Let’s talk about Stretch..ba-by

Teacher Tidbits Corner - May 2021

Let’s talk about Stretch..ba-by
By Laura Rafferty

Did you know it takes about 30 seconds for a stretch to be effective? This is because it takes the first 10 seconds for your brain to convince your body that a tiger, shark or small child/pet isn't trying to pull your leg off (for example). After that, your muscle will relax and let the stretch
happen. This reflex is designed to protect your muscles from overstretching. In Intro classes, we often tell new students to trust the fabric and themselves. The stretch reflex is a great reminder that we should trust ourselves, because our bodies are programmed to try their best not to let us
down.

However, if you feel uncomfortable for longer than 10 seconds, you are probably pushing too far, too fast. Stretching should not be painful, especially in your joints. If you feel pressure or pain in your joints, you may need to adjust your body alignment during the stretch, or quite possibly your bone structure prevents you from stretching any further. Also, bouncing during a stretch (ballistic stretching) can cause muscle or nerve damage, and honestly, just looks ridiculous, so let’s not do that.

Before you stretch, you should warm up for at least 5-10 minutes. Jumping jacks,
jogging/marching in place, speed walking to the nearest bathroom in an emergency or even quietly side shuffling down the hallways of your home trying to hide from your kids are all great options. Also, since stretching elongates the muscles, it weakens them too so it is best to save the deep stretching for after a super fun strenuous aerial class. Stretching is great for increasing your range of motion and reducing your risk of injury along with many other amazing health benefits.

Aerial hammocks are great tools to assist in stretching, but they can also put us in some pretty crazy, awkward positions that our bodies aren't used to being in, which can sometimes cause a deeper stretch than expected. So if you tend to be bendier than the average person, activating your muscles while stretching them, strengthening the muscles surrounding your joints, and listening to your body when it yells at you to stop can all help keep you from injury.