S-T-R-E-T-C-H: Increase Your Flexibility by Stretching

Have you ever watched a cat twist itself into the most amazing shapes? Eyes tightly shut, mouth wide open, tongue curling out, and back humped so the animal looks like the letter “n” as it stretches?

Stretching is healthy for people, too — even those who aren’t “cat people” — because it increases flexibility and improves physical well-being, grace, and balance, and may help prevent injury.

Throughout the Diabetes Control for Life™ Program, stretching will be an important part of your success (and it feels good).

This Active Living article covers these points about flexibility:

• Defines flexibility
• Lists the benefits of improved flexibility
• Shows you how to measure your degree of flexibility
• Describes some activities that you can add to your physical activity program to enhance your flexibility

Flex Appeal

Flexibility means the ability of a joint to rotate freely in every direction that’s normal for that joint. Increasing flexibility doesn’t mean you should expect to be able to twist your head nearly all the way around on your neck. That motion is normal for owls — not people. Increasing flexibility means you’re able to stretch your muscles around their joints.

A flexible body feels better. But you’ll get more benefits than this as you become more flexible. Here are some of them:

• Greater ease in doing physical activity
• Reduced risk of injury
• Improved blood supply to joints so they’re kept well-supplied with oxygen and nutrients
• Improved flow of lubricating joint fluid around and between your joints
• Better communication between your brain and muscles — what doctors call “neuromuscular coordination.” (Your brain and muscles “talk” to each other more clearly so your brain can better direct muscle action.)
• Improved balance and posture
• Decreased risk of low-back pain
• A feeling that you’re “more comfortable in your body”
• Reduced stress
• Greater enjoyment of life

How Flexible Are You?

You can easily see how flexible you are by using this flexibility exercise:

1. Find a meter stick or meter tape and some adhesive tape.
2. Lay the meter stick or measuring tape on the floor and place a 30 cm piece of adhesive tape horizontally across the 38 cm mark. (The tape will be perpendicular to the ruler or measuring tape.)
3. Warm up by walking in place and swinging your arms for five minutes to get your blood flowing.
4. Take your shoes off.
5. Sit on the floor with your heels at the tape line, about 30 cm, and the zero mark of the ruler toward your body.
6. Keep your knees straight and hands together and reach forward.
7. Stretch as far as possible, holding the furthest position for three seconds. Don’t bounce or allow one hand to reach farther than the other.
8. Repeat the stretch three times, recording each result. Your flexibility score is the average of these three measurements.

Your Flexibility Score

Don’t despair if you didn’t score as well as you hoped. The next section describes some activities that feel good, are fun to do, and help you become more flexible.

Increasing Your Flex Appeal

By now you’ve figured out that the best way to gain flexibility is to s-t-r-e-t-c-h. Here are some general principles about stretching:

• Stretch after strength and aerobic activities when your muscles are warm.
• If you aren’t doing strength or aerobic activities yet, stretch at least three times a week for about 20 minutes. You can do this while you’re watching your favorite TV show.
• Warm up before you stretch. Walk a little and pump your arms to warm up.
• When you stretch, go slowly and breathe evenly.
• Don’t bounce and don’t lock your joints: This can cause injury or strain.
• Listen to your body. If you feel pain, you’re stretching too far.
• Stretch to a comfortable point and hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
• Stretch after exercising.

Here are a few stretches to get you started.

Lower Body Stretches

• Stretch your hamstrings (the muscles in the back of your thighs):
  1. Stand upright behind a chair, holding the back of it with both hands.
  2. Bend forward from the hips, keeping your back and shoulders straight.
  3. When your upper body is parallel to the floor, hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds, feeling the stretch in the back of your thighs.
  4. Repeat three to five times.
• Stretch your quadriceps (the muscles in the front of your thighs):
  1. Lie on your side on the floor, stacking your hips so one is directly above the other.
  2. Rest your head on your arm or a pillow; don’t hold it up because that throws your spine out of alignment.
  3. Bend the knee that is on top, keeping the bottom one straight.
  4. Grab your foot (or loop a belt over your foot and hold the belt ends).
  5. Gently pull that leg and feel the quad stretch.
  6. Hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds.
  7. Reverse your position and repeat on the other side.
  8. Repeat three to five times.
• Stretch your achilles (these are the muscles in your calves and the tendon above your heel):
  1. While sitting in a chair, lift and straighten one leg out in front (keeping the knee “soft,” not locked).
  2. Gently rotate at the ankle in a clockwise motion for three to five rotations, then rotate in a counter-clockwise motion for three to five rotations.
  3. Repeat with the other leg.
  4. Repeat three to five times.

Upper Body Stretches

• Stretch your triceps (these are the muscles in the back of your upper arms):
  1. While standing, grab a hand towel in your right hand.
  2. Raise and bend your right arm, draping the towel down your back.
  3. With your left hand, reach behind your lower back and grab the bottom of the towel.
  4. Gradually “climb” your left hand up the towel, pulling your right arm down. Continue until your hands touch or they are as close together as comfortable for you.
  5. Reverse positions and repeat with the other arm.
  6. Repeat each position three to five times.
• Stretch your neck:
  1. While you’re standing or sitting, turn your head to the left and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
  2. Turn your head to the right and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
  3. Tilt your head to the ceiling and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
  4. Tilt your head to the floor and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
  5. Repeat each position three to five times.

If you’re just starting out, don’t be hard on yourself. It may take a few weeks or months to increase your flexibility. You may not be able to touch your toes just yet, but you will get closer to them — proof that your flexibility is improving. Try checking your flexibility score each month and writing it down.

Keep it up. You’ll see and feel the improvement!

Summary

• Flexibility is the ability of your joints to rotate freely around their range of motion.
• Increasing your flexibility brings many health benefits, including reduced injury risk, improved joint health, better posture, and less risk of lower-back pain.
• You can easily test your flexibility — and retest each month to see how you’re improving.
• S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g is the best way to improve your flexibility.