Top 5 reasons you are stretching wrong

Tight muscles can lead to anything from soreness to other conditions such as low back or neck pain, headaches, or carpal tunnel symptoms. Though it an have great benefits, there are definitely ways that you can do it wrong that can lead to injury.

Here are 5 things that you might be doing wrong

You Bounce

One of, if not the, best way to stretch is ‘static stretching’ or holding a position for 10+ seconds and allowing the muscle to stretch. ‘Ballistic stretching’ (not to be confused with dynamic stretching) is bouncing back and forth trying to get farther and farther in your stretch. This type of stretching can lead to tears in the muscle.

Not feeling it where you should

If using the wrong position, you can find that you are feeling the stretch in the wrong place. A great way to tell if you are stretching the right muscle is to feel the muscle you are intending to stretch. It should feel tight when you stretch it and loose after.

Stretching an injured muscle

When muscles are injured, they often become tight and stiff. This can cause the sensation like they need to be stretched but that is the wrong thing to do. Typically muscle pain or discomfort goes away after a few day and if it lasts longer, it is best to see a doctor to better have it evaluated.

Jumping right into it

So you are ready, you have your workout clothes on, and you are ready to stretch so you jump right into it! STOP! Warming up, or the failure to warm up, even before stretching is the cause of an increased risk of muscle tears and injuries. Before any physical activity, including stretching, it is best to warm up the muscles to get the best out of them and have the lowest risk of injury.

You push yourself too hard

Pushing a stretch until the muscle is tight is a great method for stretching but avoid pushing it too far. Stretching beyond your limits can cause the muscles to tear or other injuries. A good rule to follow is that stretching should feel a bit uncomfortable but should never be painful.

Stretching is an essential part of any active lifestyle and should be performed at least a few times a week. Take into consideration these 5 mistakes to have a better, more productive stretching session.