Training articles

The importance of Stretching

Stretching is one of the key components for injury prevention. Our muscles have a remarkable ability to adapt to whatever we do to them. For instance, if we decide to sit behind a desk for an extended period of time with our knees in a bent position and our shoulders are hunched forward, then there will be certain muscles that will adapt to this position.  The same applies to the type of exercises we decide to use in a gym. when we move our joints under load, there is a lengthening and shortenings process that occur with the muscle. This shortening process causes the muscle to shorten and get tight.

When we move, we rarely use our muscles in isolation, there are a whole range of other muscles which work together to perform a movement. When we have tight muscles it effects how we move and causes the movement to be inefficient.

So why do we need to stretch? It’s simple; we stretch because it improves the biomechanics of the human body. It allows the muscles and joints to move freely without straining and tightening other muscles that are associated with the movement.

Most chronic work related injuries that I’ve seen are a result of muscular imbalances that have arisen from putting our bodies in a seated and stagnant position all day long. Whatever position or movement we perform during the day, we must reverse that action to counteract the forces that cause our muscles to get tight.  The same applies to doing activities like lifting weights in a gym. When we decide to strengthen a muscle there will be a shortening process that occurs during the adaptation process. Whatever we strengthen we should be accompanying the exercise with a stretch.

I once had a female client that came to see me due to a sore back. After performing a movement assessment, I identified that her calf muscles were so tight it was affecting the position of her pelvis. I later realised that the reason for this imbalance was due to her shoe selection (high heel wearer)! Walking around with her calf muscles in a shortened position all day long will ultimately affect the biomechanics of her walk and potentially other movements.  A few weeks of stretching and pelvic mobility exercises were all she needed.

Building the body from the ground up

I see developing the body like building a solid house. The cement that ground the building and the framework of the house is literally the foundation that holds the house together. Without a solid foundation the house will not survive the harsh conditions of the environment nor will it age gracefully.

Alot of emphasis needs to be put on developing the deeper core muscles (the framework that holds the body together!). The foundation of human movement revolves around core stability. a great analogy Paul Chek uses in his book ‘how to eat, move and be healthy’ was  ‘firing a canon from a canoe’ The Canoe represents the trunk of the body and any other movement which are performed from the bodies extremities has a big influence on the supportive structures of the torso i.e. the spine.

An example of how the core muscles are developed is seen during the first few years of childhood development. At a very young age infants will naturally crawl before they walk. A Crawling position really sets up and trains the inner core muscles to recruit. Eventually, the infant will transfer this core strength to a standing and a walking position. I always tell mothers that have new borns to let their kids roam freely and let them move naturally. I have a problem seeing infants being put in supported strollers. Kids who are forced to walk too early usually develop dysfunctional core muscles and the musculature of the legs develop abnormally. We must do the same with training and learn how to crawl before we walk!

Lying core exercises vs standing core exercises

Ideally, the core muscles respond better in a standing or a more dynamic situation. Lying core exercises are ok for teaching the nervous system and training muscles to activate without compromising neutral spine position (great for people that have lower back pain which is caused by dysfunctional core) however, it has very limited application from a functional point of view since when do we ever use our core muscles when we have the ground supporting our spine? The whole point of developing strong core muscles is to allow it to support our body during movement.

There is nothing wrong with doing core exercises on the floor especially if your relearning how to use these muscles but remember not to spend too much time on the ground and to progress to standing asap!

Exercises like sit ups whilst lying on the ground provide very limited activation on the abdominus rectus (6 pack muscles). Whats worse is those crunching exercises will only add to poor posture and forward head positions.  Muscles need to be trained for what they were designed for.

The inner and outer unit

I think alot of people  forget about what really goes on underneath the layers of muscle which can only be seen on the surface. Muscles such as the diaphragm, the transverse abdominus, the multifidus muscles and pelvic floor muscles  play such an important role in managing intra-abdominal pressure and supporting the supportive structures of the torso.  An example of how these muscles come into play can be witnessed during any movements which require a high level of effort. When lifting a heavy object for example you will realise that you automatically hold your breath. The body is doing this because it is engaging the muscles of the diaphragm to control the intra abdominal pressure that builds up during the lift. In a gym environment the same amount of load that is placed on the spine will cause you to hold your breath. This is not an ideal situation when doing a set of 6-12 reps. Breathing through pursed lips or providing some sort of resistence for your out breath ensures that 1. You are engaging the diaphragm and 2. You are allowing oxygen in and out of your body. This is just one example of how the muscles of the inner unit play an important part of performing other types of movements in any sort of environment.

Consider each component of the inner unit before lifting or performing any sort of strength program. keep in mind that these deeper core functions are a natural mechanism. It should happen naturally however in some situations people will tend to do what they think is right or they have picked up some faulty recruitment or possibly sustained an injury or muscle trauma that have forced their mechanisms to recruit incorrectly. Whatever the reason, ensure a strong foundation is set before building your mansion!

• Bok choy
• Broccoli
• Collard greens
• Dark green leafy lettuce
• Kale
• Mesclun
• Mustard greens
• Romaine lettuce
• Rockette
• Spinach
• Turnip greens
• Watercress