Last Updated Nov 2012
Recent studies have revealed that stretching does not prevent injuries on the playing field and it does not improve athletic performance. In fact, some studies indicate that stretching may actually lead to more injuries but the instinctive desire to stretch is compelling. The obvious benefits of stretching include improved posture and greater ease with movements of daily living such as bending, lifting, reaching, squatting and kneeling. Little do we know that stretching also gives us a psychological boost, decreases stress to maintain a healthy heart and improves body awareness.
There is another benefit of flexibility that I was completely unaware of until I read an article in the New York Times. A study done by Japanese researchers published on October 2009 has found that greater flexibility in those over 40 is correlated with less stiffness of the arteries. Less stiffness of the arteries means that there is less resistance for the heart to work against. Although some degree of flexibility is predetermined by gender and genetics, another study from the University of Texas at Austin indicates that stretching can decrease arterial stiffness by as much as 20%. Having said this, it has been proven that to keep your heart healthy, stretching definitely helps.
This study is fascinating but there are a few legitimate questions about its validity. Did they account for the presence of abdominal fat which is associated with heart disease and would make it more difficult when reaching the toes? Are people who are more flexible just generally more active? Is there any correlation of arterial stiffness to clinical signs of cardiovascular disease? Also, this study used the sit-and-reach assessment of flexibility, which has lost favor among Physical Therapists due to its lack of specificity and its potential for injury. Despite its limitations, I think this study is an important one to help to more fully appreciate the benefits of stretching.
I’ve also seen other studies that indicate that cells such as smooth muscle cells secrete more collagen, a chain of proteins that provides tissues with resistance to various forces including tensile strain, in response to cyclic stretching. Smooth muscles cells are found in our blood vessels, gut, heart, and even in fascia. It’s a big leap from a Petri dish to a yoga mat but it’s likely that the more stretching one does, the more collagen you will possibly have in tendons, arteries, etc, therefore the stronger and more elastic your tissues will be. I find it very easy to believe that flexibility involves the entire body not just the muscles and tendons. I would love to see more research on how flexibility is related to the health of not only our cardiovascular system but also our nervous system, endocrine system and psychological health.
If you are over 40 and have trouble touching your toes, make sure to do at least 15 minutes of stretching 2 or 3 days a week. Better yet, go to a yoga class at least once a week. It is essential to take care of your heart and be healthy. Make the most of your stretches!
About the Author: Lisa B. Minn is a licensed physical therapist and yoga enthusiast. She has been incorporating aspects of Yoga her physical therapy practice since 2001 and became a certified yoga instructor in 2004. You can read more about the therapeutic applications of yoga on her blog, ThePragmaticYogi.com.
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