Essay on Stretching
Stretching Term Papers
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Today, millions of people have discovered the benefits of stretching. Over the last years, studies have shown that people that live these active lives live fuller lives. In fact, studies show that a lack of physical activity directly relates to many major illnesses and death. Before the Industrial Revolution, people actually had to work hard to get their needed amount of movement. After the Revolution, it became a different story. People no longer needed to work physically to make a life for themselves. With this lack of movement came lack of flexibility. Now, everywhere you look, you see people out jogging, hiking, and playing golf, tennis, and other sports to stay active. The fitness trend is in; but it’s not a trend anymore. Now, it’s a way of life. Stretching is an important part of this way of life that many people leave out.
Many people would tell you that they love to exercise and workout. This is true because exercising releases many stress-relieving endorphins that help in many ways. What they won’t tell you is that they feel the same way about stretching. It would be considered one of their least favorite things to do. Truth is, stretching is also stress relieving and relaxing, but not in quite the same ways as exercise. Although stretching doesn’t reduce bodily fat nor does it gain muscle; it does set a good foundation for you to perform the necessary activities that lead to good health. With proper flexibility, many functions that were previously not achievable can now be done. For instance, a tennis game can be fun for a little while. But as your muscle tense up, you risk probable sourness and cramping. With good flexibility, your muscles stay loose and relaxed and your attitude toward the tennis game and other exercises are improved.
Flexibility is the amount of movement your joints can move. Stretching is the key to maintaining good flexibility. As you get older, your tendons begin to shorten and tighten, restricting your flexibility. By the time you hit your mid-twenties, your bones begin to harden and your joints have already set in place. This is not bad in any way. It also means that you’re less likely to have any dislocated joints throughout your life. However, your movement becomes slower and not as smooth. You find it much more difficult to do common tasks that were easier at a younger age. Flexibility is also the key to good posture. Many times you rely on some sets of muscle more than others. This causes these muscles to become stronger. When this happens, you’re posture is affected. The body is not aligned correctly which may cause injury down the road. Many simple routines of stretching can correct this misalignment and make you feel much better.
Before going right into a stretching routine, it is good to know exactly what you are doing to your muscles fibers and tendons. First of all, our muscles are made up of many little fibers called myofilaments. As a muscle contracts, the area of overlap between the different sizes of myofilaments increases. As it stretches, this area of overlap decreases, allowing the muscle fibers to lengthen. Once the muscle is stretched to its limit, additional length is gained through the surrounding tissues. As the tension increases, the fibers in this tissue align themselves along the same line of force as the tension. Hence when you stretch, the muscle fiber is pulled out to its full length, and the connective tissue takes up the remaining slack. When this occurs, it helps to realign any disorganized fibers in the direction of the tension. Doing this not only increases the range of motion, but it also helps to heal damaged tissue in the muscles and tendons. When a muscle is stretched, some of its fibers lengthen, but others do not. The length of the entire muscle depends on the number of stretched fibers. This is also true when a muscle is contracted. The muscle relies on the number of contracted fibers. The more fibers that are stretched, the greater the length developed by the stretched muscle. When you stretch a muscle, the muscle will naturally want to “reflex”. This stretch reflex is directly related to...
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