Stretch strap ligament flexibility

Yoga Flexibility Ligament Stretching Strap Leg Stretcher Strap for Ballet Cheer Dance Gymnastics Trainer Yoga Leg Stretch belt

Stretching: How? Why stretch?

Ischio-Jambiers Stretch Stretching Étirements

Stretching feels good! But how to stretch?

Why do we stretch? Do we stretch the muscles? Tendons? Ligaments?

What if you are very stiff or hyperlaxed?

This article will try to answer these questions. 

 Differentiate:

It is important to know what you are trying to stretch. To do this, it is necessary to differentiate between tendon and ligament in order to stretch safely! You can stretch muscles and tendons, but not ligaments!

Indeed, the tendon connects the muscle to the bone, and it is OK to stretch it with the muscle to gain joint amplitude (except in case of hyperlaxity).

On the other hand, the ligament, which connects 2 bones together, must not be stretched under any circumstances since it is the ligament that ensures joint stability! 

 So beware of joint hyper-extensions (stretching "all the way") which lock and can damage the joints (e.g.: an elbow or knee that bends in the opposite direction to the biomechanics).

Benefits

Stretching offers multiple benefits: it allows us to gain mobility and body ease. Stretching also allows us to relieve accumulated physical tension and to modulate tone, even to calm nervousness. They therefore have a positive effect on our posture, our daily life, but also on our Pilates practice.

It goes without saying that a sedentary lifestyle (again!) contributes to limiting our flexibility. All the more reason for the sedentary to stretch! It is not only athletes who need to stretch after a workout. Everyone, after a day at the office, should do one or two stretches in the evening at the end of the day or before going to sleep; his back would be very grateful and he would fall asleep more easily... (special mention for the psoas stretch, of course)

Breathing:

Breathing is a crucial element that will not only allow the body to avoid tensing up unnecessarily during the stretch, but also the mind to stay focused longer and relax the muscles, the different tissues, and the nervous system.

 Vary:

It is interesting to vary the type of stretching because each of them has a particular action and complementary to the others. For example, if you are not very flexible, passive stretching (see below) will be particularly interesting. On the other hand, if you are hyperlaxed, it is better to favor active stretching (see below) in order to protect the joints and not to pull on ligaments that are already too lax. 

Active or semi-active stretching: is to be practiced either by contracting the agonist muscle (i.e. the same muscle that we want to stretch), and there the stretching will be active; or by contracting the antagonist muscle (opposite to the side we want to stretch), and there the stretching will be semi-active. In these 2 cases, we stretch more the body of the muscle than the tendons to protect the joints.

Semi-active stretching with a strap:

One puts the flex foot in the strap (or scarf, sling, belt), one lengthens the leg upwards, by stretching the knee "thoroughly", even if the leg is not at 90°. Thus one contracts the front of the thigh (i.e. the quadriceps, as opposed to the hamstrings which one stretches) by making the kneecap go up.

This effort is to be made on the expiration, then one slackens on the inspiration. To be repeated several times. 

Active stretching with strap:

We also put the flex foot in the strap, we stretch the leg, not necessarily all the way, and at the same time as we pull the leg with the help of the strap, the leg resists by pushing on the strap, in an effort of counter resistance as in an arm wrestling. Here the hamstrings (part that we wish to stretch) contract at the time of this counter resistance to the expiration, and we release the pressure on the inspiration. It is a question of finding the right balance between pulling and resisting, and thus to keep the feeling of stretching 

Features:

1. Premium Material: Made of high quality polyester cotton material, which is

soft, comfortable and breathable.

2. Function: Stretch strap provides additional stability during unassisted

stretches and poses. Can also be used as a yoga stretch belt to help you shape

a slim body.

3. Multi-ring buckle design, helps stretch and extend posture stay time, assists

in all kinds of difficult stretching and relaxation exercises.

4. Easy to Use: The special band prevents injury and facilitates gradual and

gentle stretches that protect your muscles and make you more and more flexible

each day.

5. Helps maintain good joint flexibility, relieve spasms, and promote motor

function recovery. When you stretch, you elongate your muscles around the

joints which helps increase the range of motion and in turn helps to avoid injury.

Notice:

1. Actual color may be slightly different from the image due to different monitor

and light effect. Please allow 1-3cm deviation due to manual measurement.

Specification:

Material: polyester cotton

Size: length about 155cm

Color: as picture show

Package including

1 x Yoga Stretching Strap