benefits. Target critical mobility muscle groups for mobility such as calves, quadriceps, shoulders, neck, and low back. Keep your expectations sustainable any time you are building a new habit. Start with 1-2 times per week and build from there.
Find a bodywork practitioner who can assess your muscle strength & flexibility, coach & and assist you on proper technique and tailor a stretching program to fit your needs. Toni Skaggs LMT, resident Massage Therapist at Just Be Bodyworks has developed an Assisted Stretch Session offering to assist clients in learning more and benefitting from the power of proper stretch.
Assisted Stretching in Grants Pass
These Assisted Stretch Sessions consist of full body passive stretches in which the client lays clothed on a massage table and your practitioner does the stretches for you, assessing range of motion & increasing flexibility. Different neuromusclular & muscle energy techniques are incorporated as needed to help reset your muscles nuerological baseline resting position. After the session, Toni will help you to create a home stretching routine based on her findings.
These sessions can be utilized one time to get you started on the road to a healthy stretching routine or scheduled periodically for accountability & reassessment on your journey. Assisted Stretch Sessions can be scheduled as a stand alone session, added on before or after your massage session or incorporated into your massage session.