Stretching Might Not Be The Only Answer
- May 16, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 25, 2022
Written by: Jen Landry, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When we have tightness, our go-to is to find the best stretch. However, if you are stretching over and over and nothing is changing, it could be telling you more than you realize!
A good stretch can help you relax, feel better at the moment and slow down. It can also be helpful when done right before or after a workout. When a muscle or a joint feels tight or stiff, it is common to try and find the perfect stretch for relief. But what happens when you find the perfect stretch and you are not getting relief, even after weeks of trying? It is possible that the true source of the tightness is not actually the tight muscle. Instead, it could be a muscle imbalance, muscle weakness, or even the way you move or sit on a day-to-day basis.
The human body likes to find the easiest and quickest way to reach homeostasis or a state of stability. That means, if you have a weakness somewhere, the body will adjust and “cheat” in order to make up for the weakness. Take Pregnant and Postpartum women, for example, the abdominal wall stretches to make room for the baby. When the abdominal wall stretches, it often becomes weak or less efficient in supporting the body. Therefore, women will wind up with pain elsewhere in the body. For example, they may experience back pain because the back is doing twice the work while the abs are checked out or they may experience tight hip flexors or pain in their hips because they are “hanging” on their pelvis to make up for the lack of stability at the core. Once, they are postpartum these patterns stick around.
This will lead the postpartum women to feel like they constantly need to stretch their back or their hips, but in reality, if they could strengthen their core again, the pain would be alleviated. In this case, then, a weak abdominal wall is leading to tightness in the hips or back. The woman with tight hip flexors may feel relief for a brief period of time when she stretches her hips, but if it has been weeks and she still feels like she needs the stretch every day, it might be time to look elsewhere. Time to strengthen the core.
If we look at the people who work a desk job, they often experience tight necks, shoulders, and upper backs. This person may be constantly taking stretch breaks at work (even if they are super brief), coming home and using a back massager, asking their spouse for a massage, or doing other such relief work. However, when you take a look at the posture of someone who sits at a desk all day, they are hunched over a bit and their shoulders round forward. This creates tightness in the chest and the back has to work extra hard to try and pull you into a straight and comfortable position. Opening up the chest and making sure the pectoral major is strong can really aid in taking tension out of the neck and shoulders.
In the desk job example, it is important to note that this may be a case where stretching is helpful. However, the stretching is not done at the point of irritation and pain. It will need to be done in the chest. Notice though, that it is still due to an imbalance in the muscles that are creating the pain and tightness. So you must address that imbalance to bring your body back to homeostasis.
Working with a physical therapist or a personal trainer who is qualified to assess you and guide you properly can really make a difference. There are times when muscles are actually tight and need to be stretched (like the chest in the example above), but having an understanding of if you really need to stretch or strengthen can be a major game-changer and really help keep your body fit and healthy for life.
Imagine, you wake up every single day and do your usual 20-minute stretching routine. If you miss a day, you feel it, you are extra tight, extra achy, and just not comfortable. Now, imagine a world in which you spend an hour a couple of times a week with the right personal trainer, learning where your imbalances are, how to lift properly to fix them and to make sure you are engaging the right things (no more cheating!). Within a few short weeks, you don’t feel the need to spend 20 minutes stretching anymore. Yet, you feel looser, more comfortable, and stronger!
It might be time to rethink your current routine, the why behind it and if it is really making the real change you need. If you enjoy your stretching routine and the time you get to relax while you stretch, by all means, keep doing it! It can feel really good and be so relaxing. However, if the stretching routine is used to get relief and it’s not working, it’s time to take a whole-body approach and figure out the root cause so we can fix it and keep you fit for life!
Jen Landry, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jen Landry is a leader in functional fitness. She specializes in pregnant, postpartum, and everyday women. As a mother of two little girls and two pregnancies that left Jen feeling weak, broken, and in need of answers, she discovered the Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Certification. Obtaining this certification changed the way Jen looked at pregnancy and postpartum fitness as well as female health in general. It ignited a fire to help as many women as possible, so they could avoid what Jen experienced. She is the CEO and Owner of Moms Fit Life. Her Mission: Teach Moms they can trust their bodies again and rock mom life with confidence!
