Well im in physical therpy for my back (cracked my L5) and the lady told me to hold my stretch for 3 min. Something like going shorter doesnt allow the muscle to stretch. Is this true?
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Well im in physical therpy for my back (cracked my L5) and the lady told me to hold my stretch for 3 min. Something like going shorter doesnt allow the muscle to stretch. Is this true?
I've taught martial arts for 15 years... i am very flexible and i'm 46... still do full splits. And i teach my students to hold their stretch for 30 sec at a time. I don't believe any more than that is necessary, but i'm not a physotherapist..
There are many different methods for stretching, yet in my personal experience I found PNF (propioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching to be the most efficient for recovery the day after training. By using PNF methods you apply both isotonic and isometic muscle contractions. What I basically do is hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds, rest for 10-15 seconds, then proceed to hold the stretch again but in a greater range of motion. You will find that after initially holding a stretch for 30 seconds or so, your brain "learns" the path of contraction and will allow you to stretch further. If you have time on your hands I'd recommend reading "Faciliated Stretching" by McAtee.Quote:
Originally posted by footballcat
Well im in physical therpy for my back (cracked my L5) and the lady told me to hold my stretch for 3 min. Something like going shorter doesnt allow the muscle to stretch. Is this true?