Confession: I hate stretching, and I havent been able to touch my toes in years.
However, its recently taken a toll, on both my workouts and my day-to-day functioning.
My hip flexors often ache, myrunning stridefeels awkwardly short, and yoga is a painful endeavor.
Justin von Oldershausen
So this year, I vowed to finally start stretching.
I had no idea where to start.
So I tapped them for advice on how I could get started.
The first thing I learned?
Its best not to think of the solution solely as a stretching routine.
Stretching, of course, will be part of that, but mobility encompasses a whole lot more.
Whats the difference between stretching and mobility?
Mobility work and stretching can both help your body move better, but they arent exactly the same thing.
What are the benefits of regular stretching and mobility work?
Stretching and mobility work can offer a ton of benefits.
For instance, greater mobility could help you lower further down as you squat.
Lastly, mobility is an important factor in aging well.
A2017 studypublished in the journalBMC Health Services Researchfound an association between low mobility and increased chance of early death.
Mobility is not only important in your youth, but even more important as you age, he explains.
In other words, your work should enhance the other types of activity you enjoy.
As a result, they may benefit from doing movements to counteract that tightness.
Also, be aware of how much pressure youre putting on your muscles.
Haas has seen people get bruises because they applied too much force when using a massage gun.
Ultimately, massage guns should feel good, says Haas.
A big part of this includes knowing the intent of a certain stretch, says Haas.
Take a basic calf stretch, for example.
As the name suggests, the intent of this move is to stretch your calf muscles.
you might also check outstretching resourceson SELF to break down the moves for your specific goals.
For instance: stretches forcalves,hip flexors,shoulders,butt, andlower back.
Anything is better than nothing.
Even a couple of minutes can be helpful.
Wondering how much to push into a stretch?
In other words, it wont be an effective stretch.
A better approach is to gently ease into a stretch.
You should feel like you’re free to relax into it, says Haas.
Typically, you should hold static stretches for 15 to 30 seconds, says Haas.
As you work to improve your mobility, dont forget about strength work too.
Instead, let your strength work stay focused on strengthening, and store your mobility efforts for separate occasions.
Thats simply because some of us are naturally more mobile and flexible than others.
But that doesnt mean you wont gain anything in the interim.
Stick with it, and youll notice changes in your muscle length and joint mobility.
