Being limited in any capacity is never enjoyable, but when it impacts nearly every aspect of our existence, we really start to take note.

Lack of ankle mobility changes the way our body moves and creates compensatory patterns that overload certain structures and stop using others—leading to pain or injury. 

What Does Mobility Mean? 

Mobility is defined as the ability to move a limb through its full range of motion.

Mobility often gets confused with flexibility. Where mobility describes how your body moves through active motions, flexibility refers more to the length and condition of muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

Good mobility means your muscles are doing their assigned jobs correctly. With poor mobility, you’re likely relying on the wrong muscles to perform certain movements, an action that results in stress, tension, pain, and, ultimately, injury. 

Why Do We Want to Improve Ankle Mobility? 

There is a strong correlation between mobility, flexibility, and athleticism. Poor ankle mobility can affect even the most simple day-to-day activities such as going from sitting to standing, walking, or running. Without proper dorsiflexion, or range of motion, your body is forced to find workarounds in other areas leading to poor performance or injury. 

Some reasons to improve ankle mobility: 

• because you have chronic ankle instability from injury 
• you want to improve your squat depth 
• you want to improve dorsiflexion (the ability to bring your toes towards your shin)

Stretches to Improve Ankle Mobility

Improving mobility should involve different types of activities beyond the traditional static stretch. It is also important to not only focus on the troubled area, but also the surrounding muscles. So for the ankle, the calf and tibialis muscles will be main areas to focus on as well. 

Mobility exercises should be the first thing you do before starting a workout. The reason why these should come first is mobility exercises prepare your muscles and joints, allowing for full range of motion. 

Mobility addresses all the elements that limit movement: tight muscles, joint range of motion, and stiffness. When you have full range of motion, you reduce the need to compensate and move incorrectly avoiding injury. 

Start where something is stiff. Mobilize that area. Work above, below, and around the problem area to address contributing areas. 

Examples of mobility exercises are:

1. Foam Rolling
2. Traction
3. PAILS and RAILS
4. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching—after working out

Mobility Examples

Foam Rolling

Foam rolling warms up your body, increases muscle flexibility, loosens tight muscles, and allows you to workout with better, more efficient, and safer form. 

Divide the muscle that you’re rolling into three segments—bottom, middle, and top. Give each section a few passes, move onto the next one, and then after having hit each of them, give the entire length of the muscle a pass.

Our preferred method of foam rolling is what we call pressure and move. Instead of just rolling your muscle back and forth over the roller, you will get more benefit from bending and straightening your limb and moving it back and forth over the problem area. 

The following videos demonstrate foam rolling techniques for your calves:

Traction

Our clients use bands to create traction.  The benefits of traction, or resistance stretching, is that by having a band pulling on the joint you are trying to stretch, it creates more space in the joint itself. This allows the tissues to relax and release, which increases  your range of motion. 

You can increase the tension you have pulling on the joint by using a higher resistance band.

PAILS and RAILS Dorsiflexion

PAILS and RAILS stands for progressive and regressive angular isometric loading. What does this mean? 

When we’re working PAILS contraction, we’re recruiting or contracting the lengthening tissues or the progressive tissues and the opposite angle is regressing, or shortening. 

This is important because we want to work both tissues at their end range, allowing you to recruit your nervous system and teach it that it is safe to extend past what it thinks is capable. 

With static stretching, you are priming your cells and you might feel better for a time, but recruiting your nervous system allows for significant change to happen.

When performing PAILS and RAILS, time under tension matters—the longer the better. The amount of force you apply to the stretch also matters. In the videos below you will hear percentage call-outs—these represent the amount of force.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretching Post-Workout 

PNF is effective if completed after exercise and done at least twice a week to ensure a lasting range of motion and sustained beneficial effects.

What is PNF?

PNF involves both the stretching and contracting of the muscle group being targeted. PNF stretching is one of the most effective forms of stretching for improving flexibility and increasing range of motion.

It involves the contraction and stretching of muscles. This is usually achieved with a partner, but you can also get the same benefit from using bands or an immovable object. 

You know the feeling when you can’t go any further when stretching a muscle? At the end of your range of motion, it begins to feel extremely tight and maybe even painful. This is when PNF stretching allows you to go deeper.  

PNF stretching requires you to stretch a muscle and then contract that muscle before stretching it again. As you move into the stretch after the contraction, you will be able to stretch further than you did before. This allows you to create more length in the muscle and gain a greater flexibility benefit from the stretch.

How to Perform PNF Stretching

To perform PNF stretching, stretch a muscle as far as you can—remember, it should never be painful—and hold the stretch for 10 seconds. Next, contract that muscle as forcefully as possible against an immovable object, such as a band, partner, or wall. Hold this for 5-20 seconds. Now move into the stretch again, which should be deeper than what you achieved before. 

The most effective version of PNF involves contracting the opposite muscles after the stretch to pull you into the stretch more. This means, if you are stretching the calves, you would contract the calves while stretching, then contract the anterior tibialis to pull deeper into the stretch. Repeat the stretch-contraction sequence three times for each muscle.

As you can see, there are many different techniques that exist and many schools of thought. Ultimately our job isn’t to dictate one particular way but to showcase a variety of researched methods to resolve your issues. 

Ideally, all of these methods should be done as a part of a comprehensive strategy to improve ankle mobility. A full assessment by a qualified movement professional is always the best option to determine your individual needs. 

Please contact Stretch Affect for a virtual or in-person assessment. 

hello@staging.stretchaffect.com

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Neck and Spine

Deskwork often leads to poor posture. A consistently bent neck and curved spine lead to shoulder pain. Essential components of your core strength, your neck, and spine affect how your shoulders sit in relation to the rest of your body. Take a few minutes every few hours to do some office stretching. 

Start by warming up your neck and spine muscles before moving to the shoulders for a more effective stretch session. You can hold each of these stretches for up to a minute, and perform them on both sides 3–5 times.

Neck Release

Neck releases are a way to take the tension out of your neck and shoulders. Slowly lower your chin up and down towards your chest and back. You should feel a stretch that goes along the back of your neck and possibly even down past your neck and into the shoulder blades. With your chin still tucked, tilt your head to one side to stretch the opposite shoulder. Hold this position for up to one minute, and then return to the middle before repeating on the other side.

The following videos are a good place to start:

Across-the-Chest Stretch

Across-the-chest stretch is a common stretch we use to promote shoulder joint flexibility. To start this stretch, straighten your arm in front of you and bring it across your chest. Place your opposite hand on the joint of your elbow, gently supporting it. Use the supporting arm to pull your outstretched arm towards your body, opening up the shoulder and shoulder blade muscles.

Chest

When your chest is tight, the chest muscles contract your overall posture to bring the fronts of your shoulders closer. The hunched, rounded-shoulder posture weakens the back muscles that promote a strong and straight back. Add these chest stretches to relieve shoulder pain to your office stretching routine. 

Chest Expansion

You’ll need something soft and flexible for a chest expansion — an exercise band, towel, or even a spare t-shirt will work. Hold the band or fabric behind your back, just behind your hips. Slowly lift the band or towel upwards, keeping your arms straight. As you do so, open your chest, pull your shoulder blades together, and lift your chin as you look towards the ceiling. Hold for 30 seconds, and perform 3–5 times.

PAILs RAILs Pectoralis Stretch

PAILs and RAILs stand for Progressive and Regressive Angular Isometric Loading stretches. They are used to improve limitations in joint movements that have occurred from disuse, postural demands, or injury, and they can be extremely effective in mediating shoulder pain. For this stretch, stand next to a wall. Extend the arm closest to the wall, and place the palm of your hand against it. Using your body weight, lean into the wall to pull on your deltoids and the pectoralis, or chest muscles. You can increase the intensity of the stretch by rotating your hips towards the wall. See our video here for a visual explanation.

Shoulder

Once the surrounding muscles are feeling stretched and loose, it’s time to hit the shoulders! Try these stretches for shoulder pain and others for better mobility and flexibility.

Shoulder Extension and Flexion

Shoulder extensions are a nice, simple movement to warm up the shoulder. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your arms at your sides. Take one arm and move it behind the body in a straight, backward motion. Keep your palm facing your body, and stop when your arm reaches a 45-degree angle. Bring it back to center, and then repeat 8–10 times on each side. Perform up to three sets.

Shoulder flexion is a similar stretch in the opposite direction. Maintain a similar stance. Raise one straightened arm up until it is parallel with the rest of your body. Then lower it back down. Repeat 8–10 times on each side, with up to three sets. 

View our videos on shoulder extensions and shoulder flexion on our YouTube channel for a visual demonstration.

Shoulder Circles

Stand next to the back of a chair. Place the hand nearest to the chair on the back of it, and allow your opposite arm to hang. With the hanging arm’s shoulder joint relaxed, circle your hand clockwise five times. Then, circle counterclockwise five times. Perform on both sides, up to 3 times per day.

Doorway Shoulder Stretch

The doorway shoulder stretch is like the PAILs RAILs Pectoralis Stretch, but with the aim of more directly opening your chest by strengthening the shoulders. Stand in a doorway, and make a 90-degree angle with one of your arms at the elbow. Rest your palm and forearm on the side of the doorway. While pressing your arm against the doorway, lean forward and step the foot of the same side forward. Deepen the stretch by turning away from that arm to open the shoulder and chest even more. Repeat on each side 2–3 times, holding the stretch for 30 seconds each time.

Yoga Inspired Shoulder Stretching

Pain relief is one of the many documented benefits of yoga. By relying on stretching to relieve pain, yoga helps keep medications to a minimum. To finish off your workout, engage in some relaxing stretches inspired by yoga poses that incorporate the whole body and help your shoulders return to a neutral position.

Downward Dog for Shoulders

Start in a high plank position with your arms extended. Press into the heels of your palms as you lift your hips towards the ceiling until your body reaches an upside-down V-position. Be sure to keep your spine straight, avoid locking your knees, and bring your head toward your feet so your shoulders stay flexed over your head. Hold for up to one minute.

Child’s Pose

For Child’s Pose, kneel on the floor with your toes together and knees hip-width apart. As you exhale, lower your torso between your knees and extend your arms past your head with your palms facing down. Allow your shoulders to relax as if falling towards the floor, and allow your spine to relax as well. This pose can be held for up to five minutes!

Get a Personalized Shoulder Pain Stretch Routine at Stretch Affect

The physical therapists and specialists of Stretch Affect help people just like you reduce pain and become more limber with assisted stretching and manual therapy. Our clients are thrilled when they return to a pain-free life full of the activities they love. 

We believe everyone deserves to understand their body. Our consultations and physical assessments build complete mobility solutions for a wide range of issues and clients. The stretches delineated in this blog post will get you started with the best stretches for shoulder pain. 
If you’re still experiencing pain despite these stretches, you may need tailored exercises that match your issues, weight, condition, age, and more. View more of our stretch exercises on our YouTube channel, or contact us today at (619) 389-3718 to schedule your first Stretch Affect session.

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We can all agree that stretching has numerous benefits. Whether you’re an athlete, someone who casually works out, looking for physical office wellness, or casually working through some movement limitations, stretching routines are necessary for a body that moves the way it’s supposed to. Stretching even benefits those suffering from poor posture, the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, or coping with physical disorders and disabilities. 

Benefits of Both Assisted and Solo Stretching

The upsides of stretching include:

• improving your physical performance
• decreasing your risk of injuries
• reducing daily aches and pains
• ensuring your muscles can work most effectively
• boosting circulation and energy

Beyond the physical effects, stretching can even improve mental health. Stretching releases endorphins, which interact with the brain and reduce the impact of both physical and emotional stress. It reduces tension, and helps you feel better by recharging and refreshing your body!

When it comes to stretching, there are quite a few types. Stretching routines are usually grouped by the motions they include, like dynamic versus static. However, another way to group stretching is by whether or not you perform the movements alone. Solo stretching is when you stretch by yourself, and the type of stretching most of us think of when we imagine stretching. Assisted stretching involves the help of someone else.

Benefits of Assisted Stretching

At Stretch Affect, we are certainly proponents of assisted versus solo stretching; it’s what we do! There are many reasons why we feel so passionately about it, and we love sharing our knowledge and expertise on assisted stretching with others. 

While there are undeniable pros to our techniques, the biggest benefit to assisted stretching is learning how to stretch. When you’re new to stretching, having someone walk you through the stretches is especially helpful. Even if you’ve stretched before, new stretches can be confusing and even difficult.

Beyond just learning the basics, here are some of the biggest reasons you should consider assisted versus solo stretching. 

Reprogram Your Muscles

Many of our patients believe they’ve been stretching correctly their whole lives, but still experience aches, pains, and injuries. Attending assisted stretching sessions complete with manual therapy can make sure that you’ve been stretching correctly. 

We’re all prone to compensating when certain portions of our kinetic chains are weak, but working with a stretching professional helps identify those points and reprograms the neuromuscular system to create more purposeful, effective stretching routines.

Avoid Injury

It can be easy to overdo it when you stretch alone. Stretches found on the internet or recommended by a friend can seem simple, but often put people into positions they’re not yet ready for. These injuries may be caused by simple imbalances among flexibility, stability, and mobility. These words are often used interchangeably but mean different things. Injury may come from over-stretching the muscle, but just as often can be caused by overstretching a tendon or ligament or going beyond your joint’s mobility. 

It’s far easier to avoid injury when you have a Stretch Affect professional by your side.

Tailor Your Stretches to You

Assisted stretching doesn’t simply throw a random set of stretches at you in hopes that some of them target your weak spots. Many solo stretching regimens are either too specific or too generalized, leaving you with a body that isn’t fully prepared for healing, rest, or tomorrow’s activities. 

When you choose assisted stretching versus solo, you’re assigned a specific physical therapist that keeps your unique body’s needs in mind when choosing exercises. Moreover, no two stretch sessions are the same! At Stretch Affect, we work with your body and tight spots and alter our stretching plans during the session if it seems like certain places need extra attention. Assisted stretching is simply the best way to get the most out of stretching.

Benefits of Solo Stretching

There are benefits to solo stretching routines, as well. For one, you can do solo stretches, well, alone! This makes it far more convenient, and it’s a form of stretching you can do any time, anywhere. Second, solo stretching combines stability, mobility, and flexibility. Assisted stretching can help you achieve positions that your muscles aren’t yet strong enough to hold, but as you learn to do more stretches on your own, you don’t need to rely on a trainer as you improve stability and strength.

Why Stretch Affect Offers Assisted Stretching

Ultimately, all stretching is bound to have a positive impact on your body. Stretch Affect continues to recommend a combination of both — assisted stretching led by one of our trainers, plus solo stretching that you perform at home or as part of your office wellness routine. 

With the benefits listed above, though, the answer is clear: assisted stretching carries advantages simply unavailable from solo stretching alone. Our team at Stretch Assist is ready to tell and show you how assisted stretching can change your life for the better. 

Get in touch with us today on our website or by contacting us, and set up your initial consultation! When you do so, we’ll evaluate your body and create a customized set of stretching routines based on your body’s weak spots. With reduced pain, incredible flexibility, and improved performance, the life you want is just a call away.

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And while you may not expect to make the cut of The Master’s with today’s round, or be at the pinnacle of flexibility and athleticism, wouldn’t it be nice to shoot as well as you can without feeling sore afterward? 

Even the most leisurely day on the course can put plenty of stress on your body. To best prepare yourself for today’s round, try the following stretches. Later, if you’d like to up your game even further, you may try assisted stretching to learn how to make stretching more effective. For now, take a look at how you can improve your flexibility today with these top stretches for golfers. 

14 of the Best Stretches for Golfers

1.Lateral Neck Stretch

With your hands behind your head, look straight ahead. Slowly move your head toward one shoulder without moving the same shoulder toward your ear. Hold and then move your head back up. Repeat on the other side of your head.

2. Forearm Palms Out Stretch

Lock your fingers together with your palms facing down. Lift your hands up and slowly straighten your arms with your palms facing outward and hold. Bring your arms back in and relax.

3. Parallel Arm Shoulder Stretch

Bend one arm ninety degrees and gently make a fist. Straighten your other arm and place it inside the bent arm. Then, pull the fist of the bent arm toward your body. You should feel a stretch in your tricep and shoulder area. Hold, relax, and repeat with the other arm.

4. Upper Back Reaching Stretch

Begin with both arms crossed and lifted in front of you, palms facing down. Bow your head down into the triangle made by your arms. Hold for 20 – 30 seconds. Return upright and relax.

5. Shoulder Extension Stretch

Stand upright and interlock your hands together behind your back with your arms straight. Hold your hands together and pull your arms upward behind your back until you feel the stretch. Hold and release.

6. Cross-Legged Banana Stretch

Stand with your legs crossed. Make sure you are balanced. Lean sideways in the direction of your back foot until you feel a stretch from your hip to your shoulder. Repeat on the other side.

7. Cat-Cow Back Stretch

This stretch takes place on the ground while on your hands and knees. Curl your back inward, toward the ground, and raise your head upward. Hold. Then allow your head to fall forward and arch your back upward. Hold and release.

8. Spine Rotation Stretch 

Begin on all fours. Take one arm and bring it upward toward the sky while turning your head in the same direction. Hold, switch sides, and repeat. 

9. Runner’s Lunge Stretch

Kneel on one knee with your hips squarely forward. Slowly lean forward, stretching both your front and back legs. Hold and then repeat using the opposite legs. Make sure your back toe is pointed.

10. Cobra Stretch

Begin lying face down with toes pointed downward. Raise your shoulders up with both arms placed directly underneath them until your head is upright. Hold, lower yourself down, and relax.

11. Butterfly Stretch

Sit on the ground with your legs parallel and straight out. Pull your feet toward your groin by bending your knees outward. The soles of your feet should be touching each other. With your hands on your ankles, apply pressure to each leg by pushing it toward the ground. Hold and release.

12. Back (Knee to Chest) Stretch

Laying on your back, slowly lift one leg to your chest until you feel the stretch. Your other knee can be in a slightly bent position. Hold, lower your leg, and repeat on the other side. 

13. Sit-and-Reach Stretch

Begin sitting with your legs forward. Reach forward toward your feet until you feel a stretch in the back of your legs. You may or may not be able to touch your feet. Either way, it’s okay. Hold and release.

14. Lying Knee Roll-Over

Start by laying on your back with your knees bent. With your shoulders remaining flat on the ground, roll your hips to one side so that your knees point parallel to the ground. Hold and repeat rolling to the other side. 

Typical Golfer Objections to Stretching

I’m not a serious golfer, what’s the point? All the more reason to stretch. Today’s round is going to require your body to move in ways it’s not trained for or used to doing. Why not prepare for it?

I don’t have time! Get to the course early and stretch.  If you need to, stretch in the parking lot before your friends arrive.

I don’t see other golfers doing it. Stretching is embarrassing. Would you rather be leaving the course in pain? Another option is to stretch out at home or in your hotel room before you head out. 

Remember To Stretch, Then Shoot

It’s that simple. Your most important piece of equipment for your next round of golf is your body.   To learn more about how stretching can make a world of difference in your game and in your health, contact the experts at Stretch Affect in San Diego today at (619) 389-3718.

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How Stretching Change Your Physique

1. Stretching Burns Calories

Stretching is not exactly an aerobic exercise, but you’ll be able to burn extra calories with stretching when compared to simply sitting and doing nothing. A 30-minute stretching session can burn about 60 to 100 calories. This is about as effective as a session of gentle yoga. Other forms of advanced stretching can even burn enough calories to help you with weight loss.

Think about it this way. If you’re 180 pounds, you burn 17 calories per minute. If you run for 15 minutes, you’re burning 255 calories in that timespan. But if you add 30 minutes of stretching, you could be amping up that calorie-burning to 355 calories during your exercise regimen. That’s a massive difference compared to just running by itself.

2. Stretching Can Make Muscles Stronger

Adding stretching exercises to your regular workout will indirectly help to improve muscle strength by expanding your range of motion. If you are regularly lifting weights, you’ll know how important the range of motion is when it comes to achieving physical goals and preventing injuries. The better your range of motion, the more muscle fibers will expand. With more expanded muscle fibers, you’ll be able to lift more weights.

Stretching can also help with decreasing DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness), which means that you can get back to the gym sooner. This results in stronger muscles and faster muscle growth.

3. Stretching Minimizes the Likelihood of Injuries

Nothing puts more of a damper on achieving your physical goals than a bad injury. It stops your progression and can often leave you feeling disheartened because you can’t keep up with the regimen you’ve started. Stretching will not completely stop an injury, but it sure does help in preparing your body for exercise. And when your body is prepared for exercise, your muscles are warm and more easily pliable and less likely to cramp up or cause a mishap that leads to injury.

A full-body stretch workout is also beneficial for focus. With a more focused mindset, the less likely you’ll make a misstep while working out.

4. Stretching Will Improve Daily Performance

Stretching will not just help in improving your performance in sports, but in everyday life as well. Stretching and athleticism go hand in hand as they each require flexibility. Even in everyday tasks, you need the flexibility to move about and do mundane things more comfortably. If you want a more flexible body, you have to do regular stretching, even outside of sports and workouts. Even if you are just at your desk working, doing stretches can help prevent injuries, muscle weakness, and even headaches.

Can Stretching Change Your Physique?

So, can stretching change your physique? Stretching is a vital part of reaching any and every fitness goal that you’ve set for yourself. It increases the calories burned during a workout, it makes your muscles more pliable, it reduces your risk of injury, and it improves your ability to meet your everyday physical needs. So, while stretching can do a lot for you on its own, it’s also a great addition to your other fitness goals.

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When doing your nightly stretching for your back-pain, consider the following stretches recommended by us here at Stretch Station.

Happy Baby

This stretch is definitely the cutest – and most fun – of the stretches in this list. You start by laying flat on your back. Begin by bending your knees so that your upper and lower leg meet at a 90-degree angle, and your lower leg is perpendicular to the ground; then, reach with your arms to grab the arches of your feet. As you pull on your arches and hold, you should be able to feel a long stretch from your lower back to your hamstrings.

Bear Hug

This stretch is intended to stretch your trapezius and rear deltoids to relax your upper back and neck before bed. Start by taking a big breath in and stretching your arms apart. Next, while exhaling, give yourself a hug by wrapping your arms around your torso and grabbing your shoulder blades. Lastly, take a final breath in and pull your shoulder blades apart to get a stretch in your middle-upper back.

Low-Lunge

This final pose is very simple and great for stretching all the muscles in your upper leg. Start in a “kneeled” stance with one leg’s knee on the ground and the other leg’s foot flat on the ground, both with 90-degree angles. Then, push your hips forward to feel a stretch in the hamstring and glutes of the up-leg, and a stretch in the quadriceps of your kneeled-knee.

Seated Forward Fold

This stretch is by far the easiest to understand on this list! Start by sitting flat on the ground with your legs extended directly in front of you and flat on the ground. Next, extend your arms directly above your head, and bend your entire torso towards your knees ahead of you. If you are doing this stretch correctly, you should feel a good stretch in your middle back and latissimus dorsi. Stretching these muscles will bring more blood into them, causing them to not feel so tight as you lay down for bed.

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Stretch Station

Stretch Station is an assisted stretching studio based out of San Diego, CA. They provide their customers with a trainer and stretching pro to get full-body or specialized stretches. If you or someone you know is in need of our services, don’t hesitate to contact us for an inquiry.

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Do Stretch Often During Work or Periods of Limited Activity

If you have a job that confines you to a desk most of the day, you may suffer back pain. When this is the case, stretching your neck muscles and back will go a long will to decrease pain and remove headaches. Once an hour, stand up for five minutes, look around and do some light stretching. Studies have shown that it not only reduces pain but also increases concentration and focus.

Don’t Use Static Stretches Before a Workout

There’s a big difference between doing a few stretches then sitting back down at your computer compared to stretches before a workout. Your body needs to be warmed up and ready for exercise. You risk injury in several ways from static stretches. If you not properly warmed up, you may damage your muscles. Likewise, static stretching has been shown to lead to decreased performance during a workout. Use dynamic stretches instead.

Do Use Static Stretching to Increase Flexibility

After your workout static stretching is great to gain flexibility. Think about it like this, you don’t need too much flexibility during a workout but afterward flexibility helps ensure you muscle achieve their full range of motion and helps reduces soreness the day after.

Don’t Hold an Intense Stretch for Longer than 20 Seconds

Many people get it into their heads the longer they hold a stretch, the better it is from them. Intense stretches that may cause pain are a sign that your body has hit its maximum range. You want to gradually increase this, because holding for too long will likely lead to injury.

Do Breathe Regularly During a Stretch

During difficult stretches, you may find yourself holding your breath. This is not as good as it makes your muscles tighten up. The best thing to do is yoga-style or regular breathing in and out during a stretch. Breath in through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth. This helps ensure your muscles get the oxygen they need while relaxing the rest of your body.

Figuring Out the Best Static Stretching Techniques for You

Everybody is unique. There’s no one size fits all approach to stretching. You need to find which stretching techniques work for you and what doesn’t. Your goal isn’t just gaining flexibility, but also increasing muscle elasticity to help improve your overall fitness. Accurate health information is key to your health and wellness. That’s why it’s essential to find an assisted stretching expert who can help you. 

Stretch therapy is more than just personal fitness and can also help you recover from injury, relieve joint and muscle pain, improve your sleep and more.

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Because your pain may occur while you are at your desk, the first three stretching options can be accomplished without requiring you to leave your work area or specialized equipment.

1. Neck Rolls

If you are in need of some quick relief for neck stiffness, try slowly bringing your head down to your chest and then up to look to the ceiling and back down toward the ground. Incorporating some gentle neck rolls will also help in reducing any pain. This type of neck stretches should be repeated five times and is ideal as an impromptu stress reliever.

2. Shoulder Shrugs

A second useful exercise you may want to add to the neck stretches mentioned above is shoulder shrugs. With your feet flat on the ground shrug your shoulders upward as high as possible. Hold for a few seconds, then lower shoulders. You can also rotate your shoulders forward and back while shrugging.

3. Shoulder Blade Stretches

When it comes to reducing neck pain this form of neck stretches is effectual. While sitting in your chair, raise arms to a 90-degree angle. Contract the muscles between the shoulder blades, then relax them. Complete five times.

4. Passive Stretching Exercises

Do you find yourself enduring regular episodes of neck pain? If yes, you may find greater relief with passive stretching exercises. These stretches require some form of assistance, which include your weight, leverage, stretching device or another person.

One passive exercise that works wells for the neck area is passive spine and neck stretches that are performed on the floor with supports under your knees, chest area and head. Keeping your chin down, “walk” shoulders blades away from your waist. This exercise can be repeated five times.

Trying Assisted Stretching

If you are having difficulty with any of the discussed exercises or stretches, you may want to consider manual assisted stretching to help combat your neck discomfort. Working with a trained professional can offer support in completing the techniques and provide additional suggestions to maintain your quality of life, pain-free. Stretching programs are also available that will help improve your flexibility and strength, thus, reducing or eliminating future pain.

Try Stretch Station, a comprehensive stretch therapy that focuses on your overall well-being. Our licensed practitioners can provide a personalized stretch for patients seeking relief from conditions like stiffness, sore muscles, and pain. Contact us for a free consultation stretch. You’ll leave our office feeling relief, relaxation, and happiness.

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The Differences

To avoid potential injury, such as a pulled muscle, one must note the two types of stretching and their importance. Dynamic stretching requires additional movement and occurs before working out. Conversely, passive stretching happens while the body is stationary.

By taking muscles through a full range of motion, the dynamic form of stretching is considered an ideal method for warming up the body for activity. In addition to improving overall muscle function, warming up with dynamic stretches increases body temperature and prepares your heart and lungs for the physical undertaking. Examples of dynamic stretches include controlled arm swings, legs swings, and torso twists.

The second type of stretching that can help you avoid pulling a muscle is passive stretching. It is performed using some form of assistance which can leverage, your body weight, a stretching device, or another person and is beneficial when used during the cooling down phase after activity. Assisted stretching can be successful in relieving muscle fatigue, spasms, and soreness. Due to its relaxing nature, passive stretches will also reduce core body temperature and heart rate.

Potential for Danger

Understanding the differences and how to utilize these two stretching techniques is essential to avoid pulling a muscle or other related injuries. However, there are a few things one must keep in mind when performing these stretches. Stretching of a muscle that has not been warmed up can be unsafe. Gradually increasing the warm-up activity will slowly raise the temperature of the muscle tissue, eliminating the potential for injury. During any stretching routine, one ought to also avoid bouncing, as this could result in a muscle strain or pulling a muscle. Even if the muscles have been properly warmed up, one should be aware of stretching past the point of discomfort. It is an unsafe practice that may have painful consequences.

Benefits of Stretching Classes

When looking for the best means of avoiding injury when stretching, consider practitioner-assisted stretching. A stretching professional will tailor this regimen to help strengthen the joints and increase one’s range of motion and flexibility. The routine will also help relax and reduce muscle pain. Your stretching practitioner will understand what is necessary for your current physical condition and will facilitate the appropriate stretching techniques for optimum exercising performance and your comfort.

No need for you to take the risk of injuring yourself during a stretching routine. Contact us for further information about the benefits of our stretching programs.

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