Today was interesting. It seems that inflexibility still runs rampant these days. Not only in the aged ‘weekend warrior’, but also the younger former athletes.

It seems that my clients today realized that flexibility and stretching are as important more important then exercising. Everything from developing chronic posture problems to acute injuries can definitely but a roadblock on your road to improved fitness.

I’ve talked about my views on Flexibility and the importance of stretching here. Let’s revisit the major highlights.

Why should someone stretch?

First it’s the oh-so obvious benefit of increasing your flexibility.

I know from my education and training that a flexible muscle is a safe muscle. During a movement, whether strength training or not, you need to utilize and maximize the range of motion of the muscle being trained. Each muscle group, and individual muscle has a set range of motion parameter that is determined by anatomy, physiology and basic physics. The more you can move the muscle, the more you can use the muscle. Maximum motion produces maximum effort which yields maximum results. (ergo.. move faster, lift stronger, etc)

Flexibility also protects your muscles from injury. Everything from the planned workouts, to those long days at work, and the unfortunate accidents we all encounter. The more flexible your muscle(s) are the more adept YOU are to saving yourself from possible injury, or at the very least minimizing the severity of injury. Have you ever slipped on ice? Did you get hurt? How did your back feel over the next couple of days. Or how about your hamstrings? Did you ‘pull a muscle’? Or for heaven’s sake did you tear something?

Increase flexibility also brings about more benefits:

• Reduced muscle tension
• Increased range of movement in the joints
• Enhanced muscular coordination
• Increased circulation of the blood to various parts of the body
• Increased energy levels (resulting from increased circulation)

That flexibility and safety will help you maintain a good posture. Do I need to even talk about what poor posture does to your body? Everything from general aches and pains, possible repetitive injuries, or imbalances.

Oh wait there is more. Stretching and flexibility gains also actually enhance performance, making people stronger and increasing their endurance. I can’t seem to locate the ACTUAL study that was done recently a couple years ago, but it discovered that individuals on a stretching program improved their flexibility, demonstrated by an average 18 percent increase in the distance they could reach during stretching,

This increase in flexibility also increased their strength, as measured by their ability to perform on weight machines. The amount of weight they could lift one time — their "one-repetition maximum" — increased an average of 32 percent for knee extension exercises and 15 percent for knee flexion exercises. Their muscular endurance — defined at the number of repetitions they could do at a weight that was 60 percent of their max — improved 29 percent for knee extension and 30 percent for knee flexion.

(I apologize for not finding the article, I only found excerpts of the findings.)

I won’t delve into the proper timing of stretching whether you should stretch prior to exercise or post exercise. I do know that a warm muscle is a safe muscle. Do not stretch ANYTHING cold.

Think of your muscles as taffy. Hard taffy will break, but warm taffy will stretch and stretch.

I also won’t go down the proper methods of stretching.

Everything from types of stretches, whether or not to hold or bounce, static vs. ballistic, the ever-so popular jump-stretch program, foam rollers, the Graston Technique, PNF stretching and PNF Patterns, Myofascial Release, Proprioception, and Golgi Tendon Complexes and the Reciprocal Inhibition Reflex, but I digress. The list is endless and limitless as you can see.

I guess maybe I always view things as the worst-case scenario. I’ve lived the scenario of not being able to exercise, of not being able to simple task like lifting a glass of water. I’ve injured myself enough times to want and demand that being safe is so much better than being sorry. (Did you ever see Jack LaLanne? Did he incorporate stretching?)

If you exercise in any manner, it would behoove you to stretch. Those of us who have suffered the consequences of not having a safe muscle know better. (Have you ever tried Yoga?)

It may not happen today, or tomorrow. It may not happen this month or even this year, but it will happen. Sooner or later inflexibility catches up with you and your body and kindly reminds you of how important stretching and flexibility really are.

So I want to know WHY you WOULDN’T stretch?

Carpe Diem