CatholicFIT Stretching Principles

Half Kneeling High Reach – stretches one entire side of the body and may improve your ability to genuflect with more strength and less pain.

Many well intended people give up on a stretching routine because they don’t know or adhere to the appropriate strategies. Embrace these ideas. Your body and your loved ones who have to, or will eventually have to take care of you, will thank you all the more.

1. Effective stretching (and other bodywork) is an acquired skill – be patient, your time invested will become more effective and efficient with practice.
   Stagger your bodywork sessions – do not thoroughly work, roll or massage one specific area every day. If you have to do this to be (somewhat) pain free, you are probably over doing it.
2. Hold static stretches for 2+ minutes – use a timer to be sure the stretch is adequate. If you do not do this, you may stop due to pain or incorrect estimation of the stretch duration. Research shows 2 minutes is required to affect tissue length.
3. Stretch desired movements and positions – what do you want to do on the court or during mass or to pick up your (grand)-children? Squat? Kneel? Jump? Jog? Your stretching and mobility sessions should usually mimic the move you are attempting to improve. Check out the picture to the above right – this is a great stretch for the hips, waist and back – and it improves your positioning for the genuflect.
4. Test & retest to see if the stretch made a difference – consider what result you are shooting for – test that movement and muscle tightness before and after the stretch to be sure it is causing change.
5. Learn what works for you and work it until you feel a difference.
6. If you plan to play hard, you must stretch hard – don’t mess around with half-baked toe touches and 10 minute dog walks and then plan to garden outside, run around after the kids or volunteer for a Fun Walk/Run with the Girl Scouts expecting not to be laid up for a few days. The more you associate and match your goals and intensity with your stretching, the more effective they will be.
7. “Does it hurt?” is a YES/NO question – if you feel pain, like real pain or you think the stretch is doing more harm than good, it probably is. Stop. The rule is, “if it feels a little sketchy, it probably is.”
8. Stay Hydrated – dehydrated muscles are not flexible, injure easier and decrease your overall performance. Aim for half of your body weight in ounces of water every day.