Do the Right Kind of Stretching for Real Strength

Touch your toes without straining your back. Play golf or tennis without waking up the next morning with aching joints. Do the strenuous activities you did when you were younger without pain.These should be a piece of cake. If they’re not, it’s time to declare war on stiff muscles and joints.

You’ve been led to believe that stiffness is a part of aging. But flexibility has little to do with how old you are. Many of my patients complain of muscle aches and pains, and they range from young adults to middle-aged men to seniors.
Most of the time, it isn’t that they’re suffering from arthritis or muscle pulls. Usually it’s because they’re doing the wrong thing to stop stiffness and aches.
Quick-fix solutions like hot or “icy” topical creams and medicated pads only provide temporary relief.

And pain killers, anti-inflammatories and prescription muscle relaxants can do more harm than help.For a long-term solution that pays benefits right now, try doing functional, strength-building stretches.
These types of stretches will enhance your flexibility, but also:

Give you more energy and stamina
Loosen your core
Realign your spine
Help stop back pain
Stimulate your internal organs
Give you powerful, durable shoulders and arms

There are two kinds of stretching – passive and active. With passive stretching – also known as relaxed stretching – you assume a position and hold it with another part of your body, or with the assistance of a partner or some other apparatus. Active stretching is done by using one group of muscles to stretch out another one. For example, a standing active stretch you can do is to put your back against a wall and your leg as high as you can, and hold it there.

When you lift your leg up in the air you’re using your quad muscles, but your hamstrings and calf muscles are the ones that are actually being stretched.

One type of active stretching that incorporates the speed of movement and momentum to bring about a stretch is called dynamic stretching. You can try the following “dynamic” stretches before a workout to reduce muscle tightness and the risk for injury:

Arm Swings – The horizontal momentum of these arm swings can warm up your pecs, delts and upper back before a workout:

Stand up straight with arms outstretched at your sides.
Slowly swing your arms back and forth across your body.
Repeat this motion continuously for 30 seconds.

Leg Swings – You can increase your hip mobility with leg swings to prevent pain in your knees, lower back and hips:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Keeping your body straight and still (perpendicular to the ground), swing one leg forward and backward.
Repeat for 10 swings and then switch legs.
You can also swing your leg across your body to stretch your adductors and abductors.

Trunk Rotations – Warm up your abs and obliques with this stretch:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
With knees slightly bent and feet planted on the floor, slowly turn your trunk from side to side.
Do 15-20 trunk rotations.

That’s a key to unlocking your joints and loosening your muscles. You’ll be able to do everything you want without waking up stiff and achy.