Anatomy of stretching

“Upon undertaking a regular stretching programme, a number of changes begin to occur within the body and specifically within the muscles themselves. Other tissues that begin to adapt to the stretching process include the ligaments, tendons, fascia, skin and scar tissue.
The process of lengthening the muscles and thereby increasing range of movement begins within the muscles of the sarcomeres. When a particular body part is placed into a position that lengthens the muscle, the overlap between the thick and thin myofilaments begins to decrease. Once this has been achieved and all the sarcomeres are fully stretched, the muscle fibre is at its maximum resting length. At this point, further stretching will help to elongate the connective tissues and muscle fascia (sheath). Additionally, G Goldspink in 1968 and P E Williams & G Goldspink again in 1971, concluded:
‘With regular stretching over time, the number of sarcomeres is thought to increase in series, with new sarcomeres added on to the end of existing myofibrils, which in turn increases the overall length and range of motion’.
By placing particular parts of our bodies in certain positions, we are able to increase the length of our muscles. As a result of this, a reduction in general muscle tension is achieved and our normal range of movement is increased.
By increasing our range of movement, we are increasing the distance our limbs can move before damage occurs to the muscles and tendons... The benefits of an extended range of movement include: increased comfort, a greater ability to move freely, and a lessening of our susceptibility to muscle and tendon strain injuries...”

The article continues to discuss other benefits of a regular stretching programme, which include increased power, reduced post exercise muscle soreness, reduced fatigue. It also includes some example of stretching exercises that could be included in a regular programme.

Written by Brad Walker, this article is extracted courtesy of THE ANATOMY OF STRETCHING by Brad Walker, published by Lotus Publishing and available on SPECIAL OFFER to Yoga & Health magazine readers. Please see page 32 of the April 2007 issue for details of the offer and a review of the book.