Stretching
Most people confuse stretching with warming up exercises. If warming up the muscles involves heating and preparing the muscles to move more, stretching only increases the muscles flexibility. Warm up prevents injury but stretching increases the range of motion of the joint. Stretching does not contribute to the prevention of injury, and in some extreme cases of stretching; it could even contribute to possible tears and injuries.
When doing stretches, there a few guidelines to consider to prevent further damage to the tissues. Ballistic stretching should be avoided. This is when there is a bouncing motion during a stretch. This causes more damage than expected. Instead, stretch the part and hold it for at least 5 seconds. Stretching should be a relaxing experience. Additionally, you should take the time to do this and not race to get on with your normal exercise program.
Stretching might easily be confused with warm-up exercises since they usually follow and go together. However, the best practice would probably be to start with warm up movements and proceed with stretching activities to get the optimum results of your exercise program.
Benefits
You can get increased flexibility and a greater range of motions for your joints. Another benefit is you have improved blood circulation brought by the action of the stretch. With stretching, correct postures and proper coordination are maintained and practiced. Lastly, stretching is a stress buster. Even on a tiring day, stretching can relieve you of the heaviness on your shoulders or from that nagging back. What is best about stretching is you don’t need fancy tools and equipment. You don’t even have to go to a gym.
Examples
There are certain types of stretching that you can do during your spare time. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) is a type of stretching done by therapists to provoke and promote movement among healthy and paralyzed patients. It incorporates stretching as the basic foundation. Static stretches are the most commonly done stretches wherein the parts stretched are held for a few seconds. Ballistic stretching is the stretching where bouncing is seen. This is not healthy and should be avoided.