Does stretching really help between body work? Or does does this recommendation from Chase feel like being chided to eat more vegetables? If stretching is actually beneficial to extending the benefits of massage, how does it help? And why?
The other day as I took our son to the playground, I worked hard to keep up with him. I quickly discovered how a seemingly simple playground uses EVERY MUSCLE IN YOUR BODY! I'm talking climbing up robe ladders, shimmying across bars, climbing up slides -what are three year olds made of?! My daily routine, however active in chasing after him, clearly does not utilize the same muscles. In other words, I have a different muscular habits. After this crazy exercise, stretching soothed some of the aches which eagerly returned the next morning. Again, stretching helped soothe these aches, and helped me to retain the new range of motion my body was introduced to.
Stretching after massage therapy works similarly.
Benefits of Stretching
Stretching is most associated with athletic lifestyles, but also helps daily living. Stretching pre and post workout might seem obvious: warming the body up before muscle activation, or cooling it down, lengthening strained muscles and speeding recovery time. If you compare massage therapy to sports or working out at the gym, the reasons to stretch between massage sessions, the benefits are shared.
Flexibility
Reduced Risk of Injury
Circulation
Enhanced Performance
Stress Relief
Improved Posture
Science Behind How it Works
The act of stretching lengthens tissue, providing flexibility to muscles and joints, increasing range of motion (ROM). By priming the muscles and increasing flexibility, the now supple tissue can more easily use proper mechanics and reduces the risk of injury. Stretching increases circulation in the body, both in blood and interstitial fluid, which in turn supplies oxygen and nutrients throughout. This process not only replaces older fluid, but also aids in the recovery process by circulating essential nutrients needed for repairing injuries. Long term benefits of increased circulation include the potential of improved blood vessel function and lower blood pressure (Kruse).
Stretching enhances physical performance by strengthening muscle and increasing ROM. Stretching can also be a form of stress relief in that it activates the body's Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), or the rest and digest mode, which is its optimal state for healing and repairing the body and also contributes to a relaxed and calm feeling. Lastly, muscle tightness can restrict the body in disadvantageous alignments whereas stretching and core strengthening aids good posture and body alignment.
During massage sessions, the majority of focus include increasing ROM, releasing knots, and tension. These knots (trigger points) have formed over time due to habitual body alignments and/or limited movement. For example, sitting at a desk all day for work will hold the hamstrings in a constricted position. Limited movement, keeps these muscles at a shortened length which in turn limit your ROM and can contribute to other injuries, especially if you begin compensating by using different muscles or joints. Chase uses massage therapy to lengthen these shortened muscles and release trigger points, so that both sides of the body are balanced and the body's natural range of motion is restored.
When we return to our habitual actions and posture, the knots and solidified muscle that we worked to release and loosen during the massage session will return. By continuing the self maintenance of stretching, you retrain your muscles back into their optimal condition. By continuing to activate various muscle groups, you will maintain their tone and use, also combatting the sedentary progression of age. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. (Or so I learned on the playground.)
When to Stretch
Okay, okay, so we see that there are good reasons to stretch. So when do we stretch? Well, as my buddy Brian Regan says, "On weekends and holidays, and all throughout May!" -or whichever month we're currently in. The point is, it never hurts to stretch. Unless you stretch beyond your limits. No one max reps, please (Upright Health)!
Generally speaking, you can stretch any time of the day. Some optimal times to do so are at the start of your day, before a workout, after a workout, midday as a state change, to refocus your mind, or at the end of your day. There are two types of stretching, Dynamic Stretching and Static Stretching.
Dynamic and movement-based stretching energizes the body. This type of stretching is more commonly used pre-workout as a way to warm up the body with movements related to the workout about to be performed.
Static or slow-moving stretching can calm down the body. This type of stretching is most often used for post-workout since it decreases force production, but can also be used pre-workout if the body is stiff and needs to return to a full ROM.
In Conclusion
Stretching can be incorporated into any part of the day, even directly preceding or following your massage. Stretching provides similar benefits as massage therapy, but works even better in accompanying massage work in order to maintain body flexibility, circulation of blood, as well as perpetuating an overall sense of calm relief which can slow down stress-related knots forming in the body.
We do not keep a routine of stretching, but do aim to stretch a few times a week for five minutes -sometimes longer, sometimes shorter- depending on our business and our body's immediate need. Try out your stretching homework and see how you feel between your sessions. Do you notice a difference? Does your body begin to crave stretching? What are your thoughts?
References:
ASFA (2022). 5 Benefits of Dynamic Stretching [blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.americansportandfitness.com/blogs/fitness-blog/5-benefits-of-dynamic-stretching?mc_cid=05b525f14f&mc_eid=ebf1e562e8
Inner Balance Center (2023, August 24). Massage or Stretching Which is Better for You? [blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.massagebyinnerbalance.com/post/massage-or-stretching-which-is-better-for-you#:~:text=While%20both%20massage%20therapy%20and,techniques%20like%20deep%20tissue%20massage
Kehoe, A. (2020, July 28). What can I do to prolong the benefits of my massage? Aftercare tips [blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.tmc-chiswick.com/blog/what-can-i-do-to-prolong-the-benefits-of-my-massage-aftercare-tips/#:~:text=To%20make%20the%20benefits%20of,some%20stretching%20as%20mentioned%20above.&text=Hydration%20is%20key%20after%20a%20massage
National Cancer Institute (2024). interstitial fluid [definition post]. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/interstitial-fluid
Yetman, D. (2020, August 28). The Benefits of Stretching and Why It Feels Good [blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/why-does-stretching-feel-good
Toronto Physio Therapy (2023, February 28). Discover the Incredible Benefits of Post-Massage Stretching! [blog post]. Retrieved from https://torontophysio.net/discover-the-incredible-benefits-of-post-massage-stretching/#:~:text=There%20are%20numerous%20benefits%20to,muscular%20tightness%20and%20improve%20flexibility.
Upright Health (2023, March 11). Don't Stretch Before You Workout!? [YouTube video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFmWiHOeZC8
Additional Sources:
Kruse, N. T., & Scheuermann, B. W. (2017). Cardiovascular Responses to Skeletal Muscle Stretching: "Stretching" the Truth or a New Exercise Paradigm for Cardiovascular Medicine?. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 47(12), 2507–2520. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0768-1
Moody, J. (2021, August 30). The Most Powerful One-Minute Routine You Never Heard Of [blog post]. Retrieved from https://medium.com/the-mood/the-most-powerful-one-minute-routine-you-never-heard-of-571d0ee3650a
Tone and Tighten (2023, Sept. 7). Quick Morning Stretching Routine For Flexibility, Mobility, And Stiffness! [YouTube video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2jel6q1GRk
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