Celebrating Traditions: Traditional Stretching

What it is: You hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds without bouncing. (Traditional stretching, also called static stretching, holds your body still.) As you hold the position, you feel a pull that spreads up and down the length of the muscle. Traditional stretching is the method performed at the end of many exercise classes and in exercise videos. While it may not achieve as much increase in flexibility as some of the other methods, it’s very safe, easy to understand, and has a low risk of injury.
Traditional stretching has some definite advantages:

• Almost anyone can perform some static stretches; you can easily modify the position to suit your level of flexibility.
• Many people find this method of stretching a good way to relax and to cool down after a workout.
• If you perform traditional stretches at least three days a week, you’ll probably notice an increase in flexibility after a few weeks.

On the other hand, some cons coincide with traditional stretching:

• If you’re inflexible, this type of stretching may be far from relaxing. In fact, it may be so uncomfortable that you end up skipping your stretches altogether.
• Separating one muscle group from another with traditional stretches is difficult; you often are forced to stretch several different muscle groups at once. This situation is a problem if one of the muscles being stretched is tighter than the others.

Contrary to popular belief, you should never perform traditional stretching before you warm up. Stretching in and of itself doesn’t constitute a warm-up. See the sidebar, “Stretching guidelines,” to find out what constitutes a proper warm-up.
If you’re a stretching neophyte, start with 10 seconds of stretching and gradually work your way up to a full 30 seconds. Don’t bounce. Jerky movements may actually make you tighter. Get in the proper stretching position slowly and smoothly and then stay there. After you’ve held the stretch for a few seconds, slowly stretch a bit further.
Hold each of the following positions for 10 to 30 seconds.

• Quadriceps (front thigh): Lie on your left side with your legs out straight and your head resting on your outstretched arm. Bend your right knee so your heel is close to your butt, and grab your ankle or toes with your right hand. Pull your heel back and toward your butt, taking care to keep your hips stacked directly on top of one another. Try to keep your knees together, not separated. Don’t arch your back or allow your butt to stick out. Use the image of trying to press your pocket forward and flat. After you stretch your right quadriceps, turn over (to lie on your right side) and stretch your left.
• Hamstrings (rear thigh): Lie on your back with your left knee bent and your left foot flat on the floor. Straighten your right leg out in front of you along the floor, and flex your toes toward yourself. Slowly raise your right leg off the floor as high as you can without allowing your back or butt to lift up. As you hold this position, you feel a stretch through the back of your thigh. Clasp your hands around your thigh above your knee or use a stretching strap with loops to help raise your leg. (Using your hands or a stretching strap to help is an especially good idea if you’re not very flexible.) Lower your leg slowly and repeat the stretch with your left leg. Before you hold the stretch, you can use the strap to lower and lift your leg and explore your active range of motion. Be sure to relax your thighs and use the strap for support to maximize your stretch
• The pretzel stretch (butt, lower back, and outer thigh): Lie on your back and bend your knees. Lift your legs up so that your knees are directly over your hips and your calves are parallel to the floor. Cross your left ankle over the front of your right thigh. Clasp both hands around the back of your right thigh and pull back with gentle, steady pressure. Keep your butt in contact with the floor. Don’t round hips up and off the floor. As you hold this position, you should feel the stretch spread through your left buttock and outer hip and through the center of your lower back. Repeat this stretch with your right ankle over the front of your left thigh.
• Reach up (entire upper body and lower back): Sit up tall either cross-legged on the floor or in a chair. Make a loose fist with your hands, and raise your arms directly over your shoulders. Lengthen your right arm upward, as if you’re trying to touch an object above you that’s just out of reach. Hold this position for two to four slow counts. Without relaxing your right arm, stretch your left arm upward. Sit up tall and keep your shoulders relaxed as you alternate stretching each arm upward five times. Try to reach a little higher each time — without hunching your shoulders up to your ears. You should feel this stretch throughout the length of your spine, in the “wings” of your upper back, and in your shoulders and arms.
• Hand clasp (chest, shoulders, and arms): Sit up tall either on a chair or cross-legged on the floor. Lean a few inches forward from your hips and clasp your hands behind your back. Drop your shoulders and shoulder blades downward as you lengthen your arms out behind you. You should feel the stretch across the top of your chest, in your shoulders, and along the length of your arms. If you don’t have enough flexibility to clasp your hands together, hold an end of a towel in each hand.