Health Quest » Tips

Stretching Safety Pointers

HK — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:53:09 +0000

If at any time a stretching exercise feels uncomfortable or painful, reduce the intensity of the stretch or exercise by reducing the range of movement or ease the pressure off the joint
If sharp pain occurs or is referred to another part of the body, STOP the exercise. Seek the advice of a qualified physiotherapist, Pilates instructor or doctor on the movements you’re doing
If you ever feel your neck straining during a supine exercise, support it with cushions
or pillows. The exercise may then be completed without any strain on the breathing or on muscles that are not the ‘working’ ones necessary for the movement
Stretch the muscle GRADUALLY
Do NOT stretch injured or torn muscles
If stretching a group of muscles affects another group (e.g. a thoracic stretch strains the should joint) do NOT continue without further qualified guidance

8 General Rules for All Types of Stretching

HK — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:53:08 +0000

Don’t stretch to the point where breathing is strained
Stretching should never be painful (Refer Stretch Pain Scale)
Stretch only when muscles are warm
Hold the stretch in a comfortable position
Stretch before and after (and even during) an extended period of exercise
Concentrate on relaxing the area being stretched
Flexibility training should be regular – at least 3 times a week
PREGNANT women should only do flexibility training UNDER SUPERVISION

Speed of Movements

HK — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:21:42 +0000

The correct speed of movement is just as critical for strengthening exercises as it is for stretching to get the best results and to get them safely.

In the positive phase of any exercise, each increment of movement must be achieved by muscular contraction and NOT by any momentum incorrectly generated in an earlier part of the movement. This cannot be overemphasized and is second only to the importance of form.

Don’t make the movements too slow either. As a general rule:

Positive contractions should take about 2 – 3 seconds to complete &,
Negatives about twice as long
Don’t pause too long either in the extended OR contracted phase of a movement

A Word on Form

HK — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:17:04 +0000

Good form refers to precision of movement and involves:

Correct positioning BEFORE commencing the movement
Controlled action (that doesn’t use gravity or momentum to complete the movement)

Whether we’re talking about stretching, strengthening, weight-training or playing sport, good form is the most significant determinant of improving performance and avoiding injury. No amount of repetitions (reps) or sets of reps can compensate for executing an exercise or movement incorrectly.

Also see speed of movements

Tripod Position

HK — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:03:42 +0000

When standing, the overall balance of the body should be where the feet evenly support the body when they are placed directly under the hip joints. The placement of the body’s weight should be evenly distributed over the 3 points that form a triangle on the feet. That is:

The ball of the foot
The outside edge of the foot
The centre of the heel

There should be no pressure forward on the toes or backward on the heel. By also placing pressure on the outside edge of the foot, you may feel as if you’re creating an arch where the arch should be. Try to maintain this tripod position whenever standing and especially when lifting.