If you have ever visited a chiropractor in the past, then you will know how much they encourage you to stretch. You may even find that stretching is recommended as part of your daily routine. The main reason for this is because it helps to keep your muscles loose and it also keeps your spine limber as well. If your chiropractor has yet to discuss the benefits that come with stretching at home, or if you are a little rusty, then this guide will help you to get back in the game.
What You Need to Know About Stretching
Before you even think about stretching, you have to do some light exercises so you can get your muscles nice and warmed up. This may sound strange, as surely you need to stretch before you exercise, but sometimes it helps to do things the opposite way around. Your initial activity doesn’t have to be anywhere near strenuous. In fact, sometimes walking around the block or doing a couple of calisthenic exercises can help you out a lot here. When you feel looser, you can then proceed to stretch.
Static Stretching VS Dynamic Stretching
There are two types of stretching that you need to learn. They include static and dynamic. Static stretching is where you will need to hold a position for a set period of time so you can loosen your muscles. Dynamic stretching involves you moving parts of your body so you can greatly improve your general flexibility. Both of them are so important for parts of your body. Of course, your chiropractor should be able to help you to find out all of the information you need, and they can also tell you what type of assisted stretching is going to benefit you the most.
Common Assisted Stretches that Chiropractors Recommend
If you want to do some stretches at home that will help you with your periodic chiropractor adjustments, then take a look below to see what most chiropractors recommend.
The Cat
One common stretch that a lot of chiropractors recommend would be the cat pose. You will need to get on the floor, and you will need to keep your hands under your shoulders. Give your abdomen the chance to lower to the floor and then reverse it. You will need to arch your back to do this, and this is what will give you the best stretching benefits. If you want to achieve maximum results, then it is a good idea for you to do this three to five times.
The Scorpion
Another stretch would be the scorpion stretch. If you need to heal your back muscles, then this is the one for you. This is especially the case if you are experiencing chronic back pain. Make sure that you lie with your face down and stretch your arms to the side. Move your right foot over to your left arm, and then repeat for the other side. Ideally, this needs to be done in a calm and gentle manner. This stretch is only meant to loosen your muscles slightly.
Chest Opener
When you are sitting or standing, take your hands and clasp them behind your back. You will then need to try and pull your shoulders down while straightening your arms. You will also need to squeeze your shoulders together. Lift your chin and lengthen your body. If you can hold this for around 5 seconds, then this will give you the best results. You then need to release it and repeat it four times.
Lumbar Rotation
Lumbar rotation is usually done with bent knees. You will need to lie on your back keep your knees bent, with your feet on the floor. Be sure to rotate your knees until you feel some slight tension in your back. Make sure that you hold each pose for 20 seconds, and then slowly return to the middle.
If you can make sure that you stretch on a regular basis, then you may find that it is very easy for you to boost the results you get from your chiropractic adjustments. You may also be able to prevent further injury while also maintaining the muscle strength that you have. Make sure that you ask your chiropractor to see if they can give you specific stretches that will help you to make the most out of your stretching plan. This will ensure that you get the help you need at home as well as in the office.
Be sure to talk with your chiropractor as they can then advise you on the stretches that you can do to try and treat the issues that you are having.
Mistakes People Make When Stretching
There are so many mistakes that people make when stretching. If you want to do something about this or if you want to make sure that you are not hurting yourself even more by trying to stretch when you shouldn’t be, then this part of the guide is for you.
Not Warming Up
If you want to stop yourself from injuring your cold muscles, then you need to take the time to warm them up first. Some of the things that you can do include jumping jacks. You can also take a small walk around the block. If you can just get your muscles a little looser, then this will help you to stretch safely. You can even use dynamic stretches so you can warm yourself up for static stretching, as mentioned above.
Increasing Flexibility Too Quickly
Muscle tightness can restrict the activities you can do on a day-to-day basis. If you can, you have to make sure that you do not attempt to make large gains over a short period of time. Ideally, you need to try and seek to make gradual improvements over a few weeks, or longer if possible. If you stretch your muscle groups for 10 or 20 minutes a day without pushing yourself, then this will help you to see the benefits as you build it into your daily routine.
Stretching for Too Long
If you stretch for too long, then this will also work against you. The idea of assisted stretching is that it helps you to work up your muscles and it helps to loosen them too. If you stretch for too long, then this will put your body under more stress than it needs, and this is the last thing you want. If you want to do something about this, then it is so important that you avoid stretching for too long and that you also take the time to listen to your chiropractor when they advise you on the top stretches you should be doing to help with your specific condition or level of pain.
Types of Assisted Stretching
If you want to learn more about the types of stretching you can do to try and help yourself, then this guide will help you to make all of the right changes you need, so you can make the most out of every session you have.
Passive Stretching
Your body should be relaxed when doing this kind of stretch. If you work with a trained therapist, they can help you to manipulate your body into an effective position. This will help you to target a specific muscle group while you are relaxed. You should know that with passive stretching, you can relax the mind and the body and that you are not supposed to experience much strain. This type of assisted stretch is ideal if you want to release more endorphins into your body.
Resistance Stretching
Resistance stretching is when you resist the stretches that the therapist is doing. You need to do this with around 10-50% effort. The great thing about this is that it helps to support any joints that may be unstable with every movement. The great thing about this movement is that it is ideal for children or even elderly clients. If you have had an injury recently, then this type of assisted stretching will help you out a lot with joint rehabilitation.
Active Stretching
If you are struggling with tight areas because you have an imbalance with your muscle groups, then active stretching could be a good option for you. It can provide you with a lot of pain relief and it can also help you to work through any injuries you may have. Whichever muscle is the opposite to what is being stretched, will be kept contracted. If you work with the opposing muscle, then you can essentially wake up the muscle areas that are not functioning, relieving some of the imbalance that may be contributing to your pain.
PNF
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation is a stretch that targets a muscle group. You will be told to stretch and then contract the muscle at the same time. This will lead to you gaining a lot of mobility without you forcing the stretches beyond the level you are comfortable with. If you want to achieve this effect, then you will need to press into the stretch that the therapist is giving you. You will then need to hold this position for around 30 seconds, giving your muscles the chance to stretch safely without worry of you experiencing injury.
Benefits of Stretching your Muscles
If you want to know some of the benefits that come with stretching your muscles, then the only thing that you have to do is take a look below.
Reducing Tightness
A lot of people find it very difficult to unwind and this can give you a lot of knotted muscles. If you find that long days on the job, or even everyday activities have you all tied up, then assisted stretching could well be what you need. A trained professional will work with you to give you the stretches you need to relieve those knots while also eliminating muscle tightness, reducing the chance of you experiencing injury in the future.
Decreasing Stress
When your muscles are relaxed, it is much easier for you to relax. Along with stretching, you also have to learn how to breathe deeply. This will contribute to a huge decrease in your stress levels and it will also help you out a lot with your general wellbeing. Assisted stretching is a great way for you to stretch the muscles that you may find hard to do yourself, not to mention that a trained professional will always know what pressure to apply.
Flexibility
It doesn’t matter whether you want to increase your flexibility or whether you want to increase your physical performance because assisted stretching is the way to go. Your body will send out signals telling you when to stop with your mobility, but assisted stretching helps you to reprogram all of those signals. In other words, you can extend your muscles more, before your body tells you to stop.
Athletic Performance
Every athlete is on the lookout for techniques that help to give them the edge. For this reason, a lot of athletes often end up trying to limit recovery time as much as possible. if you are cramping or if you are in pain, then this can make it very difficult to get the stretch you are looking for. Partner stretching, or assisted stretching is essential here as it can help you to target all of the right muscle groups.
Range of Motion
You have probably noticed as time goes on, that your joints aren’t as mobile as they once were. If you are looking to regain the range of motion in your body, then assisted stretching can help you out quite a lot. If you work with a trained professional, they can help you to make sure that you are making the most out of every stretch you do while also giving you the assistance you need to ensure you are never stretching beyond your general capability.
So, assisted stretching can give you a huge range of benefits, and if you take advantage of them today, then you will soon find that you are able to benefit more than you realize.
