Stretching: Why Do it? How to do it?
We have all been told either by our medical providers, yoga teachers, holistic practitioners the need and importance of stretching. If you haven’t then here is my opportunity to talk to you about the importance of stretching. IT’S IMPORTANT! However when we are told this we are not usually left with any instructions or given explanations that are generic and say that “stretching will take care of this issue or that diagnoses.” While these statements are true, they do not give you the full impact of what stretching can and will do for you.
To understand why stretching is important you have to understand the body’s musculoskeletal system a little better. Muscles and bones comprise what is called the musculoskeletal system of the body. The bones provide posture and structural support for the body and the muscles provide the body with the ability to move.
The musculoskeletal system also provides protection for the body's internal organs. In order to serve their function, bones must be joined together by something. The point where bones connect to one another is called a joint, and this connection is made mostly by ligaments. Muscles are attached to the bone by tendons. Bones, tendons, and ligaments do not possess the ability to make your body move. Muscles are very unique in this respect.
With that in mind one must think when they are deciding to stretch or not to stretch, consider do you want to keep moving? I know that sounds dire, and almost hyperbole, however it is a fact. When we stretch what happens to the muscles?
The stretching of a muscle fiber begins with the sarcomere, the basic unit of contraction in the muscle fiber. As the sarcomere contracts, the area of overlap between the thick and thin myofilaments increases. While stretching, this area of overlap decreases, allowing the muscle fiber to elongate.