Has this age old question finally been answered............

Does stretching before running prevent injuries?  Now there's a contentious issue if ever there was one!

Personally I don't enjoy stretching and yet I love yoga?  A contradiction right?  Well not really.  You see a study published in August -  the foundation for this article in the New York Times has found that static stretching [a stretch held for up to 20 seconds] "before a workout not only does not prevent overuse injuries but also may actually hinder athletic performance".

The hindering of performance can be explained thus "“There is a very important neurological effect of stretching,” said Ross Tucker, Ph.D., a physiologist in South Africa and co-author of the Web site The Science of Sport. “There is a reflex that prevents the muscle from being stretching too much,” which is activated by static stretching, inducing the muscle to become, in effect, tighter in self-protection. Past studies have found that athletes’ vertical jump is lower after a bout of static stretching than with no stretching at all. They can’t generate as much power.

So, my thinking goes that doing a dedicated stretching session or yoga class, which requires no athletic performance afterwards, will increase flexibility, tone muscles and aid recovery. 

Simply put -  it feels great!

Photo courtesy of:  Creative Commons Flickr - lululemon athletica

Stretch and Relax Pt. 1

Many of my clients complain of an achey lower back at the end of the day. So I've devised this lovely, relaxing stretching routine which is great to do in the evening. You can even watch TV while doing it - so no excuses!

Pelvic Rotations

Lie flat on the floor and stretch your feet and arms away from you – making yourself as long a possible.

Hug your knees into your chest and very slowly make small clockwise circles with your knees – as you start to warm up you can make the movements larger and larger, thereby massaging more of the pelvis and lower back.

Repeat anti-clockwise.

Repeat 10-20 rotations each side

Stretch and Relax Pt. 2

Lying down twist

Lie flat on the floor and stretch your feet and arms away from you – making yourself as long a possible.

Draw your knees up to your chest.

Moves knees over to one side – working towards having the lower knee touching the floor.

NB: both shoulders to remain on the floor at all times.

If lower leg doesn’t touch the floor encourage it to do so by placing your hand on the upper knee .

BREATHE DEEPLY AND ON THE OUT BREATHE ENCOURAGE THE KNEE TO THE FLOOR.

IF THE KNEE REACHES THE FLOOR EASILY THEN TRY PULLING THE LEGS FURTHER UP TOWARDS THE CHEST.

Once you have reached your maximum position hold and breath for 20-30 seconds.

Repeat at least twice each side. On the second repitition you will go much further.

Stretch & Relax Pt. 3

Relax your spine using a chair

This stretch works wonder for the lower back and at the same time relaxes the muscles either side of the spine.

Best of all, you don't actually have to do anything.

Make sure the chair is snugly in the crook of your knees and that your lower legs form a 90° angle.

Even better than a pillow, is to get a telephone book and lie with your head on that. Make sure your chin is tucked into the chest, thereby de-compressing the vertebrae in your neck.

Lie in this position for at least 10 minutes – ideally 20 minutes

Stretch of the week

If you only do one stretch this week ..... do this one.

Cross-legged seated gluteal stretch

Start in a cross-legged position with your back upright.
Your shins should be parallel to your body and your feet should be as far out to the sides as you can get them.
Keeping a straight back, bend forwards with arms outstretched.
Hold for at least 10 seconds - BREATHE - then inch hands forward - do at least three times.
Then cross your legs the other way and repeat.

Why do it?

The gluteal muscles [buttock muscles] are tight in nearly everyone. These critters - [yes, there are three] get irritable and uptight when we do too much sitting, too much standing or indeed too much exercise.

Overdo it, or underdo, it in any way and you'll likely start to wince should a massage therapist start pummelling your buttocks.

Tight buttock muscles can also impact on your lower back and are often a contributing factor to lower back pain.

A tight piriformis muscle, deep within the buttocks, is often a contributing factor to sciatica. This is because the large femoral nerve passes close to the piriformis on it's way through the pelvis down the leg. Pressure from the piriformis muscle on the femoral nerve can result in numbness and tingling in the thigh, calf and foot.

Stretched gluteal muscles mean you'll never have to say you have a pain the in the butt!

Different ways to improve your posture

You'll be pleased to know that the answer to good posture isn't just about standing up ramrod straight.

Standing too straight is just as bad as slouching, says Brita Forsstrom, an expert in the Alexander Technique

Here are some simple ideas to incorporate in your every day life:

* make it easy
* start at the beginning
* mix it up
* keep your feet on the ground
* take your eyes off it

If you only do one stretch this week, do this one

This week it's not even a stretch. You've got it easy, it's an active rest. A contradiction in terms I hear you say - well, give it a try, your back will want to kiss you for it.

Undo a day's tension by spending 20 minutes every day in the 'active resting' position. Lie on your back on a carpeted floor, with your feet on the floor and knees bent pointing upwards towards the ceiling, to free up your lower back. Support your head on some books, so that your head isn't tilted back, but not so much that your chin is at your chest. This position will help release tension, particularly in the spine, and give immediate benefit.

Another option is to lie with your legs on a chair [as above]. However, unlike the picture, make sure you have a book or folded towel under your head.

These stretches are ideal to do when you get home from work, before you start to do all those evening chores.

If you only do one stretch this week - do this one one

This week I'm focussing on a rather beleagured, overworked muscle which affects the entire spine, the base of the neck and the buttocks.  It's an area which is tight and overworked in many of my clients.  Especially people who spend a lot of time writing or sitting at a computer.

Let me introduce the erector spinae muscle group.  This group of muscles runs either side of the spine and is responsible for keeping the spine upright and assists in good posture.  It's main job is to extend the spinal column.  To give you an idea of what extension means - if  exaggerated you would be in a back bend.  

Think about your posture at a desk or computer - invariably it's in a forward hunched or flexed position.  In effect the erector spinae muscle group is being asked to spend hours in a position which it wasn't designed for .  Over time these muscles become used to being in "unnatural" position and become tight in a lengthened state.

One way to stretch this muscle group is shown above.  It's quick and easy to do and can be done at your desk.

One step further:  stretching a muscle will provide temporary relief, however to restore correct muscle length and function, strengthening the muscle is vital.  This can be done by doing deadlift strengthening exercises using a barbell and light weights.