Splits stretching in the steam room...excellent!

[Numbski]

Just as the topic states, I went to the gym last week and decided to spend some time in the steam room. I'd been in there about 10 minutes, and my muscles felt limber...and it felt like I *needed* to stretch. So I did.

I spent a total of 20 mins in the steam room, the last ten minutes doing all sorts of groin/hip flexor stretches. That was on friday.

Sunday I went out to the rink to play my rec game for the week. Began my stretches, one of which is making my best efforts and doing the splits....

I went all the way down!



My fiancee was sitting in front of me totally confused. "Since when are you able to do that?" Since never.

Honestly, that's a MAJOR improvement in one stretching session.

The streches I was doing in the steam room weren't too complex. I'd pick a position and hold it for a long time, as long as 5 minutes in one case. As I would feel my muscles relax and adjust to the new position, I'd stretch it out more. I had no idea that was even possible.

Oh, and if this happens to work for you, don't attempt to use the new ability in a save the same night. I did, and I regret it already. I strained a muscle in my right leg. Now I'm going to have to work to get it back again, but man it's eerie being able to drop into the splits all of a sudden. Any comments on this?

[GatekeeperMD]

Hot Tub and steam rooms can help get more value out of your stretching routines. A great time for it is AFTER a good work out plus it helps pump out all the waste products in the muscles.

Your results seem quite dramatic but hey, take what you can get!

[G-Man]

As I would feel my muscles relax and adjust to the new position, I'd stretch it out more. I had no idea that was even possible.

You've discovered one of the premises used in PNF Stretching.

The reason it works is that our muscles are already long enough to allow a lot more flexibility than we normally exhibit. But we have a protective stretch reflex that causes our muscles to tense up when we get into unfamiliar positions. What you did was wait out this tension, then pushed a little further until the reflex signaled your brain to tense your muscles up again. Doing this resets the point at which your stretch reflex fires.

The steam probably helped you get past some of that tension a little easier.

By the way I'm not an expert. I'm not even very flexible. I just read this stuff in a number of places

[GatekeeperMD]

Brad Appletons Stretching document is great! It gives you the info behind the workings of the body. Although it doesnt give the stretching Diagrams to go with it is a superb resource!

Brad Appletons Guide to Stretching