Enhance Resiliency with Static Stretching

Static stretching, the stretching that pertains to yoga, involves positioning the body so that the muscle or muscle group is stretched and held in this position. The static stretch increases the resting length of the muscle and improves resiliency.

Athletic exertion can be regarded as the repetitive and coordinated contraction of muscles and muscle groups. These repeated contractions determine the resting length of the muscle spindle, or the message center of the muscle. When the spindle learns that the muscle is persistently being asked to shorten, it adjusts to the demands placed upon it and becomes increasingly resistant to stretching or lengthening. Muscles that are continually worked without stretching can become hard and short. Consequently, stiff muscles deprive the body of optimal health by decreasing body efficiency. Stiff muscles can prohibit the full contraction of opposing muscles, inhibit the movement of joints and increase the possibility of injury.

Static stretching is an effective way to restore relaxation after sustained shortening activities. The muscle should be held in a stretch position so that the brain cortex is able to receive information about the stretch and then send out intelligence to the muscle spindle to lengthen. Static stretching enhances body awareness, efficiency and performance.