Should I Stretch to Get More Mobile or to Recover from Injury?
Danielle Ivie, DPT, CSCS | Founder of Powered by Movement Physical Therapy
Stretching is always a hot topic in the health and fitness world. You hear some groups yelling from the rooftops that everyone should stretch and others saying that stretching will be the death of you. So what’s the truth?
The truth lies in the context. Let’s first talk about the difference between flexibility and mobility.
Flexibility is the ability to move through a specific range of motion.
Mobility is having the strength to control that range of motion. Mobility is KEY, especially as it relates to training, aging, and longevity of health and fitness.
When it comes to mobility, which is what we prioritize, eccentric strengthening is the new stretching.
One of the best ways to improve your mobility is through eccentric strengthening. An eccentric movement is a contraction of a muscle as the muscle lengthens. An example of an eccentric movement is descending into a squat. When you bend your knees to lower into a squat, your quadriceps (top of your thigh) are lengthening to control the movement of bending your knees.
This systematic review provides even more evidence to support using eccentric exercises as a form of mobility exercises. If the goal is to improve mobility, controlling your body through its full range of motion, then it’s time to strengthen to lengthen your muscles!
Now what if you have an injury that feels tight all the time? Should you stretch it? The answer to that question is it really depends.
Often when a muscle feels “tight” it could be one of two things:
1) The muscle is actually tight and needs to be stretched.
2) The muscle is stretched out too much and needs to be shortened (strengthened). Think about a taut rubber band: if you stretch it maximally, it will feel “taut”, but it does not need more stretch. It needs slack. That is a common sensation in muscles as well.
If you have been stretching a muscle that feels tight all the time, but not experiencing any relief, it may be that the muscle needs more strength, not more stretch.
Does that mean stretching is always bad for you? Not necessarily. It just may not be the best thing for you at that moment.
If you feel like stretching has gotten you nowhere, or you aren’t sure what to stretch or what to strengthen, we can help at PXM. Diving into an individualized assessment will give you all the answers you need to move and perform optimally for the long term.
At PXM, we help active people in St. Louis recover from injury, optimize movement, and stay out of pain for the long term while reaching their health & fitness goals. With our unique approach to physical therapy, our top priority is to provide you with holistic, fitness forward healthcare that emphasizes your goals.
We get you back to thriving in the activities you love with our 3 step process:
POWER UP: Diagnose and understand the root cause of your problem.
POWER BOOST: Create a custom plan for you to restore function & get back to what you love.
POWER PEAK: Optimize performance to keep pain away for good & get stronger than ever.
Not sure if PXM is right for you? Have more questions? Schedule a Free Consultation today.
Dr. Danielle Ivie, DPT, CSCS
567 Hanley Industrial Ct., Brentwood, MO 63144
314-252-0504 | www.poweredxmovement.com