Stretching keeps you flexible and counteracts the repetitive movements of exercise, but will not directly affect muscle size. When performed correctly and at the right time, stretching can help you lengthen tight muscles and improve your balance and overall fitness. As your fitness improves and you increase the amount of exercise, your muscle mass will increase. There are two main types of stretching: static and dynamic. Both have unique advantages to your fitness program.
You can increase your flexibility and range of motion with static stretching. A standing or seated hamstring stretch is an example of a static stretch. Hold the stretch 15 to 30 seconds and repeat two to four times. Static stretching should be preceded by an active warmup or done at the end of a workout. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends doing static flexibility stretches at least two or three days each week.
Dynamic stretching is an active stretch that involves repetitive movement. Your muscle temperature, range of motion, blood flow and oxygen to soft tissues increases with this type of stretch. Repetitively move your limb or body part through its full range of motion several times to engage in this type of stretching. For example, circle your arm through its full range of motion five to 10 times.
Stretching over long periods of time keeps joints lubricated, increases spinal flexibility and range of motion. Static stretching is most beneficial if you require flexibility in exercises like aerobics or dancing. Static stretching of hip flexors and extensors can improve your gait. If you do a performance exercise like running, sprinting, swimming or basketball, static stretching prior to the sport can cause stretch-induced strength loss. Dynamic stretching is considered the better choice for these types of performance-based exercises and sports.
Exercise and good nutrition are the key components to building muscle mass. Even though stretching does not directly make your muscles bigger, it does help you loosen tight muscles, allowing you to eventually increase the tension on those muscles. As you increase muscle tension, you increase muscle mass over time. Stretching allows you to eventually increase muscle tension which indirectly affects your muscle mass. Hormones like testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I also play an important role in regulating the muscle size. Changes in these hormones can affect how big or small your muscles become.
- International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy: Current Concepts in Muscle Stretching for Exercise and Rehabilitation
- American College of Sports Medicine: ACSM Issues New Recommendations on Quantity and Quality of Exercise
- Annual Review of Physiology: Control of the Size of the Human Muscle Mass
- British Journal of Pharmacology: Regulation of Muscle Mass by Growth Hormone and IGF-I
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