By: Arianne Missimer

DPT, RD, LDN, CSCS,
T.P.I Certified Golf Fitness Instructor,
T.P.I Golf Medical Professional, Functional
Movement Specialist,
Owner of CORE Fitness

There is often a great deal of controversy over stretching: static, dynamic, ballistic, massage, yoga, tai chi, pilates?

The first and most important step in flexibility training is determining what is causing the tightness. Typically, tissue extensibility dysfunctions are caused by faulty movement patterns that lead to inefficiency and compensation. When individuals cannot perform basic fundamental movements such as active straight leg raises or deep squats, advanced exercise activities such as plyometrics, running, or even lunges can only reinforce muscle restrictions and movement dysfunction.

Muscle tightness ultimately restricts the joint’s range of motion.  Tissue extensibility dysfunction can include muscle shortening, hypertrophy, trigger points, scar tissue, and neural and fascial tension, and neural-hyperactivity. As a result, joint movement can be decreased, and information relayed to the central nervous system (CNS) can be altered. Moreover, the CNS is accessing inefficient information and delivering poor movement patterns which lead to microtrauma and injury.

However, there are other factors that contribute to tightness besides faulty movement patterns. These include poor postural habits, emotional stress, poor breathing patterns, trigger points from chronic tension, prior injury, or any of the above. More people today are working in office jobs where they usually sit at a desk for long hours causing postural imbalances.  Therefore, the purpose of flexibility training is to decrease occurrences of muscle imbalances, joint dysfunctions, and overuse injuries and to allow individuals to achieve their goals without getting injured.

Many people complain about having tight hamstrings. They often can’t touch their toes in standing or long sitting (sit and reach position). However, they also are unable to perform a glute bridge without hamstring cramping or shaking. Hamstring cramping is indicative of glute inhibition and shaking is indicative of glute weakness.

In either scenario, the hamstrings are overworked. The same person also exhibits a stability/motor control dysfunction in his core and/or hips in weight bearing. The hamstrings, in essence, are providing a false sense of stability to compensate for what the hip and core muscles aren’t doing. So, should we encourage static stretching for 30 seconds daily?

Static stretching can help identify an asymmetry or a muscle restriction. It provides you with an assessment of where the restrictions are. However, flexibility must be a multifaceted approach, which integrates various flexibility techniques in order to achieve optimum soft tissue extensibility in all planes of motion. Restrictions can be addressed by massage or self-myofascial release. Self-myofascial release is the process of applying deep pressure into areas of myofascial restrictions to influence the myofascial components of the kinetic chain. This can be done using foam rolls, sticks, or other self-massage tools. Then, the goal is to use quality movement patterns in the form of corrective exercise to restore and maintain muscle length. Therefore, it is important to improve mobility in one area and stability in another to allow for integrated, multiplanar soft tissue extensibility with optimum neuromuscular control, through the full range of motion.  The neuromuscular system needs to be “reset.” The brain needs to access efficient movement patterns to successfully change the muscle length for the long term.  If you stretch a muscle over and over again but never use that muscle in a functional pain-free range of motion, you will never fully restore muscle length. Also, in the previous example, if you never improve stability and strength in the glutes, the hamstrings will always be overworked.   Lastly, to maintain the new range, you must move through continuous sequences of various postures and breathing in the form of movement preparation, yoga, or a dynamic warm-up. Thus, all forms of flexibility can be integrated; however the most important being quality movement patterns, free from compensation.

In essence, poor flexibility may lead to the development of compensation and injury in the kinetic chain. An example is seen in people who squat with their feet externally rotated.  Tightness in calf muscles causes lack of proper dorsiflexion at the ankle to perform a proper squat.  Widening the stance and externally rotating the feet decrease the amount of dorsiflexion required at the ankle to squat and compensate for this lack of flexibility.  Therefore, think of stretching as a comprehensive and integrated  approach to injury prevention and performance enhancement. But, remember, it involves much more than static stretching.

About Arianne
Arianne Missimer, Physical Therapist, Registered Dietitian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, has her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Neumann University.  She is also the owner of CORE Fitness, an exclusive fitness center located in North Wilmington. CORE Fitness specializes in one-on-one personal training for performance enhancement and injury prevention. CORE Fitness is a revolutionary approach to fitness training that provides strength and conditioning exercises to support how you move, work, and play every day. This training method utilizes functional movement patterns for a complete fitness program, addressing movement efficiency, balance, flexibility, strength, coordination, speed, power, and endurance. Arianne trains a diverse group of clientele, including recreational and competitive athletes at all levels, to improve their game through proper core conditioning and functional training. With Arianne’s eleven years of experience in the field, she is committed to restoring optimal health and fitness to people of all ages, with acute and chronic conditions, functional limitations and disabilities.

About CORE Fitness
At CORE Fitness we are committed to not only enhancing your performance and preventing injury but also improving your life. If you want to be pain-free, strong, and healthy, our team of performance specialists, using our scientific methodology of training beginning with our thorough assessment designed to identify faulty movement patterns, asymmetries, and imbalances, will help you.

Proper nutrition, corrective exercise, regeneration, and recovery supporting a model of foundation, functional movement, and skill encompass our proven system. To ensure sustainable excellence, the CORE team of specialists will analyze and assess your individual needs, rehabilitate and restore efficient movement patterns, train and condition you to meet the demands of your lifestyle, and ultimately maximize your performance. CORE Fitness is a revolutionary approach to fitness training that supports how you move, work, and play every day. It is an intelligent training system that corrects imbalances and strengthens and stabilizes weak muscles from the inside out. Lastly, we strongly believe in a mind-body approach because presence and awareness in your training are vital to moving with subtlety and ease, creating more efficient movement, leading to greater motor control. Train smarter, perform better.