Stretching exercises

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Stretching exercises

Stretching gymnastics is a form of exercise in the context of athletic training in which muscles are put under tension in order to achieve improved mobility and flexibility , including the associated optimization in terms of sports technology and fitness . In addition, one suspects a reduction in the risk of injury, a positive influence on the recovery of the muscles shortened by fatigue and a positive psychological influence. In the field of physiotherapy , stretching is also used to reduce muscular imbalances and to correct pathological problems caused by muscle shortening, as well as to accelerate recovery from injuries. Stretching is popular, especially the static version that has become widely known as stretching . This popularity is also evident in a large selection of relevant advisory literature.

development

For a long time, stretching was hardly researched and traditional attempts were made to increase the range of movements by means of springs and rockers (dynamic stretching). In the 1980s, these exercises received greater attention for the first time and were quickly discarded as allegedly harmful, because - so the assumption - the jerky movements could cause reflex contractions . Instead, static stretching was recommended, where you stay in the final stretching position. In the period that followed, static stretching found widespread use, especially under the term stretching , which was adopted from the Anglo-American language area . Based on the basic principles of static stretching, several other methods have been developed that tension the muscle or its opponent ( antagonist ) before or parallel to the stretching stimulus in order to achieve a reflex relaxation of the muscle to be stretched. From the 1990s onwards, the supposed basic advantages of static versus dynamic stretching were gradually recognized as wrong and a differentiated approach was developed.

Anatomy and physiology

Muscles consist of two types of structures: those that shorten them when activated while consuming energy ( actin and myosin filaments ), and those that passively and elastically prevent an unphysiological increase in length ( connectin filaments in the muscle fibers and the same, like the entire muscle, enveloping like a net Connective tissue ).

Schematic representation of the fibrillar structure of a muscle fiber
Structure of a skeletal muscle with increasing magnification

Contrary to previous assumptions, muscles are only lengthened by stretching in exceptional cases: under normal conditions, they always retract into their original shape. Mainly responsible for this is a huge molecule called titin , which was recognized only a few years ago and, as a connectin filament, connects actin and myosin filaments elastically with each other and with the Z-disks on which the actin filaments are based, thus maintaining the shape of the muscles. The connective tissue structures inside and outside the muscles are only noticeably stressed when they are stretched very strongly, and their wavy fibers are thereby slightly stretched. This so-called creep effect lasts from a few minutes to a maximum of about an hour and can therefore only be used for exercises that follow immediately.

Schematic structure of a muscle spindle

Muscles also have stretch receptors ( muscle spindles ) that report their degree of stretching to the brain via a circuit in the spinal cord , where this is offset as part of the movement planning and, if necessary, the command for counter-tension is given. By stretching the muscles, the stimulus threshold of this system can be reduced, which enables greater muscle stretching in the course of subsequent movements.

Due to their elastic restoring forces , resting muscles always have a basic tension ( resting tone ) that was assumed to be reduced by stretching exercises. If at all, however, it tends to increase, while regular stretching by pulling on the Z-disks generates an increase in passively stabilizing titin - as does strength exercises in which forces act on the Z-disks in the same way. This effect is entirely desirable, because the resulting increase in the so-called Stiffness ( Engl. For, stiffness' or 'strength') of the muscle, the storage and retrieval improved energy in the physiological strain and shortening cycle. In contrast, what is commonly referred to as permanent muscle shortening is not a structural reduction in length, but a sign of muscular imbalances as a result of incorrect loading: the resting length and ability of a muscle to change length result from its daily stress. An apparent shortening can therefore only be remedied by a balanced, upright posture and movements that regularly make full use of the physiological scope, as well as, if necessary, by targeted activation and strengthening of weak antagonists.

Definitions and training methods

Mobility is a motoric ability, which is characterized by the amplitude that can be achieved by means of internal forces (active) in the respective end position of the joints . In contrast to this, the range of movement that can be achieved by external forces (passively) is called flexibility. Stretching exercises pull the tissue, especially in the longitudinal direction, which can improve mobility and flexibility. Stretching can be generated actively, by tensioning antagonists, or passively, using gravity, momentum, external resistance (partner, technical aids) or muscles that do not act directly antagonistically. When stretching, a distinction is made between dynamic (moving) and static (still) methods. The variants designed as static stretching exercises can also be performed dynamically.

Dynamic stretching

Soft, lively, springy movements in the stretching position help to loosen movement restrictions such as tension , to activate all moving muscles including their conduction pathways and to train intermuscular coordination. The actual stretching component is limited by the strength of the muscles. Following the first warm-up phase, these stretching exercises support the preparation for athletic performance - especially if they are carried out in a well-controlled manner in several sections of just 10–20 seconds each, a little more forcefully (pumping) without creating strong stretching stimuli.

Static stretching ( stretching )

After the muscle group to be stretched has been actively or passively brought into a stretching position, it is held in this position repeatedly for around 10-20 seconds. Especially with the active variants, inhibiting neurons are additionally activated by means of muscle tension, thus reducing the tension of the stretched muscle for a while. During the entire exercise, the blood supply to all tissues involved is significantly restricted and there is often excessive tension in the entire body. Static stretching is therefore more suitable for isolated training sessions than for performance preparation.

There are three fundamentally different methods of static stretching: passive static stretching , active static stretching and tension-relaxation stretching .

The 5 stretching methods

In passive static stretching , the target muscle is held in a stretched position brought about by external forces. This is a particularly easy to control method that is used in many areas, but is generally not very effective and is also used in the form of relaxation exercises.

In active static stretching , the target muscle's antagonist is tensed to the maximum during the stretching phase . This presumably triggers a reciprocal forward inhibition of the target muscle - a principle that describes how the opponent of a tense muscle is automatically inhibited in order not to hinder its shortening by an involuntary contraction triggered by the stretch receptors. For anatomical reasons, this method cannot be used equally effectively for all muscles.

When Tension-relax-stretch (Synonyms: PIR stretching from post-isometric relaxation and CHRS-stretching from . Engl contract hold-relax-stretch ) is isometric to the target muscle before beginning the actual Dehnprozedur at rest (without shortening) maximum tension. After the tension has been released, a static stretch follows. For example, the stretching person places their lower leg on a partner's shoulder with the knee bent and tries to press them down by maximally tensing the sciocrural muscles . Then the leg is stretched and pulled towards the front of the body.

A combination of tension-relaxation and active static stretching has proven in recent studies to be the most effective method for improving mobility and is therefore recommended.

Use in sports training

In addition to isolated training units for the sole purpose of improving mobility or for the rare real muscular shortening, submaximal static stretching is also recommended for gentle post-stretching at the end of a training unit after slow, relaxed running, in order to relax, reduce the increased muscle tone and make sport-specific posture and flexion adaptations avoid. Some muscles tend to functionally shorten and therefore need to be stretched after every sporting activity; namely the rear and side neck muscles, the front chest muscles, as well as the front, the rear and the inner thigh muscles.

In the warm-up phase to prepare for performance, intensive static stretching is beneficial where maximum freedom of movement is subsequently required, as it reduces the strength and tension of the muscles, which in turn reduces performance. In preparation for performance for sports that involve rapid, vigorous movements or large joint rashes, short sequences of submaximal, preferably dynamic, stretching can help reduce the risk of injury.

risk of injury

Do stretching exercises with care. If the pain is stretched well beyond mild to moderate pain, or if previously damaged tissue is further stressed, fiber tears in muscles, tendons or ligaments as well as joint cartilage damage can be provoked. This can happen unnoticed, as intensive stretching can reduce the muscles' own anti-stretching reflex and the pain sensation in the tissue. A particularly common mistake is, for example, intensive stretching exercises despite the presence of sore muscles . The protective tension, which is supposed to guarantee the necessary rest for the tissue damaged by small muscle fiber tears to heal, is misinterpreted as annoying tension and further damage is provoked by pulling on the tissue.

Overall, however, the risk of injury when stretching is very low. Since a generally good mobility, as it can be achieved through regular training, also increases the security of movement, stretching can even reduce the likelihood of injuries to the muscles due to poorly coordinated movements.

Recommended reading

Web links

Commons : Stretching  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Bibliography with web links to read on

  • Ch. Höss-Jelten: Investigations into the direct effects of different stretching methods on selected force parameters. Dissertation in sports science at the Technical University of Munich, 2004. (PDF; 6.7 MB)
  • Klaus Wiemann: Effects of stretching and the treatment of muscular imbalances. In: Michael Sievers (Ed.): Muscle strength training. 2000, pp. 95-119. (PDF; 170 kB)
  • Andreas Klee, Klaus Wiemann: Methods and effects of stretching training. 2004. (PDF; 220 kB)
  • Andreas Klee:
    • Making new findings from training theory tangible: different stretching methods in comparison. (PDF; 32 kB)
    • About the effect of stretching training as an injury prophylaxis. In: A. Freiwald, T. Jöllenbeck, N. Olivier (Eds.): Prevention and Rehabilitation. 7. Joint symposium of the dvs sections Biomechanics, Sports Motor Skills and Training Science, 2007, pp. 337–346. (PDF; 282 kB)
    • Stretching in tennis: useful or a myth. In: TennisSport. Issue 5, 2011, pp. 5–11. biowiss-sport.de (PDF; 2.6 MB)
    • Andreas Klee: Update stretching . April 2013 ( researchgate.net ).

Footnotes

  1. ↑ a b Jürgen Weineck: Optimal training. Performance physiological training with a special focus on children and youth training . 15th, completely revised edition. Spitta Verlag, Balingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-938509-15-9 , pp. 739 .
  2. ↑ Sven A Sölveborn: The book of stretching. Flexibility training through stretching and stretching . Mosaik Verlag, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-570-03416-X , p. 126 .
  3. ↑ a b Jürgen Weineck: Optimal training. Performance physiological training with a special focus on children and youth training . 15th, completely revised edition. Spitta Verlag, Balingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-938509-15-9 , pp. 740 .
  4. ^ Bernhard Kolster: Medical Training Therapy . In: Bernhard Kolster, Gisela Ebelt-Paprotny, Martin Hirsch (eds.): Guide to Physiotherapy. Findings, techniques, treatment, rehabilitation . corrected edition. Jungjohann Verlagsgesellschaft, Neckarsulm 1995, ISBN 3-8243-1316-2 , p. 618-636 (634) .
  5. ↑ Ludwig V. Geiger: Overload damage in sport . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-405-15149-X , p. 76 .
  6. ↑ Jürgen Weineck: Optimal training. Performance physiological training with a special focus on children and youth training . 15th, completely revised edition. Spitta Verlag, Balingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-938509-15-9 , pp. 741 .
  7. ↑ at the University of Wuppertal there is a movement theory working group ( Memento of the original from June 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.verwaltung.uni-wuppertal.de