Static Stretching: What is Actually Happening?

Think of that someone that perhaps you see in the gym or in yoga that is super ‘flexible’ and ‘bendy’. Can fold and touch their toes effortlessly without feeling any ‘tightness’ at all. Now does this mean that this person can move well, change shape at the joints, distribute force well, produce force, own great mobility? Probably not.

What is happening here is; we probably have someone that has held these end-range stretches regularly for so many years that the sensitivity of the muscle spindles (nervous system) have been reduced, so much so that they don’t really feel much resistance at all when they stretch.

The muscle spindles are stretch receptors that relay information to the nervous system that eventually tells me to “stop there, that’ll do, you’re going to rip me (hamstrings) off the bone” as I am touching my toes. What we experience in real life is some ‘tightness’ in the hamstrings. The muscles are eccentric, and then they contract hard to stop the muscle being damaged. So, what we are actually feeling during a ‘stretch’ is this protective contraction – not the muscle relaxing, increasing length long-term, becoming suppler, less tight, etc, which is what people believe is happening.

Static stretching is not about the muscle, it is about the nervous system. From a movement, mobility and longevity standpoint, is there any benefit completing static stretching before and after exercise or as part of your weekly exercise programme? There really isn’t. But of course, if it is something you absolutely love – then go ahead.

Muscles will feel tight for a reason. This will be dictated by the joint shape, position and movement. For example, if my pelvis tilts forward the hamstrings will feel constantly ‘tight’. Stretching them simply isn’t going to be effective. We need to reposition the pelvis by bringing our centre of gravity back. Tight muscles are normally a defence mechanism to hold us up against gravity.

Hope you found this helpful and hopefully it’ll save you a lot of time in the future – especially if you are not a fan of static stretching!