| I had a great question from one of my online athletes | | | | the brain try to prevent the muscle from over |
| earlier this week; he was not doing regular stretching, | | | | stretching? It achieves this by contracting the muscle. |
| but started doing some stretches that I had given him. | | | | I think you can see now, how using stretching |
| He emailed to say that he was enjoying the flexibility | | | | techniques that results in contraction of the muscle you |
| training program, but that his muscles were really tight | | | | are trying to lengthen! Training your flexibility is the |
| and sore the day after completing his goalie stretches. | | | | same as any other components of your goalie training, |
| As we worked to find the root of his post-exercise | | | | there are no short cuts; it will take time to develop. |
| discomfort I found that he was trying to force the | | | | Here are the key steps that hockey goalies can take |
| range of motion on his stretches and this is a common | | | | to make their stretching more effective: |
| mistake. | | | | - Move into your stretch position until you feel a gentle |
| When hockey goalies commit to a program, they tend | | | | stretch in the target muscle. It should not be painful at |
| to go for it. Athletes, by nature are often very | | | | all. As you hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds you |
| impatient and lengthening muscles takes time. If a | | | | may feel that gentle stretch feeling diminish. At that |
| goalie tries to accelerate his or her progress, they may | | | | point you may move further into your stretch until the |
| actually be decreasing their flexibility. Our bodies are | | | | gentle stretch returns. |
| very smart and we have built in safety features. | | | | - If you are taking the time to stretch, then you should |
| These features are hardwired into our reflexes, so we | | | | also take the time to pick up a foam roll to work on |
| cannot really over-ride them. Without getting to | | | | your connective tissue. If you have been stretching |
| technical, your muscles have stretch receptors in them. | | | | consistently for 4 weeks with little improvement to |
| One type of stretch receptor detects the rate of | | | | show for it, then it may be more of an issue with |
| stretch. If they detect that your muscle is stretching | | | | adhesions in the connective tissue that surrounds your |
| very rapidly its response is to trigger a relaxation of | | | | muscle. |
| that muscle to prevent a high speed muscle tear. The | | | | - Goalies must be consistent with their flexibility training. |
| other type of stretch receptor detects the magnitude | | | | Research in this area is conflicted, but as a starting |
| of stretch. If the muscle is put under a high force | | | | point, if you lack flexibility, then you better commit 15-30 |
| stretch, such as when a goalie tries to use their muscle | | | | minutes every day to make some serious |
| force to overstretch, then the muscle tries to prevent | | | | improvements. If you have a good base of hip flexibility |
| the stretch from going any farther. Again, the body is | | | | and are looking to maintain or improve slightly, then you |
| trying to reduce the risk of tissue damage. How does | | | | should go for a 15-30 minute stretch every other day. |