The Importance of Stretching
By Ross Mitchell

Anyone who has trained in our classes, or indeed any good martial arts class will have devoted part of that session to stretching.
But why is it so important?

                        

The Benefits of Stretching
1. Greater Range of Motion.
2. More Aesthically Pleasing Techniques.
3. A Greater Range of Techniques.
4. Improved Recovery Time.
5. Better Preparation for Next Session.
6. Reduced Risk of Injury.
7. Reduced Fatigue.

Some of these points should be obvious, such as students with greater flexibility being able to make kicks look better, and also being able to throw more different types of kicks such as head kicks more easily.

The time it takes you to recover from a training session can be reduced by stretching well at the end of your session. This is because the muscles tighten during intense exercise, which restricts bloodflow through the muscle fibres. By stretching we aim to reduce the tightness and knots which allows an increased rate of bloodflow, allowing dead tissue cells and waste products to be removed more efficiently, and for fresh blood with nutrients to reach more of the muscle tissue. Helping it repair more quickly.

Someone who improves their flexibility can also benefit from reduced fatigue during a training session. This is due to the fact there is less tension in the muscles, which means less energy is needed to lift the leg to any given height. Less energy use, means you won’t tire as quickly when kicking.

When should you stretch?
Dynamic stretches such as light front kicks, leg raises to the front, side or back, or crescent kicks should be done at the start of a training session. They can also be done at home.

Static stretches (where no movement is involved other than taking a stretch slowly deeper) should be done after EVERY session. You should hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds, preferably 3 times in EACH position that you wish to improve you flexibility in. If you are not completely warm, you should only hold these stretches for 15 seconds, which will help maintain flexibility, but not improve it like the longer stretches.

Weight lifting can also improve flexibility. Sometimes poor flexibility is related to weak or imbalanced (one side could be stronger than the other) muscles. It is important to note that weight lifting will only help if you use them through a FULL RANGE OF MOTION.