On social media you’ve probably seen some very flexible people twisting their bodies into what looks like some very uncomfortable positions — but a local sports medicine physician says when it comes to stretching, easy does it.
Aggressive or assisted stretching can lead to muscle and joint injuries, if done improperly or too early, says Dr. Jennifer Gourdin, a sports medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente in Silver Spring, Maryland.
“Stretching is a great tool to have, to improve your range of motion, posture and athletic performance, and it’s best used when you combine it with both strength training and aerobic activity,” said Gourdin.
However, TikTok trends, including #stretching and #flexible, shows potentially risky poses.
“The trend is people are doing a lot of what we call static stretching, where they’re holding position for several seconds,” said Gourdin.
Be sure to warm up before stretching
The quest to be more flexible, and quickly, is risky, Gourdin said.
“You might have seen these machines — these split machines — where you put your legs open, and people crank the crank to spread their legs out father and farther, to get a good stretch,” she said. “These devices are safe to use, but it’s really important if you’re doing any kind of static stretching to warm up, beforehand.”
Dynamic stretching is a more active form of stretching that Gourdin recommends.
“Things like high knees, or lateral lunges, or plank walkouts — these kinds of stretches help to improve your athletic performance” during strenuous exercise, “whereas static stretching is best done after your physical activity or workout, to help improve your range of motion.”
If you’re looking for some simple exercises to improve flexibility, Gourdin suggests easing into stretching.
“You should start very light, maybe doing something like bending over and touching your toes, and holding it for 10 seconds,” said Gourdin. “Then, repeating that three or four times before going to the next stretch,” and gradually increasing intensity over time.
If you feel a sharp or sudden pain, or notice bruising or swelling in a muscle, contact a doctor, she said.