BY KELLY TOWNSEND No more Knots Massage Therapy
Why should you hold your stretches for longer?
There are alot of different types of stretching but methods of improving flexibility are commonly misunderstood. When aiming to improve your flexibility, a consideration when stretching should be how long you hold your stretches for. The Golgi Tendon Organ is a receptor that exists in the tendon that attaches the muscle to the bone. This receptor senses when your are getting towards the end of your range for a stretch, and when this occurs, it produces the sensation that we associate with a stretch. This isn't actually a stretch though-it is known as the stretch reflex. Only when the Golgi Tendon Organ is satisfied that you won't make any sudden movements to damage the muscle will it allow the stretch reflex to subside, and you will feel the pulling ease-This is the actual stretch. You will notice that this takes some time to kick in, so holding your stretches for about 2 minutes will allow for a couple of cycles of this to occur as you move gradually further through range. This is the best way to IMPROVE your flexibility-perhaps not what you want to be doing during your warm-up before training if your aren't used to it, but worth doing as part of your recovery to maximise your body's range of motion. You'll feel the difference!!