Allow me to change your mind about stretching

What if stretching and strength training aren't so different, only that we tend to treat them differently?

We all acknowledge that stretching and mobility work are an important part of our health. As much as I push strength and cardiovascular work, we don't want to neglect the flexibility of our joints.

What good is being super strong if we can't bend down to tie our shoes or struggle to reach behind us to put a jacket on?

But stretching isn't really what you think it is and doesn't do what you think it does.

First of all, stretching doesn't lengthen a muscle that's shortened. In fact, it wasn't short in the first place. It can sure feel like it, but it's the feeling that's the key point to analyze.

Our feelings of stiffness, tightness, and general immobility are just that, feelings. And while those feelings give us vital information, our interpretation of them is often wrong.

Whenever we move, our brain and peripheral nerves are sensing things around us. If we try to stretch too far, our nervous system tightens things up to protect us from a potential strain. If we add too much load to something, our brain will tighten things up in an effort to find stability and control.

So it's less about shortening and lengthening muscles and more about what our body perceives as a potential threat and where it feels the need to protect us.

But what is that feeling of stiffness from the physiological side? It's actually a muscle contraction. If you've ever truly challenged yourself in stretching or in positions that you're not used to, you'll find that you'll end up sore the next day as if you did a strength workout.

That's because stretching is ultimately a low-load muscle contraction. You can also look at all basic strength movements like squats as loaded stretches of the hips, knees, and ankles.

The big difference is the load. We tend to load up squats, and we tend to treat stretches as bodyweight, light, or rehab/recovery movements. When you load up a squat and use a full range of motion, is that a stretch or a strength movement? Or is it both? The brain and body largely see these as similar stimuli and adapt accordingly.

Using the full range of motion heavy squat as an example, you would adapt to become stronger and more flexible. You'd be better able to tolerate the load, and your body would be more comfortable in a greater range of motion. AKA, the best of both worlds.

That doesn't mean that you need to load all of your stretches. In an active recovery phase of training or when you're rehabbing an injury, you want movements that are low-load in order to help your recovery without adding too much training fatigue.

It all comes down to load management and why you're doing a particular movement.

Stretching, like strengthening, is an amazing tool when used properly. And using a tool properly starts with a better understanding of what it is and what it does.

To your good health,

Coach Stephen

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Thanks for reading.

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