ARTICLE

Graduate in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences INEFC Master's Degree in High Performance Sports Personal trainer at RFET, Mocri ElitePerformance Personal trainer of Alfonso Celis, Alex Toril, Sergio Canamasas, Beitske Visser, Alan Sicart (Motosport) Personal trainer of Yafan Wang (ranking 46 of the WTA circuit)

THE IMPORTANCE OF STRETCHING AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE SESSION?

It is very common for this type of doubt to arise, and above all in "non-professional" categories, stretching at the beginning and end of the session is always a licle overlooked. Stretching at the beginning of the session? Yes, you read that correctly, but I am referring to dynamic stretching to acNvate the muscles, not to relax them with the stretches that you are probably familiar with, the passive ones. The problem we usually encounter is the lack of Nme afer the session. This is due to the lack of Nme that happens in any club, in addiNon to our daily lives. Another reason is that it is not given much importance. You have probably heard your coach say: "stretch at home boys/girls" . As a player, you know that when you get home, you are rarely going to do those stretches to relax the muscles and recover faster for the next training session.

What is the difference between dynamic stretching and acNve stretching?

Beginning with dynamic stretching, these are ballisNc and controlled movements, which we will perform in a fluid and smooth manner, controlling without exceeding the length that we would reach with a staNc movement. This type of stretching will produce the stretching of the antagonist muscles. In addiNon, they will acNvely prepare our body for the sporNng acNvity that we must perform.

On the other hand, there are the stretches that everyone knows and the most widely pracNsed, staNc or isometric stretches. These can be performed acNvely or passively. AcNvely, this means that the athlete stretches without any external help, while passively, they require external help, i.e. with the help of someone else who stretches the athlete, generally the trainer, physical trainer or physiotherapist.

StaNc stretching is more recommended at the end of the sporNng acNvity, as it has been proven by mulNple studies that it relaxes the muscles and reduces their strength and power index. For this reason, we will use these exercises to relax our muscles in order to gradually return to calm. It should be stressed that a good stretching rouNne, both dynamic and staNc, at the beginning and end of the session, will help to prevent many muscular injuries and can extend the useful life of the athlete.

What are the benefits of stretching? Thanks to simple stretching exercises, we can prevent major injuries such as tendoniNs and soothe the dreaded sNffness. Most importantly, we will eliminate muscle tension, reduce the amount of lacNc acid produced during exercise or sports pracNce and improve blood flow. The acNon of stretching will help us to take advantage of all the funcNonality and range of movement of our body during sport, without injuring ourselves so easily. How should we stretch correctly? The dedicaNon to stretching will be different in the two phases menNoned above. If we do dynamic stretching, it will take about 15 minutes, and then we will conNnue with the warm-up or polymetric movements specific to the sport.

StaNc stretching takes about 30 minutes at the end of the training session. Each stretch should last between 24-30 seconds per limb or muscle group stretched. These should be performed without sudden movements or bouncing. You should try to stretch beyond the point where you start to feel "slight" pain in the affected muscle. One of the requirements is to start from the lower trunk area and end with the upper trunk, i.e. from the bocom upwards. Breathing in stretching will play a fundamental role, as you will be able to relax and concentrate becer on stretching the muscles. I leave you a stretching video, in which we review in 10-15 minutes, how a stretching session should be.

hcps://youtu.be/6585MLZdfBc

I hope that now you will be more aware of stretching before and afer each sports session, both if you are a coach, to apply it in your sessions, and if you are a player, so that you never skip this part of your training.