Jan
6
Stretching 101 – Cures for Aching Muscles
Filed Under Health
For those of you who are looking to be healthier in 2009, I thought I would share several tips over the next few days from Real Simple Magazine and their article Stretching 101.
Cures for Aching Muscles
“Muscles can ache for a variety of reasons (see below). But no matter what caused the pain, it’s important to stretch out and then strengthen the affected muscles to prevent the problem from happening again (and again).
What Makes Your Muscles Hurt
There are three common causes of muscle pain, according to Troy Blackburn, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of exercise and sport science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. If you can identify the source of the pain, you’ll be better able to treat it.
1. Repetitive or static everyday activities, such as sitting at a computer and typing all day, are the most common culprits. Stress falls under this category, too, because it often makes you unconsciously clench and tense your muscles.
2. Strenuous, out-of-the-ordinary exertion, like moving furniture, raking leaves, or trying a new type of exercise, may result in delayed-onset muscle soreness within 24 to 48 hours.
3. Overusing a muscle group — for example, when you wear out your legs in a 10K race — can lead to pain immediately after the activity.
What creates the actual aching feeling depends on what you were doing. When you ask a muscle to perform physically demanding work that it’s not accustomed to (shoveling snow, say, or trying yoga for the first time) or when you overuse muscles, microscopic tears occur in the muscle tissue that trigger an inflammatory reaction, which in turn leads to the stiffness or soreness that you feel a day or two later. In instances when you work a muscle the same way repeatedly, chemicals called metabolites accumulate in the muscle tissue. These chemicals build up and trigger pain receptors that are responsible for the pain you sometimes feel immediately after exercise.
Why Stretching Matters
Stretching can help remove metabolites and bring fresh blood to the tissues, preventing or easing soreness, says Blackburn. In addition, stretching lengthens muscles and may alleviate some discomfort after vigorous activity.
It’s important to stretch after exercise, but ideally you should do it throughout the day, to prevent pain and soreness from everyday causes, like stress. “I tell my clients to aim for one minute of stretching an hour,” says Karen Lunda, a physical therapist in Tucson. (See exercise suggestions on the following pages.)
Research shows that the best way to stretch is to hold the position for a minimum of 10 seconds — or, better, 20 to 30 seconds, says Richard Cotton, a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise, in San Diego. “And avoid bouncing, which can strain muscle tissues,” he adds.
How Strengthening Helps
While stretching exercises will make your sore muscles feel better faster, strengthening exercises will help muscles be less prone to injury in the first place. “Strong, fit muscles can take on more stress and use oxygen more efficiently than weak ones,” says Lunda. Regular strength workouts also reduce the likelihood that you’ll have a muscle imbalance that could cause pain. For example, you’re less likely to get backaches if both your chest and upper-back muscles are toned enough to keep you standing erect, since one muscle group won’t have to overcompensate for a weaker one. Aim for two or three weekly weight-training or resistance workouts (such as Pilates or yoga).”
