When it comes to stretching, most people think of it as something you do to become more flexible; to improve your mobility. But, how do you know if you're inflexible and what exactly is flexibility and mobility?
Usually, you stumble onto your lack of motion. You reach for something high, just out of an easy reach and feel tightness in your shoulder; you bend down to pick something up and notice your lower back doesn't want to flex;you back the car out of the driveway and find it tough to turn your head far enough to really see behind you.
So, naturally, you begin to wonder if you should stretch something, somewhere, to improve your mobility.
Mobility is using your available motion and flexibility is just one mobility characteristic. It is one of the factors the influences how easily and efficiently you move. A person who demonstrates flexibility has pliable muscles that can be repeatedly stretched, actively or passively, without injury.
However, you can be flexible yet have reduced mobility because you can't use the motion you have. This usually comes from weakness or lack of coordination.
So, you may not be able to reach above your head because you lack strength in certain muscles to fully coordinate the movement. It may feel as if you're tight when actually you're weak. If you start stretching areas that feel tight when they're not, you'll not only waste your time, but you could make the situation worse.
When you combine flexibility with strength and coordination you'll get well controlled, smooth, and even elegant motion. You'll move easily, not feel tight or off balance or struggle to complete the task. And to maintain this mobility, you have to use it regularly. If you don't, your body will adapt and you will lose both flexibility and strength.
You need to stretch when you lack normal, pain-free passive movement of a joint or joints. You need to strengthen when you have normal passive motion but cannot move through that available motion.
Most people need to stretch and strengthen the shoulders, upper back, hamstrings and hip flexors and to a lesser extent the ankle and lower back. The reason is that most people's lives do not require regular use of the entire range of motion of those body regions. Most people sit, work on a computer or at a desk and rarely make full use, for example, of reaching over head or 80 degrees of hamstring flexibility. Then, occasionally, they demand more mobility from their joints than they possess and run the risk of injury.
Remember that most injuries result from a physical demand in excess of physical capacity and that includes mobility.
In my upcoming posts, I'll discuss how to stretch the shoulders, upper back, hamstrings and hip flexors and how to improve your mobility. In the meantime, pay attention to how easily you move and ask your self if you need to work on your mobility.
