Over the years one of the most common questions I have had in my practice is how long to hold a stretch. Is it 20 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute, longer? Essentially, no technique is wrong however over the last several years I have been learning about the connective tissue system in the body, the fascia, and how to “stretch” it effectively. Fascia (the sc is pronounced like an sh) is the fluid whole body system of connective tissue that in its healthy state allows for the transportation of messages, energy and nutrients to all cells of the body including the muscle cells. John F. Barnes has described it as the system that got ignored in the anatomy books.
Fascia has an elastic component and a collagenous component. For a permanent change and release of restricted tissue, it is the collagenous component that we want to effect. The technique that I have been learning about, myofascial release, addresses the collagenous component of the fascia by holding a stretch or hands-on release longer, up to two minutes or more. It takes that long for the tissue to elongate, release, and stretch.
So incorporating a few long hold stretches into your routine will give you some benefits. It will allow you to focus, with good body awareness, on the part you are stretching. And it will begin to effect the collagenous component of the fascia which will result in more permanent changes in your body. That means improved range of motion of your joints and reduced tightness and pain.
One of the best resources for myofascial stretching is “Myofascial Stretching. A Guide to Self Treatment”. It will take you through several different positions for whole body stretching with wonderful guidelines on the technique.
In general this is how to do it: Get into a good comfortable stretch position that you like and are familiar with. Now begin to take yourself into the stretch so that you are feeling a moderate pulling sensation. Breathe and relax all the different parts of your body that you can feel are tensing. Hold the stretch. Breathe, and on exhale, release again, un-clenching any parts of you that might be tightening. Take up the slack of the stretch as it gets easier and hold longer. Try this for 2 minutes and see how it goes!
Happy stretching!
