PNF Stretching
When you have stretched in the past, are you familiar with that feeling of your muscle being tight, sometimes feeling a bit too painful to continue on? That’s your body trying to protect you from stretching the muscle too far. It’s a twinge of pain saying, “Danger”.
With PNF stretching, you’re able to move past that point of discomfort. As such, it will improve your performance and range. It’s proven to be better than static stretches where you hold a stretch for a certain length of time; that can actually pull or strain a muscle. It’s also superior to static stretches when it comes to improving range of motion.
Athletes love PNF stretching. Because it’s excellent at targeting one muscle group, it quickly increases the range of motion in a specific area. While you’re improving your flexibility, you’re also improving your muscle strength.
Another benefit to PNF stretches are how they help your body recover after a workout. It’s believed to prevent knots and tight areas. It also has been proven to realign muscles and connective tissues that typically get damaged during high-intensity workouts.
How to Perform PNF Stretches
Luckily, it’s really simple! You just need a partner or a stable object (and yourself, of course)! Basically, you will be stretching a muscle then forcefully contracting it and stretching it out again.
This creates length in the muscle. You’ll see that you’re able to stretch the muscle further than you were able to stretch it before. You’ll also be able to improve upon that range of motion each time you perform these stretches. Hello, flexibility!
Here’s how to do it: position yourself so the targeted muscle is stretched and under tension, meaning it is as far as it will go before you feel that twinge saying, “That’s it! Don’t go any further!”
Then, you contract the stretched muscle for about five seconds while your partner or an immovable object holds the muscle in place. They should apply sufficient resistance so you don’t move the muscle you just stretched out of a contraction.
Finally, relax your muscle and stretch it out again to the point of tension. This is where you’ll notice you’ll be able to stretch the muscle farther than you just stretched it. Hold his for about 20-30 seconds.
Allow for a period of recovery (about 30 seconds) and repeat the process roughly three more times.
While there is some debate on the length of time to hold each part of the stretch, the same structure is followed.
Take care not to push yourself too far. The goal, as I mentioned before, is to condition your muscle and improve the range of motion, not to hurt yourself!
The Gallery of PNF Information
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Location Of Lymphatic System Lymph Nodes Locations In The Body Diagram Lymph Node System In – ANATOMY BODY PICTURE -
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When a muscle is isometrically contracted, its antagonist will be inhibited, and will demonstrate reduced tone immediately following this. Thus the antagonist of a shortened muscle, or group of muscles, may be isometrically contracted in order to achieve a degree of ease and additional movement potential in the shortened tissues. -
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PNF allows the muscle to be stretched to a greater degree by increasing the proprioceptor signals through a 5- to 10-second voluntary muscle contraction followed by a 5- to 10-second voluntary muscle relaxation. With the hold-relax PNF method, the muscle is placed into a static stretch. The athlete is instructed to hold and contract the muscle against resistance from a partner for 10 seconds. The athlete is then instructed to relax, and the partner slowly moves the muscle to a new static position. The technique is repeated two to three times. -
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When a muscle is isometrically contracted, its antagonist will be inhibited and will demonstrate reduced tone immediately following this. Thus the antagonist of a shortened muscle, or group of muscles, maybe isometrically contracted in order to achieve a degree of ease and additional movement potential in the shortened tissues. -
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The Gallery of Stretching and PNF Stretching
*Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider.
Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader. These statements are not expressions of legal opinion relative to the scope of practice, medical diagnosis, or medical advice, nor do they represent an endorsement of any product, company, or specific massage therapy technique, modality or approach. All trademarks, registered trademarks, brand names, registered brand names, logos, and company logos referenced in this post are the property of their owners.
