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David Grisaffi’s Stretching and Flexibility

Stretching and Flexibility

Secrets for Success

By David Grisaffi

Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist

Edited by Karlee Moore

We have all marveled at such perfect physique as Michelangelo’s famous statue

of “David” and wonder how we could ever look like him. Our thoughts of human

perfection never seem to float down to the area of flexibility. No one conjures up

thoughts of I wonder if he could touch his toes? That is unfortunate, because

flexibility is the first rung of the fitness ladder

Physical fitness has many components such as muscular strength, endurance,

power, coordination and cardiovascular fitness. Physical fitness depends on a

vast number of intertwined mechanisms each playing an important role. Flexibility

ands stretching are the most neglected aspect of many fitness programs Just go

to your local gym and see what they offer: aerobics, spinning, step boxercise,

abdominal classes, walking but not many offer a solid stretching class Why?

Stretching is simply on the low end of the fitness totem pole.

Many people in the fitness arena do not understand well the role of flexibility for

enhancing performance and prevention injuries. The order should be flexibility

first. When I evaluate a person for the first time I have never seen a perfect

score. All my clients end up with some sort of stretching routine that I encourage

them to follow daily. It helps restore balance between opposing muscle groups. It

aids in stability of joint structures and reduces injuries.

Always come to the fitness table thinking flexibility first followed by stability of

joints then progress to strength training and finally to power training if it is

necessary for your progress. If this progression is not followed injuries are sure to

pop up.

Some stretching fallacies still exist today such as to much flexibility will make you

susceptible to injuries. I have never seen a person in my career that is to flexible

to the point of causing injuries. This hypo mobility problem only exists in very few

people.

So let’s find out what flexibility really is all about and what it can do for you!

Flexibility is the degree to which an individual muscle will lengthen. This is not to

be confused with the term: range of motion.” Range of motion refers to the

movement around the entire joint structure.

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David Grisaffi’s Stretching and Flexibility

Poor flexibility creates many problems and can be damaging to all structures

within our bodies. Stiff tight muscles limit your range of motion and contribute to

back, neck, and pelvis pain.

There is an element that revolves around stretching and flexibility that only a

handful of fitness professionals understand and use. It is the concept some

muscles are overworked and some are under worked. These muscular

imbalances results in poor length tension relationships around the muscular

skeletal system. In other words, too much pull on one side and not enough on the

other leads to joint and muscle pain. It is like going down the road in your care

with the lug nuts loose. The car will move forward, however there ride will not be

smooth.

A lack of flexibility can cause health problems. It creates poor posture resulting in

mechanical imbalances in your back, hips shoulders and neck. These

imbalances shift your body segments out of proper alignment. The results are

stress, strains and even worse posture. Many factors limit flexibility such as

bones, muscles, ligaments muscular bulk and weight. Age, temperature, clothing,

and gender are other factors that influence flexibility

Flexibility is affected without a doubt by age. As we age we lose our ability to

move. Although this happens it is completely preventable if we engage ourselves

in flexibility.

Our goal here is to balance the muscular frame work of your body. A lack of

flexibility hampers performance and a good solid stretching program is just the

answer.

There is a situation that often leads to a lack of flexibility it is sitting at your desk.

Sitting for a prolonged period of time has become a way of life for many

Americans. We think we are resting our back by sitting in some $300 dollar chair

at work or lounging on the easy chair after a tough day sitting at your work chair.

But in fact, we are making it ourselves worse. The lower spine in placed under

much more strain while sitting in a chair then standing on our feet. The disk

pressure in the lower spine rise by 40%! This lack of support leads lubrication

problems in the spine and encourages degeneration of the surrounding tissues.

When you sit a lot, tension builds up in you lower back shoulders and neck.

Sitting for extended periods of time does cause shortening of the hamstrings,

hips flexors and can lead to sciatica problems. Certain stretching exercise can

counteract the tension and discomfort in these areas.

These muscles need attention:

Hamstrings

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David Grisaffi’s Stretching and Flexibility

Hip Flexors

Lower Back

Chest

Upper back

Lumbar Erectors

Abdominal Region

The hip flexors or Iliopsoas is considered one of the most important muscles to

be stretch. If the hip flexors are tight they will increase the curve in your lower

spine and this often leads to low back pain and increase in thoracic curves of the

upper spine. If it is tight it can cause a chain reaction up the entire spinal column.

The object of a sound stretching program is to reduce macular tension. You must

realize stretching, when done correctly feels good and calms you nervous

system.

Everyone should participate in a daily stretching program. You do not need to be

a top athlete or eve in great physical condition to begin a stretching program.

There are other forms of stretching that can be considered other than the ones

presented in this report such as yoga, ti chi, chi gong and pilites training. Just

start easy and progress smartly. If you wish to ask more about such programs

please e-mail david@fit-zone.com

Some of the immediate benefits of a daily stretching program are:

Reduction of muscle tension

Decrease in muscle pain

Improved circulation

Increased range of motion

Improved coordination

Develop body awareness

Reduction in injuries

Increases comfort

Stretching: do's and don'ts

Stretching is very easy to learn however there is a right and wrong way to

stretch. There are many opinions among fitness experts on how stretching

should be performed. However, certain guidelines must be followed to ensure

safety and proper development.

They're basically two methods to stretching. One consists of bouncing or ballistic

or dynamic movement and the other is passive movement.

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David Grisaffi’s Stretching and Flexibility

The passive method consists of two types of movement: static and contract-relax

or PNF. These two passive methods are excellent ways to improve flexibility and

the ones I highly recommend.

Ballistic/dynamic stretching is a technique you might see a gymnast or 100

meters sprinter perform before their event. It tends to stretch the muscle by

increasing range of motion by bouncing, swinging, jumping or rocking back and

forth. This type of stretching is left to the high level athletes.

The two passive type of stretching are static and contract-relax.

Static stretching is the most popular form of stretching in fitness arena. The

stretch position is assumed and the muscle is stretched further by small changes

from that position and held for a given amount of seconds.

Just as muscles are strengthened using the overload principal we should also

use this principal when it comes to stretching. The same is true of a stretching

program. Increased flexibility comes from a progressive stretching program.

Another form of passive stretching is known as contract-relaxed-stretch. This

method basically tricks the stretch reflex mechanism within our muscles and

allows for improved range of motion. To perform this type of stretching assume

the stretch position and gently the contract the muscle for a given amount of

seconds then release the contraction and gently slide into a lengthened re-

stretch position.

I recommend contracting the muscles for 5-7 seconds then relaxing the muscles

and immediately lengthening the stretch and hold for 10 seconds then repeat. I

find a great advantage to this type of stretching due to the greater and

quicker results.

How hard you want to stretch is documented in many studies. Studies show that

you should stretch a muscle about 10 percent beyond its normal length in order

to increase flexibility. However, you stretch only as far as you can without feeling

pain. If you feel pain, consider the warning sign to ease up on that particular

stretch.

How long to hold each passive stretch will vary. The recommendation I have

used successfully for years, training hundreds of clients, is to assume the

stretched position and hold for duration of 15-30 seconds.

How often you stretch is up to you and your time schedule. It is

recommended that you stretch at least three times a week. For optimal

results stretch daily. To see any major improvements in flexibility stretch

twice a day.

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David Grisaffi’s Stretching and Flexibility

How long you stretch is again up to your schedule I recommended that you

Stretch for a ratio of 1/2 to 1. In other words if you are going to workout for an

hour you should stretch for a half-hour. This approach leads to increase

flexibility, decreased injuries and much less muscular pain.

10 Guidelines for Effective Stretching

1. Choose the best time of the day.

Find a peaceful area where you will not be interrupted during your entire

stretching routine. Proper stretching requires concentration and patience. Be

sure you do not rush through your routine.

2. Clothing.

Special exercise outfits are not necessary or essential for a stretching program.

However you should wear loose, comfortable clothing that does not restrict

movement. To achieve the best results, you should stretch on a carpeted floor

exercise mat (if you have access to one); do not wear a belt or jewelry.

3. Warm up

Perform a 5-10 minute aerobic warm up (especially in the early morning) such as

stationary bike, easy jogging in place or a simple 10 minute walk. It is important

to break a sweat. Breaking a sweat increases your body temperature and

enables you to increase your stretching, range of motion and decrease injury

potential.

4. Listen to your body.

Remember flexibility changes day to day. You may not be able to perform the

stretching routine in the same manner with the same results at each session.

Instead ease into it and take the muscle only to the point of

slight discomfort. Again listen to your body...

5. Vary your stretching

Alter your stretching routine periodically. You should also change angle of the

stretch. For example, when you perform a seated hamstring stretch with your leg

out in front. To vary the stretch just re position the extended leg. Each small

adjustment influences different muscle fiber.

6. Breathe evenly

The key to stretching is to remain relaxed during your exercises. Breaths

normally as you stretch, but emphasize exhaling as you ease deeper into the

stretch.

7. Stretch the tight muscles first

Understand stretching one particular muscle does not mean you will necessarily

be flexible in other areas. Be sure to pay attention to those body areas that are

tight and stretch them more often and first in order.

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Stretching - Flexibility - Secrets For Success - David Grisaffi.pdf

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