Stiff
muscles that are subjected to sudden elongation during exercise
or skating can more easily become torn or strained.
Muscle
tightness can cause pain elsewhere in the body. Tight calves,
for example, can cause knee pain, shin splints, and foot pain.
Tense muscle at various points in the lower back can cause pain
to radiate throughout the entire torso.
Lack
of flexibility can cause muscular imbalances. A tight hamstring,
for example, can make your thighs work harder at keeping your
body properly aligned, causing knee pain.
Beyond that, muscle
stiffness makes you slow down, move more carefully and act more
tentatively. When muscles are cold, they're stiffer. Light
exercise such as skating laps before stretching warms them and
makes them more pliable, improving the stretch and reducing the
risk of muscle strain.
Requirements for
building flexibility properly:
A skater can be strong and very fit but still not be flexible.
The more flexible you are, the better your range of motion is.
Skaters with the greatest range of motion have a better chance
of progressing more quickly than a "tight" skater. As with other
types of training, improvement in flexibility depends on
subjecting muscles to more than they are accustomed to, by
working them through a range of motion in a controlled and
systematic way.
Warm Up - When muscles are cold, they're stiffer. Light exercise
before stretching warms them and makes them more pliable,
improving the stretch and reducing the risk of muscle strain.
I'd recommend slowly jogging, running in place, jumping rope or
jumping jacks for 5 minutes.
Stretch, Don't Strain - Extend the muscle far enough to make a
difference, but not so far that you cause its fibers to tear.
Stretch until you feel a slight tug and don't push beyond that
point.
Hold the stretch - Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds. The
length of time you hold a stretch has a direct bearing on
improved flexibility. Holding for 10 seconds is no better than
stretching at all. Holding for 20-30 seconds has significant
benefit, with measurable weekly improvements.
Stop Bouncing - Stretches should be slow and steady, not fast
and jerky. Bouncing while stretching poses a particular
potential for injury because when you lengthen a muscle,
electrical impulses involuntarily signal it to snap back in a
contraction. Stretching too far too fast puts excessive strain
on muscles; it's the difference between bending a tree branch
slowly and giving it a hard snap. Slow, steady stretches over
time make muscles adapt to greater lengthening.
