In many people's minds, stretching is pulling ligaments, and a considerable number of people don't know what stretching is for, and they don't even know where to stretch.
Today, I'm going to talk to youStretch
What is stretching?
Stretching is to stretch the tense muscles and increase the movement space of the joints, and your body will become stretched, lengthened, and flexible.
Stretching includes static stretching, dynamic stretching, active stretching, and passive stretching.
Proper stretching can not only make the body recover better, but also improve joint flexibility, improve body flexibility, speed up lactate excretion, prevent muscle strain and adhesions, and reduce the possibility of injury. But if you don't do it right, it can hurt you.
Long-term stretching can improve your flexibility, but it can also affect your muscular enduranceStretching the muscles that exert force will reduce the muscle strength in a short period of timeStretching before training may also increase the chance of injury in explosive sports, while also reducing your maximum strength and explosiveness.
In addition, incorrect stretching methods and stretching lengths can also negatively affect your movements, making your muscles more tense. Some people even get strained during stretching!
Therefore, in yoga, all stretching emphasizes the exercise of stretching with strength, which can avoid stretching injuries, and at the same time can relax tense muscles, strengthen weak muscle strength exercises, help stretching to a greater extent, and is safe, healthy, and efficient!
Where is the stretch pulling?
Many people don't actually know where the stretch is pulling, so that most people take it for granted that stretching is pulling the ligament. This is really a misunderstanding.
In fact, it is not the ligaments that are stretched and stretched.
The reason for this misunderstanding may be related to the training of athletes seen on TV. Like some gymnasts, they do need to stretch the ligaments to improve their range of motion in order to perform a variety of difficult movements.
But this does not mean that everyone needs to pull ligaments .
Stretching ligaments can lead to reduced joint stability and increased risk of injury. If it weren't for the need for some special sport, pulling the ligaments wouldn't give you more benefit, soEven sports with special needs, such as gymnastics, must improve the stability of the joints by increasing muscle strength, thus compensating for the loss of stability caused by the ligaments being stretched.
In addition, anatomically speaking, ligaments are band-like connective tissues that connect two adjacent bones, support joints and maintain joint stability, and ligaments do not have the contractile function of muscles.
So, stretching is not the ligament, it is the muscles and fascia that are pulled.
Muscles are no strangers to everyone. As for the fascia, it is a layer of connective tissue that runs through the body, it surrounds muscles, muscle groups, blood vessels and nerves, it has strong unidirectional tensile properties, and is generally considered to be a structure that passively conducts mechanical tension, and some studies suggest that the fascia can contract independently, so it can affect the mechanical properties of muscles. In addition, myofascia also reduces friction among muscles, allowing muscles to glide against each other.
Stretching is pulling ligamentsNo wonder you get hurt the more you pull
The various leg presses we often see in daily life actually stretch the muscles and fascia, but do not extend to the ligaments.
I often hear people say that they usually stretch too little, but now they feel painful when they pull, and they feel that the tendons on the back of their thighs are very tight, and they need to stretch ......This tendon refers to the fascia that we mentioned earlier , and the pain, which is largely caused by the stimulation of the subcutaneous nerve by the fascia, is not something that many people mistakenly think that the ligament is too tight .
In addition, when pulling the legs, we emphasize the strength of the hips, so that the leg muscles will be more elastic, and the legs will be longer and longer, on the contrary, if you just pull the back of the legs, the buttocks do not give any opposite strength, then your gluteal muscles will be in a state of passive elongationIn terms of physical shape, you will become less and less assy, and in terms of health, your pelvis will become more and more unstable, and many people even strain the back of their legs.
If this is the case for you, don't pull anymore and build the strength of your muscles first. Otherwise, you will not only have pain in the back of your leg, but all kinds of problems will occur in your whole body. Because you're exercising beyond the reasonable range of motion of your joints, beyond the capacity of your muscles.
In fact, stretching is quite complex, and a precise and effective stretching action requires you to have a deep understanding of anatomy, understanding every muscle in the body and all the movements they can make in each plane.
Misconceptions of stretching
Myths1. Never stretch
Not stretching can make your muscles tight, causing pain, poor posture, and increasing stiffness.
Myths2. Only stretch after exercise.
Stretching increases range of motion so that muscles are less stiff when exercising and also reduces injuries.
Myths3. Pull it up endlessly.
Doing 3 sets of 20 seconds of stretching for each muscle group will increase flexibility, and spending more than 60 seconds in the same position will only reduce the amount of time you run, so there's no need to go all out while stretching.
Myths4. Stretch first without warming up
Cold muscles are stiff, and stretching without warming up is likely to sprain or strain. The correct stretching time is after the warm-up. If you don't have enough time, just warm up!
Myths5. Ignore the hip flexors.
Tight gluteal muscles can cause the pelvis to tilt, which will make the figure out of shape and the husband change his mind.
Myths6. Pull it a day if you only stretch your arms or legs
You should stretch all the major muscle groups fully – on both sides. Each of the following areas needs to be stretched for at least 20 seconds
Shoulders: Straighten your arms upward, bend your elbows, and place your hands behind your headUse your other hand to pull this elbow behind your head.
Lower Back: Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of your body and your hands gently bent at your knees. Pull your upper body towards your legs with both hands.
Quadriceps: Take a big step forward with one leg, keep the back leg extended, place the front knee behind the front foot, bend the front knee and press it down into a lunge. Repeat in the opposite direction.
Inguinal: Stand with your feet wide open forward. Bend one knee and feel the stretch of the other leg. Repeat in the opposite direction.
Thighs: Sit on the ground with your legs apart, bend one knee and kick the inside thigh of the other leg with its heel. Keep your straight knee steady and reach out to touch this foot. Repeat in the opposite direction.
Calf: Stand facing the wall, with one leg staggered in front of the other. Place 2 palms against the wall and bend the back knees to lean forward. Repeat in the opposite direction.
Myths7. Stretch until it hurts so much that you cry like a resentful woman
You don't have to put yourself in great pain in order to gain a greater range of motion, which will only make you uncomfortable – just feel the muscles tense but not hurt.
Myths8. You use a foam roller instead of stretching
Using a foam roller before exercising may make you feel better, but it won't improve your flexibility. Try a combination of the two to increase flexibility.
Myth 9, stretch between sets.
Stretching between sets can reduce your performance. Weird, right?Stretching activates central nervous reflexes to affect muscles and even impair their performance when they are not moving.
Myths10. Stretch like acrobatics after exercise
The muscles are warm after exercise, which may increase flexibility, but they are also particularly tiring and therefore more prone to injury.
Myths11. Stretch injured muscles.
Don't stretch your ankle if you don't want it to swell even more;Instead, you should lie down and see a doctor. Stretching the injured area can delay healing time.
Myths12. Stretch on the bed or hard floor.
The bed was too soft and the floor was uncomfortable. A mat or thick rug can provide enough stability and comfort to ensure that you stretch in the proper form.
Myths13. Rhythmic fast back and forth stretching
Rhythmic stretching is not only ineffective, but can also cause injury. The correct way to do this is to hit a certain position and hold it for no more than 60 seconds.
Myths14. Do stretching but not strength training
Even if you're really flexible, stretching isn't enough. Strengthen strength training to ensure joint stability and adequate extension. Try this exercise to strengthen your inner and outer thigh muscles.
Next, I would like to recommend a set of stretching asanas that cover the muscles of the whole body. But be careful, all stretches must be forceful.
Stretch the side of the body
With your feet about 2 hips apart and your toes facing outward, bend your knees so that your knees don't exceed your toes, and hold your hands together for 20 seconds.
Stand up and straighten your legs, raise your left hand above your head and lean your body to the right, feel the stretch on your left side, hold for 20 seconds, and then return to A. Hold for 20 seconds, then switch to the other side. Do at least 2 sets.
Stretch the inner thighs
With your feet open about 1.2 meters in length, your left foot is ahead, your right foot is buckled, and your left heel is aligned with the arch of your right foot. Bend your left knee with your left thigh parallel to the ground and your knee above your ankle. Raise your hands flat on your sides and look at the tips of your left fingers. Hold for 20 seconds.
Then straighten your left leg with the ball of your foot off the ground, bend your right knee and place your hands above your right knee for 20 seconds. Then practice on the other side. Do at least 2 sets.
Stretch the outer thigh
Stand, bend your right knee, place your right foot on the inner left thigh, close to the base of your thigh, and hold your hands together in front of your chest for 20 seconds.
Drop your right foot on the outside of your left foot, bend your right knee slightly, and place your hands on the front of your right thigh. Hold for 20 seconds. Then switch to the other side. Do at least 2 sets.
Chest stretching
Stand with your feet and knees together, fold your hands, bend your knees slightly, and hold for 20 seconds with your knees no more than your toes.
Then lift your heels and bring your hands to the sides of your head and open your elbows to the sides. Hold for 20 seconds. Do at least 2 sets.
Hip stretching
Start with the ramp and hold for 20 seconds.
Then bring your left foot forward to the outside of your left hand, straighten your right leg, place your left knee on your left shoulder, and sink your hip. Hold for 20 seconds. Then switch to the other side. Do at least 2 sets.
Back stretch
Start in four-legged bench pose, with your knees directly below your hips, your hands directly under your shoulders, and your instep on the ground for 20 seconds.
Then turn the spine, tuck the navel arch and look at the navel. Hold for 20 seconds.
Stretch your left hand and right leg straight forward and backward, parallel to the ground. Hold for 20 seconds. Then switch to the other side. Do at least 2 sets.
Stretching of the back and ribcage
Lie on the mat with your hands on either side of your ribcage, elbows tucked between your ribs, shoulders elevated, and chin off the ground. Hold for 20 seconds.
Push down with both hands straight, extend the thoracic spine upward, and externally rotate the shoulders to sink. Hold for 20 seconds.
Hips left heel, hands straight, forehead on the ground, baby pose relaxed. Hold for 20 seconds.
Stretch the back of the thighs and lower back
Sit on the mat with your legs straight together and your hands go forward to grasp your toes without holding them in an extended position on your spine. Hold for 20 seconds.
Bend your right knee with your right foot to the outside of your left knee, your left elbow against the outside of your right knee, and your right hand to the ground behind you. Twist to the right, keeping your spine stretched upwards and looking behind. Hold for 20 seconds. Then switch to the other side and do at least 2 sets.
Hip and lower back stretching
Lie on the mat with bent knees and the soles of your feet on the ground, bring your right ankle over your left knee, and place your hands on the ground at your sides. Lift your hips and keep your left thigh and body in a straight line. Hold for 20 seconds.
Bring your hips down, hold your right calf with both hands, pull your knees toward your ribcage, and sink your shoulders. Hold for 20 seconds. Then switch to the other side and do at least 2 sets.
Stretch of the hips, back of the legs, and lower back
Start with downward facing facing dog, land your right foot on your front knee and lower leg, keep your left leg straight on the ground, and place your hands on either side of your hips with your spine stretched upwards. Hold for 20 seconds. Then switch to the other side.
Sit down, bend your right knee and keep your left leg straight. Grab your left toe with both hands and hold it in an extended position on your spine. Then switch to the other side and do at least 2 sets.