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Stretching
Most performers think that stretching
before they perform will help them avoid injuries. Studies
have show this not to be the case1. warming up the
muscle is a better way to prepare the muscles for activity and
help avoid injury. The muscles are the most flexible when they
are warm and you will always generate more heat in the muscles
by exercises them than stretching them. Stretching should be
used after your rehearsal or performance to rebalance the
muscles. After you have put them in an abnormal strain from
the stresses of the music, dance or performance track the
muscles need to rebalanced to a neutral tone. Otherwise the
repetitive nature of your work will over time cause imbalances
and overuse with in the musculoskeletal system. These
imbalance will over time cause tendonitis, joint strain,
arthritis, trigger points and many other soft tissue problems.
Stretches should be held for at least one
minute and no longer than 5 minutes. This will allow the
connective tissues and the muscle fibers to be stretched. To
often just the muscle fibers are stretched ( 20 -30 second
stretches effect mostly the muscle fibers) and the fascia
around those fibers that help give the muscle shape,
elasticity and strength are not addressed.
Stretching should be done at the end of
rehearsal and/or performance as this is when the muscles are
the most flexible and at the same time are pumped up it an
abnormal holding pattern from the performance activity. Think
of the muscle like taffy when it is warm it becomes gooey and
as it cools it stiffens again. Thus if you stretch while warm
and then cool down in the stretched position you will
rebalance the muscle fibers and at the same time maintain or
even increase the flexibility of the fascia that also makes up
the muscle. If you do not undo these holding patterns you will
go to sleep with them still in your body and then wake up
feeling stiff and tight. Thus feeling the need to stretch
before activity to take away the aches, pains and tightness in
the muscles.
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