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The last time I visited a physiotherapist they said I had one of the tightest ITB muscles they had ever seen. I, of course, said “why thank you!”

But it turns out it isn’t a compliment, and rather the reason why on a regular basis my knees give up their only responsibility…bending.

Which brings me to this month’s fitness tip on the importance of stretching.

As you probably already know we are born with fantastic range of movement when it comes to flexibility.

How a baby can suck its own toes is beyond me.

So what happens to that flexibility as you get older?

Desk Bound = Muscle Bound

Picture this. You spend eight hours a day for much of the year sitting at your desk staring at a computer screen (hey the web doesn’t surf itself does it). The act of sitting for this long puts muscles in a state of constant contraction (i.e. in a shortened state). Without doing any activity to lengthen and relax these same muscles your body is left with physical imbalances.

Then you decide to go for a run, or even just do some spring cleaning or lift up one of the kids, and SNAP! goes your hamstring, which means you will be doing a lot more sitting from now on!

A typical office worker (when I was working as a personal trainer I made myself a promise never to become one of those…oops), will sit with their shoulders rolled forward, hunching their back, and neck jutted forward. This results in shortened and contracted chest muscles, tension in their upper back, weak posture, headaches, and often wrist and elbow pain.

Add to this the act of sitting tightening the hamstrings and hip flexors (front of hips), and making the backside muscles lazy, as the reason for many a pain in the lower back. And don’t get me started on the impact of high heels on shortening calf muscles!

So what should I do about it?

Well for starters, mum was right, you should sit up straight.

But more importantly you should regularly stretch your muscles before, after, and during work/work outs where possible, to counteract the shortening that goes on during the day.

Regular stretching has the following benefits
  • Increased flexibility and better range of motion of your joints
  • Lowered risk of muscular imbalance and repetitive strain injuries
  • Improved circulation
  • Better posture
  • Stress relief
  • Enhanced coordination
Tips for stretching

There are too many types of stretches to go through in one email, so here are some tips for stretching in general.
  • Do not stretch cold muscles, always warm up first
  • Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds
  • Stretch slowly and don't bounce
  • STOP if a stretch causes pain, rather than mild discomfort
  • Relax and don't hold your breath
  • Stretch both sides of the body to avoid imbalances
  • Stretch both before and after a workout and between exercises.

Til next month,

Chris

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