Stretching It.
In between articles about conservationists, petty crime and corrupt government (nothing new) you may have wandered into a few news circles about modern fitness science which may have spun your head worse than three shots of Casique. I know, I’ve read them, they can be confusing.
Everything seems to contradict what we have been taught before.
For example I have come to the conclusion that my wife should not run anymore because running is bad for women, I should not wear shoes when I run because shoes are bad, and I no longer need to stretch before working out because stretching is bad too!
While I’m at it I may stop drinking water altogether, eat only saturated fats, and hurl myself into the Tamarindo tide pools during high tide, just because none of it makes sense. For a fun exercise, type in the reverse of any fitness advice you have ever received into Google and see how many hits you get.
No wonder people throw their hands in the air with fitness.
Let’s narrow all this down to one topic, and let’s talk about the science we do know, regarding the act of stretching. There are basically two ways one can stretch, which we will cover the basics on, and then I will uncover and clean up some of the current conversation on the benefits or lack thereof making the rounds amongst the fitness nerds.
One thing to be sure: I am not nor will I ever tell anybody that stretching in general is bad for them. we only need look as far as our fitness friends in ballet and martial arts to see the benefits of stretching. ‘Nuff said.
The most common way of stretching that comes to mind when we think about hitting the mat, is called static stretching (SS). This is where we reach for the toes, or the sky or some other destination, and hold a pose. The traditional hold is a 20-30 second count, but some like to hold longer.
Much of the current research is suggesting elongation continues to increase beyond the 90 second mark. Our aforementioned “fitness friends” seem to know nothing of counting, and just continue to lean into their stretches until tears form in their eyes.
The lay-science behind SS is that after about 20-30 seconds of held stretching, the connections between the mainframe of your central nervous system and your muscles is temporarily turned off.
This allows a deep er stretch as your brain will not try to counter the elongation by flickering nerves in an effort to prevent your stretched body part from being torn off your body. This is generally desirable unless you have removable limbs.
The flip side argument that is rising to counter SS is that in clinical trials athletes are showing measurable decreases in strength, power and stabilization after said stretching.
This data may have value for us, even though we are not athletes, if the conclusion is that the average Jose Gym user is injuring himself by performing SS before a workout. Outside the lab, my field research indicates, technically speaking, that’s all hogwash.
As an alternative to SS, one may consider Dynamic Stretching (DS); what is referred to by some as an “Active Dynamic (AD) warm-up.” DS or AD involves running the intended muscles through a series of low or no weight movements, with a high range of motion, in order to get proper muscle and nervous system activation prior to placing those systems under a load. An example would be jumping jacks before performing squats.
What I like about this approach is not only is it fun, it doesn’t throw the baby sloth out with the bath water. I also like that there is an intuitive side to this, one that many of us do when gearing up to move something heavy anyway. We give a few shorts breaths, practice moves, and then get in position. Again I have never found this to hurt anybody’s workout.
So when should one perform SS? While the mounting research is concluding that SS does not necessarily have a connection to decreasing injury during workouts, nobody is going to argue that the loss of flexibility is in part a contributor to the over feeling of decreased athleticism which accompanies the golden years. Unless one is a dancer.
Here is what I do… I don’t spend as much time on SS in the gym or before a workout as I used to. Currently I am treating a minor injury which mandates I get some elongation through my left calf before workout out, but I don’t over-stretch and I am using the held pose with a technique called self-myofacial-release (SMFR).
SMFR is sometimes done with foam rolls, but can include tennis balls, LaCrosse balls, PVC piping, or just about anything that puts direct pressure on a tight spot in a given muscle.
I like to do my Static stretches at night before bed. This helps me sleep better but also makes me feel more limber the next morning, the time I typically work out. It has no direct negative impact on my workout by weakening muscles before use.
Does that mean you should stop your stretching regiment? Nope. If it’s working, then don’t fix it. But you may consider working in some SMFR or more Dynamic ways of getting warm. See if you notice a difference and season to taste.
When you are performing SS, some muscles to consider, which generally need a good stretch in most clients include: latissimus dorsi (aka, the big back muscles), calf muscles, the quads (especially for runners), and the hip-flexors. These can all be stretched both dynamically or statically, but these are the muscle I found to be almost consistently tight in most people. I have included pictures of some stretches you can try to get some elongation in these areas.
Nobody is going to convince this generation of movers to stop stretching. The information that is coming out is interesting, if you’re a fitness nerd, but don’t let it take you off the course of the lifestyle that is working for you. Don’t toss your Nike running shoes without long consideration of the net gain, and for the love of Arenal, don’t stop moving.
Move more, eat less is how we do it, and if at the end of the day that means we aren’t on the cutting edge of exercise science, then at least we are the 14% of people chasing it.
Pura Vida and Pura Fitness.
Damon
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Written by VIP Member Damon Mitchell who spent over 10 years in the fitness industry before he moved to Costa Rica in search of a better work/life balance. Currently he lives in Playa Tamarindo in Guanacaste, where he and his wife Cristina are owner-operators of Pizza&Co pizza express, located in Plaza Conchal 2.
Daily, Damon runs on the beach or works out at Tamarindo Fitness Center, keeping fit by doing a combination of old-school weight lifting, calisthenics, TRX, stability ball work and just about anything he can do to create new and fun exercises. Most recently he is learning to surf.
You can email Damon here if there is anything specific about staying fit and healthy in Costa Rica you would like him to cover in his next article.
Stretching It.
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Andrew Makarik
to@welovecostarica.comAndrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.
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