The Final Twist 140 Days to GO

No one likes to stretch, that’s why so many of us don’t do.

(Present company included?)

Guilty as charged. I have the second biggest file at the physical therapy practice I use. 
(Because you don't like to stretch?)

The problem is that what starts out as just a 30 second stretch becomes a 30 minute ordeal my wife calls  “Pretzel Time”?

(Pull & twist?)

Very much so.
(What could you be doing for 30 minutes?)
Stretch. I stretch everything. 
Let me explain...

When I started this journey 10 years ago, I developed leg pain.

(Which part of the leg?)

Every part.

Quads, hammies, the knee.

(The knee has many parts. Which ones?)
All of them.

(All of them?)
Do I stutter?

Pain landed me in physical therapy (PT). I soon discovered that I needed to stretch after my workouts, so guess what I did?
(You stretched before your workouts?)
Yup

(Why is that bad? Isn’t that what you are supposed to do?)

No & here’s why:

The muscles are like rubber bands that expand & contract when you exercise.

If you stretch them before you train, they are so elongated that they cannot contract.

This can cause injury.

(So what are you supposed to do before you train?)

Dynamic stretching

(But you just told us not to stretch)

Static stretching is holding the leg while leaning against a wall or table.

Dynamic stretching is what Michael Phelps does before a meet when he shakes out his arms.

(You mean when he does the gull wing)
Yes.

(So how do you do that for running?)
Jumping jacks or climbing stairs.

You just want to get blood flowing into the muscle.
Stretch muscles, not joints
(No ligaments or tendons?)
Tendons are part of the muscles.

Patellar tendon, Achilles tendon

(Tenderloins?)

This is why I spent so much time in physical therapy.

Exactly. Everytime I master a stretch, my body finds a new place to knot up.

(Pretzel Time?)
Yup