10-Minute Stretching: Simple Exercises to Build Flexibility into Your Daily Routine

PART I

The Science

Stretching feels amazing! We all naturally stretch a little here and there, whether we’re yawning or bending over to put our shoes on. Stretching is often considered a form of physical exercise, but I like to think of it as a completely natural way to move your body as it truly desires.

As our bodies age and we experience life, posture issues, injuries, and diminishing mobility often occur. I think many people succumb and assume this is just part of aging, but I’m here to inform you that there is hope. Stretching can solve all of these issues, and it is never too late to start.

Proper stretching takes such a short amount of time and only requires a little bit of knowledge about how flexibility works and what stretches to do in order to solve your problems and achieve your goals.

Improper stretching happens when you aren’t listening to your body. You never want to force your body to work through pain or bounce using momentum during a stretch. It is vital to know the difference between proper and improper stretching in order to stay safe and avoid injury.

Part I of this book will provide you with everything you need to know about how flexibility and stretching work, the benefits stretching provides, and the different types of stretching you can do. You will be amazed at how simple stretching is and how profound the benefits are.

CHAPTER 1

Why Stretching Works

How well do you know your muscles? This is important information to understand, as it will help you have the most effective stretching sessions.

Did you know that there are 650 skeletal muscles in the body, or that your tongue alone is controlled by eight different muscles? Our muscles help us do everything in life, from taking a shower to lifting heavy objects. All muscles are made of the same material even though they are different shapes and sizes and have different functions. Muscle tissue is very elastic, like a rubber band, so that it can easily move, contract, and stretch. Each muscle we have is made up of thousands of small individual muscle fibers.

Muscle cells contain two different protein filaments: actin and myosin. These filaments slide past one another to produce a contraction that changes the shape and length of the muscle cells. There’s actually a tiny chemical reaction going on in your muscles every time you move. Our muscles are attached to the bones by tendons—tough bands of connective tissue made from collagen. This gives each muscle in our body a distinct purpose to help move our bones and joints in a very particular way.

We have two different defense mechanisms built into our muscles to protect us from overstretching: muscle spindles and the Golgi tendon organ. Muscle spindles run all through the muscle fibers, sensing the rate of change in length, and they cause muscles to contract in an effort to protect you from pulling a muscle. The Golgi tendon organ is found in the tendons, and as it senses the rate of change in tension, it tells muscles to relax in an effort to protect the tendons. Knowing this helps us understand that it is better to slowly move into a stretch rather than immediately pushing yourself to your limit.

Muscles need to be stretched in order to keep them flexible and healthy. Without stretching, our muscles naturally become shorter and tighter over time. The less active you are, the tighter things become. Life is so much easier when your body can move freely without limitations and restrictions! The more frequently you stretch, the more flexibility you gain. This flexibility helps you out in all of your daily activities and improves your overall health and quality of life.

There are several different factors that can contribute to how flexible you are:

Joint Structure — The structure of your joints can limit your flexibility. The hip joint is a perfect example of this. Your hip joint looks like a ball and socket. The ball can be inserted into the socket at three slightly different positions, depending on the specific anatomy you were born with. One of these positions means you will never be able to achieve a straddle split because the bones just aren’t capable of that range of motion.

Age — As our bodies age, they go through a slow dehydration process. As we lose water in our body, we lose elasticity in our muscles and tendons, which results in feeling stiff. Your age does not mean you can’t make progress, though.

Gender — Women are naturally more flexible than men, regardless of age, because of their joint structure. While pregnant, females increase their levels of a hormone called relaxin, making their bodies even more flexible.

Injuries and Surgeries — When we are injured, our bodies heal and repair by a process called fibrosis. This can create scar tissue, dense fascia, and adhesions that can limit our full range of motion.

Posture — Over time, posture is manipulated by your muscles. As muscles become tighter, they pull on the bones, forcing your body into a more restricted position. This restricted position will also limit other ranges of motion. Other posture issues that affect flexibility due to curvature of the spine are kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis.

Muscle Mass — Big muscles can limit your ability to move through a full range of motion. Think about a bodybuilder with really large chest and back muscles. Those muscles can become so large that they restrict the full movement of the shoulders and arms.

Opposing Muscles — A muscle can lengthen only as much as the opposing muscle can contract, or shorten. For example, if you are trying to stretch your quadricep, but your hamstring can’t contract as much as your quadricep can lengthen, then your flexibility in the quadricep is limited by your hamstring.

Another factor that plays a role is genetics. There are natural-born flexible people, but their flexibility tends to be caused by a genetic hypermobility condition. Not everyone has the potential to become a contortionist, even if you put in the time and effort.

THE 4-1-1 ON FASCIA

One more thing we need to factor into how our muscles work is fascia, a type of connective tissue made of collagen that holds each organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber, and muscle in place. Bob Cooley, author of Resistance Flexibility 1.0, compares fascia to soup stock, ". . . with muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, etc. analogous to carrots, celery, potatoes, etc. within the soup. And like the soup broth, the fascia penetrates into the vegetables besides having its own layers. Thus, affecting the fascia dramatically affects all other