I’ve heard a lot about stretching. Some people call it a waste of time, referring to the repetitiveness and lack of excitement in it all. Yes, stretching can be a tad on the less adventurous side, but more and more research has expressed how integral it can be to athletic performance, recovery, and injuries.
Unfortunately, there has also been a lot of misinformation about stretching. I remember when I played baseball, an old coach of mine had drilled into my head the importance of stretching the exact same way both before and after games. This involved what can be referred to as static stretching, which involves holding your muscles until you feel a light strain. For example, raising your shoulder over your head and pulling on your triceps would be an example of a static stretch. The problem with static stretching however is that it actually forces your muscles to relax, something you don’t want them to do if you’re about to head out for a run or hit the weight room. Ideally, you’d want your muscles to be as strong as possible before beginning a workout.
While static stretching isn’t the best idea for before a workout, it can do wonders for you post-workout. This is when you would ideally want your muscles to relax, so that they can properly recover from what you just put them through. Furthermore, static stretching after workouts can help prevent injuries and help your muscles recover much faster.
So, what should you do before a workout? The answer is something called dynamic stretching.
Think of dynamic stretching as more of a warm-up for your muscles. These involve wide range movements, instead of static holds for your muscles. An example could be moving your arms in circles to get the blood flowing in your muscles, or a few low-impact squats. The goal here is to get your entire body ready for the workout, and to loosen up your muscles. Dynamic stretching can also elevate your heart rate better than static stretching and get your entire body ready for the rigours of your exercise program.
When is the last time you paid attention to the mobility in your ankles?
Do you spend any time in your pre-warm up or post workout stretching focusing on your dorsiflexion?
A little attention in this area can go a long way. In fact, improved flexion of the foot can help your squatting, sprinting, strength, and your ability to avoid injuries in the knee, hips and low back areas.
What is Dorsiflexion?
The ankle is a hinge joint that allows the foot to move in the sagittal plane. Within this plane, there are two specific movements; dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. The ability to move the top of the foot closer to the shin is called dorsiflexion.
Why is Dorsiflexion Important?
Dorsiflexion is important because it allows the tibia (the shin bone) to move forward freely. If the tibia is stuck in a vertical position, it can cause the top of our body to lean forward to make up for the lack of mobility in the ankle when squatting [1]. This is particularly apparent in front squats and overhead squats.
If our lack of mobility in the front squat and the overhead squat is there, this will directly affect our ability to get into a good position in the clean and the squat. It’s a downward spiral.
When our tibia is stuck in a vertical position and our chest is forward, this decreases our ability to create force through the hips to drive heavy loads. In essence, we’re unable to reach the maximum potential in our lifts because the direction of force is not being applied efficiently. If you watch the best squatters in the world, they have amazing ankle dorsiflexion and their chest is almost always in a vertical position above the hips. Force applied straight up and down is far greater than that force applied backwards, forwards, and then, eventually, up.
Dorsiflexion is also important for sprinters. The ability to pick the foot off the ground quickly (dorsiflexion) and to apply force when it strikes the ground (plantarflexion) can increase speed and efficiency when running as well [2].
Studies have been conducted to show that poor ankle mobility has had direct impact on many hip and knee injuries. A person with poor dorsiflexion is more likely to suffer from a torn ACL than someone with great mobility in that area [3].
Causes of Poor Dorsiflexion
Like anything else, there can be a number of factors contributing to poor dorsiflexion. A couple of the common ones are listed below:
A lack of flexibility of the muscles in the calf. Perhaps they have shortened over time due to the raised heel in some shoes. (Ladies – this is a good reason to avoid wearing pumps all the time! Check out A Tale of Two Feet for more on this.)
For many former field athletes, previous injuries to the ankle could be the cause of poor mobility there. Have your rolled your ankle in the past? Sprained it? These injuries can lead to tight joint capsules or scar tissue buildup [1].
Any injuries to the legs that have caused even a temporary change in the way we walk can also lead to ankle mobility issues. Limping, favoring one leg over another due to knee injury or hip injury can cause issues in the ankle as well.
Whatever the case, paying a little bit of attention to this area in your warm-up routine or post workout stretching can only help the situation. Stay tuned for some tests to figure out if you suffer from poor dorsiflexion and some drills to help you figure out what to do about it.
Sources
[1] Imbo, William. “Ankle Mobility: Why it’s Important and How to Improve It.” Box Life Magazine 13 June 2014: n. pag. Web.
[2] ARCHER, L. (2006) Ways to improve the dorsiflexion and plantar flexion action of the foot. Brian Mackenzie’s Successful Coaching, (ISSN 1745-7513/ 32/ May), p. 5
[3] Fong, Chun-Man et al. “Ankle-Dorsiflexion Range of Motion and Landing Biomechanics.” Journal of Athletic Training 46.1 (2011): 5–10. PMC. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.
Original article and pictures take www.crossfitinvictus.com site
The go-to post-workout stretching routine you shouldn't skip A 10-minute basic stretching routine that will help your body age stronger
Flexibility is one of the five components of fitness, which means it's every bit as important as the other four components (body composition, muscular endurance, muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance), even though it's perpetually overlooked and under-emphasized.
The reason why regular stretching is so important is that flexibility — and its byproduct range of motion — deteriorate over time and with age. You've probably noticed that older adults often have shorter gaits than children and younger adults. Older people are less steady on their feet, struggle more with quick changes of direction and are generally less agile. While some of these negative physiological changes are due to neurological or inner ear problems, many are due to a simple lack of flexibility.
You see, as muscles become less flexible and stiffer, range of motion around a joint declines. When range of motion decreases, it becomes more difficult to move naturally and quickly around that joint. For instance, if your lower back and hips lose flexibility, your range of motion in your back and hips will decrease. As a result, it'll be more difficult to bend, twist, walk or step laterally. Your gait might shorten and slow, and you might realize when you get knocked off balance, or need to move quickly to avoid a collision, it becomes more difficult to stay on your feet. Many falls experienced by older adults are a result of limited range of motion and an inability to recover when balance is challenged.
The good news is it's not hard to maintain or even increase flexibility. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults stretch two or three days a week, targeting all major muscle groups.
Simply add this 10-minute stretching routine to the end of your regular workout to reap the benefits of flexibility training. Hold each stretch for the time suggested.
1. Triceps stretch
Grasp just above your elbow with your opposite hand and allow the hand of the stretching muscle to reach down your back. You should feel the stretch along your triceps. Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
2. Cross-body shoulder stretch
Grasp just above or below your elbow with your opposite hand and pull the arm of the stretching muscle toward your body. You should feel the stretch along the back of your shoulder and into your upper back. Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
3. Chest opener
Clasp both hands behind your back, your arms straight. Pull your hands down to feel a stretch across your chest. Look up to deepen the stretch and further open up the chest. Hold for 30 seconds.
4. Quad stretch
Grasp just above the ankle with your same-side hand as you pull your heel in toward your butt. Try to tuck your tailbone under and point your kneecap toward the floor. Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
5. Wide-leg forward fold
To stretch your hamstrings, glutes and inner thighs, step your feet out wide and carefully roll your body forward toward the floor. Place your hands on the ground, on your shins or reaching back between your legs. Allow your neck to hang loose. Hold for 30 seconds, then move steadily into the next stretch.
6. Standing straddle stretch
Moving from the wide-leg forward fold, walk your hands carefully over to your right side with your hands on the floor, your shins or your quads. Hold for 30 seconds before walking your hands to the center, then all the way across your body to repeat on the opposite side.
7. Sumo stretch
After returning to standing from the standing straddle stretch, keep your legs wide, bend both knees and lower yourself into a wide-leg squat with your knees tracking with your toes (not buckling in). Place your hands on your thighs to support yourself in the stretch, allowing your hips to open. Hold for 30 seconds.
8. Hip flexor stretch
To stretch along the front of your hips — an area known for tightness — kneel on the ground, one leg in front. Place your hands on your front thigh and shift your weight forward to lengthen your back leg as you keep your torso upright. You should feel the stretch along the front of the hip of your back leg. Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
9. Calf stretch
In a full push-up position, with your weight supported on the balls of your feet, hook one foot behind your opposite ankle, press back through your supporting heel to feel a stretch along the back of your supporting calf. Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
10. Butterfly
Sit on the ground with the soles of your feet touching and draw your heels as close in to your body as you can. Lean forward slightly to deepen the stretch — and if you can, place your elbows on your inner thighs to press them further into the ground. Hold for 30 seconds.
11. Bridge
Lie on your back, your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Press your hips up toward the ceiling and bring your hands together under your body. If you can, walk your shoulders in toward each other to support a deeper stretch. You should feel this along the entire front side of your body. Hold for 30 seconds.
12. Spinal twist
Lie on your back and stretch your arms out to the sides, forming a T. Bend one knee and place your foot on the ground. Allow the knee to carefully fall over your straight leg as your spine begins to twist. This should be a controlled motion. Keep both shoulders on the ground and look over your arm to the opposite side. The knee that's bent does not have to touch the ground. Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
