This is the time of year when everyone starts to get back to running, biking, hiking and many other sports. My husband and I just got back from Zions where we did some hiking and horseback riding. I am very sore. Any time you work out in any way it is important to stretch completely, so your muscles can return to normal and begin to heal. Your muscles shorten as you work out, if you do not stretch them out completely, the next time you work out they will shorten more. It’s just a matter of time before your knees or hips start to hurt from not stretch completely.
Your nervous system uses a stretch reflex, this reflex regulates the length of your muscles. Whenever you elongate a muscle beyond a certain preset length or unconsciously stretch it too fast, this reflex makes the muscle automatically contract so that you can’t lengthen it any further. This does not mean you can only go so far, people have a hard time stretching because they think they are done when it starts to feel uncomfortable “hurt”. What I am going to tell you is stuff you really need to know if you want to workout hard and feel good after.
You can feel this reflex in action when, let’s say, you go into a forward bend, you sense a strong stretch in the backs of your legs, and cannot bend any deeper into the pose. Keep in mind no matter how well you condition your nervous system; you also need to change the way you perceive stress. Forward bending can produce strong sensations even in those of us who are very flexy one common response is to ignore sensations and force yourself forward, fighting against your tight hamstrings. Another is to come out of the pose to avoid the challenge entirely. Both strategies are variations on the same theme: fight-or-flight. This creates tense muscles and rapid or held breathing.
Try this instead, get to a comfortable stretch, you have to use your conscious intention to override this automatic stabilizing function. Once stretched, all receptors adapt, meaning that if you hold them at a fixed length, their signaling slacks off over time. Stretch only a tiny bit at first, this will barely stimulate the sensitive receptors. Then hold very, very still until all the receptors adapt and the already weak signals they are sending to the nervous system subside to an even lower level. And then you can move a tiny bit more into the stretch, be very, very still again. If you repeat this sequence carefully at least 3 times, you can gradually move into a very deep stretch without ever activating your stretch receptors much, and you never feel a strong sensation of the stretch. You have to be extremely attentive, sensitive, and patient to make it work.
Paying attention to how your body and mind react to the stress of any pose offers clues about how you typically react to stress in your life. By training yourself to actively observe while staying calm in poses, you’ll be able to do the same thing when difficult sensations, thoughts, or emotions arise in the face of stress. Instead of going into your habitual reaction mode, you’ll notice what’s happening while staying present enough to chose an appropriate response. Practice attentively and be responsive to what is happening in your body and mind, rather than to what you expect to happen.
If you feel like you are losing your flexibility, or you can’t get past a certain point, get someone to help you stretch, they must be kind, move, slowly, and take your direction to move more or less.. You can get a really good deep stretch with a partner. That’s what a Thai yoga therapist does, I help people get ready for competitive sports by keeping their muscles long and free of injury. I also help them recover more quickly after their competitions. Be smart, stretch when you workout and feel good this summer.
Nancy Adams Certified Thai Yoga Therapist
and Ayurveda Consultant
These are my own thoughts. I sometimes take writings from others to support my own ideas.
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