• Question: if getting flexible is just you stretching and getting used to the pain, is it bad for you?

    Asked by anon-208428 to Tori, Titus, Stuart, Hannah, Gill, Alessandro on 5 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Titus Mutwiri

      Titus Mutwiri answered on 5 Mar 2019:

      The bigger picture is the thing you want to achieve after the process of stretching yourself. When results stream in one does not remember the pain any more and that also means the next similar assignment will be done more joyfully. I don’t believe that pain should be something we need to get used to in the name of stretching ourselves to the core every-time everyday.

    • Photo: Gill Harrison

      Gill Harrison answered on 6 Mar 2019:

      Do you mean getting flexible in terms of muscles and tendons when exercising? If so, it’s a case of use it or lose it. If you’re stretching, generally people say that you should stretch until you feel the pull, but not pain. If you feel pain you might be overstretching.

      Stretching cold muscles can lead to injury, so many fitness instructors would suggest dynamic warm ups, then only stretching when you’ve got warm muscles.

      The NHS has a website related to exercise, so it’s worth looking at that if you find you’re getting pain.
      https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/how-to-warm-up-before-exercising/

      If you do over do things, remember the acronym RICE – rest, ice (or a bag of peas, wrapped in a towel), compression (bandage or tubigrip, to reduce swelling), elevation (lift the limb up e.g. if it’s a calf injury, lie down with your leg higher than your hips).

      Hope that answers your question.

    • Photo: Stuart Higgins

      Stuart Higgins answered on 6 Mar 2019:

      I think there’s a difference between your muscles aching because you’ve used them lots, and your muscles hurting because you’ve injured them. Exercise is absolutely good for you, and if you exercise and stretch often you start to learn more about yourself and what’s good pain, and when to stop. As Gill said, always make sure you warm up properly at the start, and stretch at the end, and if you’re trying something new, start slowly and build up with practice.

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