Stretching Your Fitness Routine

The holiday season was particularly busy for me. With my business requiring an inordinate amount of traveling and meetings, I found myself working hard to fit in the usual festivities, family obligations and gift-buying. As a result, I felt stressed more often than not the entire month of December.

So I shouldn’t have been surprised when I awakened one morning around New Year’s to the painful realization that all the accumulated tension had taken up residence in my neck: I’d become the Locked Neck Monster.

There was no one to blame but myself. Though I’d kept up my cardiovascular and strength training, I had ignored the fact that real physical fitness requires a third prong: stretching.

Cardiovascular training is what most people think of first when they think of getting in shape, particularly at this time of year when they feel a little fat and sluggish from nonstop eating and partying. They know that if they want to burn excess fat, they’ve got to sustain a raised heart rate through activities like jogging or biking three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes a session. Then, too, they probably know that at least two sessions of strength training a week are essential for shaping the body and even preventing osteoporosis.

For some reason, however, most people rarely consider stretching--which in fact should be done nearly every day.

Stretching refers to the process of elongating or lengthening the muscles in order to improve flexibility and range of motion, both of which tend to decrease with age and lack of activity. Since aging is a slow process, we usually don’t realize how inflexible we’ve become or how limited our range of motion is until something reminds us--for example, turning to glance over the shoulder to see if any cars are in the next lane; or feeling a tightness in the back or neck after a day of work; or being unable to reach for a box on the top shelf. And we don’t think about making stretching a regular part of our fitness regime until we suffer some acute episode, such as a stiff neck, or sore back or pulled hamstring; or, like my husband, Steve, a ruptured Achilles tendon. (Down he went while playing basketball, as though shot by a gun, which is what the rupture sounded like.)

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In many ways, stretching is the most important of the three fitness prongs, a fact that makes its neglect harder to accept. If I were ordered to give up two of those prongs for the rest of my life, I think I’d probably stick with stretching. Sure, the quality of my life would be diminished if I had to live without aerobics, and I’d miss the many benefits of having strong muscles. But I doubt whether I could survive minute to minute if I constantly felt tight or cramped.

Before giving you a basic stretching program, let me offer a few elementary tips on stretching sensibly.

First, warm up your muscles before stretching. Stretching cold muscles can lead to pulling or even tearing. Muscles are like taffy: When they’re cold, they’re brittle. But when they’re warm, you can pull them and stretch them and elongate them. I recommend going for a five- to 10-minute walk first, even walking in place, before beginning. Good times to stretch are at the end of the day and after a warm bath / shower.

Second, stretch gently. Don’t make sudden movements that may damage an unsuspecting muscle; it won’t be able to warn you in time, through pain, that it’s being damaged.

Third, hold each stretch long enough to get the desired result. That means anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds. (Sometimes I hold my stretches for a minute or longer.)

Fourth, remember that you can stretch at intervals throughout the day, whenever you have a spare moment. In fact, if you work at a desk, you should get up at least once an hour and stretch your back, neck and shoulders. Short stretching sessions during the day can be helpful for keeping up your energy level and reducing stress. (Stretching is a fabulous stress reducer.)

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Now, let’s get to a good introductory series of stretches, all of which should be held for a count of at least 15 and repeated at least three times.

1. To stretch your hamstrings and calves, stand facing a chair. Extend your right leg straight and place your right foot on the chair seat. With the left knee bent slightly, lean forward from your hips (not your waist) and pull your toes back toward you. Change legs.

2. To stretch your quadriceps (front of the thigh), hip flexors and shins, face the back of the chair and place your left hand on the back for balance. Then bring your right foot up behind you and grasp it with your right hand. With your knees together, pull your heel gently toward your buttocks. Change legs.

3. To stretch your hips and buttocks: While lying on your back, bend your left knee up to your chest. Use your right hand to pull your left knee across your body (toward the ground on your right side). Be sure to keep your left shoulder flat on the ground with your arm outstretched. Repeat on the other side.

4. To stretch your inner thigh: Sit on the floor and bring the soles of your feet together. Then bring your heels in as close to your buttocks as is comfortable. Now use your elbows to push your knees toward the floor.

5. To stretch your back: Kneel on all fours with the weight distributed evenly. Making sure that your neck is relaxed, tighten your abdominals, drop your head touching your chin to your chest, and round your back (like a cat). Relax and then repeat.

6. To stretch your shoulders: Stand with your knees slightly bent and raise your right arm, to shoulder height, in front of you. Now grasp your right arm with your left hand and pull it across your body. Repeat on the other side.

7. To stretch your chest: Stand with your feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent. Then clasp your hands behind your back and straighten your arms while lifting your hands and chest.

8. To stretch your neck: Stand with your feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent. Let your chin drop toward your chest, stretching the muscles in the back of your neck. Now slowly lift your neck and place your hands behind your back, grabbing your left wrist with your right hand. Lower your head sideways toward your right shoulder, and at the same time pull down on your left arm. Bring your head back up and repeat on the other side.

The whole routine should take only five to 10 minutes--no time at all for something that pays such extraordinary dividends. You’ll notice the difference right away.

I know that as you start the new year, resolved to lose those unwanted pounds, you’ll probably focus your time and effort on doing some form of aerobics and weight training. If you’ve already started, good for you. But if you’re not also stretching, you’re not doing what’s best for you.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 1999. Make it the year you resolve to be more flexible.

Copyright 1999 by Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith’s fitness column appears weekly in Health. Reader questions are welcome and can be sent to Kathy Smith, Health, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. If your question is selected, you will receive a free copy of her book “Getting Better All the Time.” Please include your name, address and a daytime phone number with your question.