Good God is this ever true. I went many years without stretching and noticed a much higher probability I'd make a random muscle in my back or leg upset by doing something it wasn't ready for.

Heavy lifts are one thing.. Bending forward and back while painting a wall causing a back muscle to freak out was entirely unexpected and a wake up call for me to stretch every day. I still can't touch my toes, but I'm getting there.

[-] barsoap@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I've linked this elsewhere but try this to make all those random muscles upset at once to get it over with.

"Stretching" isn't what most people think it is, it's 50% making sure that muscles can relax, and thus lengthen, by having properly strong small supporting muscles able to arrange your bones so that the big ones can do their work, the other 50% are neuronal habits, say, a hamstring stretch should never come with a backwards tilt in the hips that's the exact wrong direction, yet that's exactly what many people are doing when leaning forwards. Most people should be able to touch their toes after a week or two after having figured that one out. Or, let me rephrase: There should be at least one position in which you can do it.

Both are about biomechanics and how to respect them. About exactly 0% is about physically lengthening things by pulling on them that's not how muscles and tendons work they're not noodles. They get stroppy when you do that.

this post was submitted on 07 Feb 2024

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