Skip These Stretches To Avoid Damage

Stretching is a wonderful activity for the body, expanding your muscle tissue, allowing blood to circulate and can even be meditative for some. As a trainer, I have realized that certain stretches can actually hurt you and cause pain. Overstretching, bouncing while stretching or attempting to stretch a pulled muscle can harm your body.

- Jessica John

When we are talking about stretches, there are no inherently good or bad stretches. The stretches just might not be good for that particular person. Often the ways that stretches are performed are not having the intended effect.

In Selecting A Stretch, You Should Know: 

1- What you are trying to achieve with the motion

2- Whether your body has the current capacity for that range of motion is being hampered by neural tension; and

3- Which muscular engagements during the stretch will help create stability to prevent injury?

Stretches & Their Effects

Jessica John, who happens to be an online aerial and mobility coach with over a decade experience in the field shares four stretches that need to be attended to carefully in order to prevent damage.

Pike Stretch: