Pilates Confessions: I actually don’t like stretching.
I have a confession to make. Despite my background in dance, I don't particularly enjoy stretching.
And before you get confused, because we all know Pilates has a good dose of "stretching" in it. I am talking about "Static Stretching." Static stretching is where you hold your body in one position while feeling tension and then let it go (including passive/relaxed and active/contracted muscle states). I unconsciously stopped prioritizing static stretching when I hung up my dancing shoes, and I was surprised to learn that I managed to maintain the flexibility I acquired as a dancer (primarily) by practicing Pilates.
Similarly, I have also been surprised to learn that my clients become more flexible by practicing Pilates, yet I rarely program static stretches into my client's sessions. There are many different types of stretch techniques, but today, we will talk about static stretching and dynamic stretching.
Dynamic stretching involves moving rather than holding a position. A walking lunge, for example, is a dynamic stretch.
I could find little information on whether Pilates technically qualifies as dynamic stretching or static stretching. But, if we consider what Pilates feels like, it's easy to note there are certainly stretch components to the Pilates exercises. We are typically passing through those stretches while taking our body to the point of tension, essentially stretching our muscles. The most significant difference here is that it is not stationary, leading me to assume Pilates qualifies as dynamic stretching.
The flexibility gains my clients have enjoyed from practicing Pilates has got me thinking, what's static stretching all about? Is it as effective as we think it is? And, if we dislike it, is there another way we can gain more flexibility if we believe it's valuable to us?
Before I go any further, if you're sitting here thinking, I LOVE STRETCHING. Then that's great. I am not here to convince you that static stretching is harmful or ineffective because that is false. I am here to offer some fun facts about static stretching and an alternative to folks who dislike static stretching but still desire more flexibility in their body.
“The Roll Over” an example of a dynamic stretch in the Pilates repertoire.
Why would one want to stretch?
The most obvious reason is to gain more flexibility (range of motion) at a particular joint for a sport or daily activity. For example, a hockey goalie needs to very agile to guard the net, possibly dropping to a split at a moment's notice.
But what if you're not "into" sports, and Pilates IS your sport? A valid goal could be to achieve a Roll Over. It would be best to have a degree of flexibility to get your legs over your head to the floor behind you. But, what about bending over to tie your shoes, getting up and down off the ground to play with your baby or pulling out weeds in your garden? Not all flexibility looks like a Les Grande Ballet rehearsal. Many of our daily activities require a certain amount of flexibility.
Now that we have established a few examples of why one would like to become more flexible, I encourage you to consider your daily life and what areas of your body require more flexibility than you might already have (if any). Or check-in to see if you harbour any guilt for "not stretching more." Maybe this guilt is unnecessary?
To sum it up, I thought I would share some things I have come to learn about stretching:
Static stretching is an ineffective warm-up before a workout. You are better off doing dynamic movements, and if your sport requires a large range of motion in certain parts of your body, it's likely a good idea to actively work through that range before it's showtime. For example, you are going to race on your stand-up paddleboard. You'd be better off making dynamic circles with your arms, possibly adding a resistance band instead of throwing your arm up by your head and pressing down on your elbow and holding for twenty seconds. In some instances, for high-performance athletes who are about to put forward maximum effort, a static stretch can decrease their maximum output for 30 minutes by 10% after static stretching.
If your goal is to become more flexible and you dislike stretching, there is a way around this! Strength training or something like Pilates, where you are actively moving THROUGH a range of motion, sometimes adding weight/resistance, is just as practical as static stretching, but you have the added benefit of strength. Static stretching will only offer you gains in flexibility. Dynamic stretching or strength training through ROM will give you flexibility gains PLUS strength gains. Maybe your goal is to gain more flexibility in your legs. Consider doing a round of "Single Leg Circles" instead of holding your leg in a stretch.
Are you stretching to recover or relieve sore muscles? If you are sore the next day after a workout, stretching will do little to help you "recover" other than the fact it will offer you some temporary relief from the feeling of stiffness, which is super nice, and there is no harm in it. However, studies show that stretching less than 6 hours after your workout might increase your chances of feeling sore/stiff muscles. This is a new revelation for me, and I have started to play with "warming down" post sport in place of static stretching if my goal is to prevent muscles soreness the following day, especially if I want to get back out there for more.
Overall, static stretching isn't bad, and if it feels good, do it.
My fluid opinion is that static stretching is great for those who enjoy it, have time for it and or want to become more flexible. While I was dancing, all I did was work on my technique. Therefore I had time for static stretching, which was simply one component helping me achieve more flexibility. But now, I no longer prioritize static stretching, and I would prefer something dynamic with the added value of strength to it with the limited time I have to spend on my mat. And I would like to close by saying, if you feel guilty for "not stretching," don't worry about it! You're doing Pilates, and that is plenty.
Is there a particular subject in the fitness world you have been giving a side-eye? I'd love to hear it, and maybe we can unpack more topics like Stretching next month.
Thanks for reading,
Kala from QB