This muscular tension isn’t simply a result of tight muscle tissues. For example, if you were under anesthesia, your body would be much more flexible. The neuromuscular system regulates muscular tension. So, when you stretch, you aren’t simply pulling on muscle fibers. Instead, you’re stimulating your nervous system to signal the muscle to rest in a longer position. Several studies show that the optimal amount of time to hold a stretch is between 20 and 30 seconds.
Holding a stretch for 60 seconds doesn’t seem to make you more flexible. In fact, it’s better to do two stretches of 30 seconds each or three stretches of 20 seconds each than to do a one-minute stretch. Theory states that stimulating your nervous system multiple times to encourage your muscle to be longer leads to a greater likelihood of “re-setting” the resting muscle tension length in a longer position. Studies show that the greatest increases in flexibility come from the first four repetitions.
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