Stretching
As a triathlete life can be pretty busy. As well as important stuff like swim, bike an run session to fit in you need to find time for your family, work commitments and occasionally a social life. Something has to give and that is often stretching. Delaying the start of workouts or cutting them short to fit in stretching can often seem like a waste of time; that is until your performance stagnates, recovery from a hard session takes longer or you wind up injured:
Why should I stretch?
- Mental relaxation - Stretching during the warm-up and cool-down allows you time to mentally relax and prepare or recover from the demands of physical activity.
- Muscular relaxation - When muscles are relaxed through stretching, tension is released and neuromuscular functioning is improved, possibly reducing the chances of injury
- Increased flexibility - Increasing your joint range of motion can contribute to better performance.
- Improved posture and balance in the musculoskeletal system - Good posture is an important factor for both sports performance and healthy everyday living. By adhering to a good stretching programme you may achieve better symmetry and a healthy balance throughout the musculo-skeletal system, which improves posture.
- Prevention of lower back pain - After extensive study, Cailliet (1988) asserts that mobilised flexibility and strengthened lumbar spine may prevent lower back pain.
- Relief of muscle soreness - While the exact cause of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is under investigation, Tillman and Cummings (1992) suggest that slow stretching exercises may reduce its effects. Following Howell et al (1985) stretching may be most effective where DOMS is secondary to inflammatory or oedaemic response, rather than microtrauma to the protein myofilaments.
- Relief of cramp - Involuntary muscle contraction of an already shortened muscle, commonly known as cramp, may be relieved by passively stretching the cramped muscle.
- Improved motor skills - Stretching improves motor skills by increasing flexibility, which is essential for skilled movement and conditioning, particularly in swimming and running.
- Injury Prevention - Weldon and Hill (2003) indicate that there is little conclusive research to support the contention that stretching reduces the occurrence of injury. However, the volume of observational data generated over the years by athletes, coaches, and therapists has made the contention widely accepted, so much so that it is now deemed to be unethical to ask a control group to participate in an activity study and not allow them to stretch. So it has become accepted that muscles, tendons, ligaments and other joint structures can all be protected to some degree by a comprehensive stretching programme.
What different types of stretching are there?
Below are five types of stretching that you may come across, 4 of which can provide benefits to triathletes - static, dynamic, assisted and PNF. Assisted and PNF should be undertaken only under supervision from a trained practitioner. Ballistic is not recommended to triathletes.
- Static Stretching - Taking a joint through its range of motion to a point where the soft tissue is comfortably stretched and then holding the position for a period of time.
- Dynamic Stretching - A controlled, repeated and rhythmic motion to the end of your normal range of motion. By using controlled movements this type of stretching also lubricates the joints by stimulating the production of synovial fluid. The combination of light activity, musculo-tendinous stretching and joint lubrication produces a combination of warm-up and stretching that is known as mobilisation.
- Ballistic Stretching - A quick and repeated motion beyond the end of your normal range of motion. It is the most controversial form of stretching as it can inappropriately trigger myotatic stretch reflexes and cause damage to the skeletal muscle unit and joint structures. Ballistic stretching is not normally used by triathletes
- Assisted Stretching - The use of a partner to deepen a stretch to its comfortable range of motion. This type of stretching is particularly useful when used in conjunction with sports massage to asses periodically the effects of massage as well as to improve flexibility. It is important to communicate effectively with your partner to ensure they give you clear instructions and you provide them with feedback to avoid injury.
- Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) - There are several methods of PNF, based on the theory that a muscle will be most effectively stretched if neurological stimuli are fully integrated into the mechanical aspects of stretching. This means using a partner assisted series of contractions/relaxations of agonist/antagonists muscle groups combined with assisted stretching to increase the range of motion of a joint. This is possibly the most effective form of developmental stretching.
How long should I hold each stretch for?
This depends on what you are trying to achieve. For static type stretches there are two durations of stretch called maintenance and development:
- Maintenance Stretching - A short duration stretch of 6-15 sec to maintain flexibility. Commonly used during a workout to return the muscle to its pre-activity length. This could be between sets in a swim session, between intervals during a running session or on the bike.
- Development Stretching - This involves a hold of 20-30 seconds to increase flexibility at a joint. This duration of stretch would usually be undertaken following a light workout such as a 20 minute easy run to progressively increase the ROM at a joint or during a dedicated stretching session / class.
These guidelines can be extended to dynamic stretches in terms of the total duration of dynamic movements. So for example dynamic maintenance stretches would involve 6-15 seconds of controlled, repeated and rhythmic motion before resting.
How often do I need to stretch?
This will depend on your unique requirements and it's worth visiting a physiotherapist for screening. However presuming you currently have the required ROM in all key joints and are undertaking a structured training programme of 10-20 hours per week then the following would be a good guideline:
- Development Sessions - 1-2 x 20+ mins static each week
- Maintenance Sessions - 5-10 mins dynamic before each training session, 5-10 mins static following each training session
- Sports Massage including Assisted or PNF stretching - every 2-4 weeks
If you need to increase the ROM in a joint then you may need to undertake developmental stretching 3-6 times per week.
- Development Sessions - 3-6 x 20+ mins static each week
- Maintenance Sessions - 10 mins following each training session
- Sports Massage including Assisted or PNF stretching - every 1-2 weeks
Which areas require good range of motion (ROM) as a triathlete?
Swim Bike Run
Static Stretch Library
Below are some examples of static stretches we use in cool-down at club sessions:
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Ankle Sit |
Heel Drop |
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Wall Lean |
Quad Stretch 1: Stork Stand |
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Rec Fem 1 |
Quad Stretch 3: |
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Quad Stretch 4: |
Single Leg Extension |
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Knee Drop |
ITB & Glute Stretch |
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Glute Stretch 2 |
Glute Stretch 1 |
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Lower Back Twist |
Chest Press |
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Cat and Camel Stretch |
Cat Stretch |
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Arm Throw |
Elbow to Sky |
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Hand Grab |
Rotator Cuff Bar |
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Shoulder Reach |
Towel Grab |
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Twister |
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