Selective Stretching and Development of a Child

Altering the physiology of a muscle, be it stretching or strength adaptation to stress, alters the length/tension that the brain remembers. Antagonist muscles are also affected by this change in agonists or the other way around. The timing of firing of the muscles into action will be changed. If a muscle is tight the usual tension is reached too soon and causes the other muscle(s) to start working. Or looked at the other way around, the tight muscle by reciprocal inhibition weakens its partner muscle and so the tension required for a particular action is not reached until later than normal - if at all. The effects of this can be offset by continual training. It is inevitable that this happens. There is no way to avoid it if stretching/strengthening is to be improved.

Otherwise you cannot advance in training. As the muscle function slowly changes - it is not instant - practice of a particular action allows the brain to learn new information about tension, length, speed and angle. With a gentle increase in strength and/or stretching (these should be done together as explained above) you may never feel the effects of these changes. Violent muscle adaptation (heavy weight training and isometric stretching) will almost certainly make co-ordination changes obvious to you. However, this too can be offset by intelligent use of different stretching methods, warm up/down. The delayed onset muscular soreness (DOMS) is a well documented phenomenon and probably involves the inefficient removal of lactic acid but more importantly the local swelling of muscle caused by micro tears in trained muscle. The onset of stiffness and the associated soreness usually occurs about 24-36 hours after training and may last a day or two.

Appropriate muscle strengthening programs can be designed to complement stretching to restore lost power caused through stretching. The balance and therefore correct operation of body parts can be maintained. Isometric stretching can simultaneously strengthen and stretch a muscle. It is the fastest route to improved range of movement but very demanding. It also has the benefit that by contracting a muscle at maximum range its associated partner (agonist/antagonist relationship) will automatically be relaxed. Much stretching involves moving a muscle in opposition to this partner muscle. If this muscle is tight or not of an appropriate length it is harder to stretch the intended muscle. The tight or short muscle operates to control and restrict the desired motion.

For the reasons of posture and alignment impairment, children must be carefully supervised to ensure no imbalance occurs or they can be seriously damaged. They must be closely monitored. Demanding stretching must also be avoided. Young bones are not fully hardened and a powerful muscle contraction could distort the bone and even cause breakage. Fortunately, young muscles are not very strong and so are more easily stretched. The opposing muscle does not offer much resistance. Stretching may be good. Techniques may seem to operate well but careful examination of posture should always be undertaken to make sure posture remains normal. This is really quite specialist and therefore takes skilled examination.

Stretching must be taken very seriously. Children must be monitored and supervised. Injuries can so easily happen. Ideally, stretching should not be done with a partner unless that person knows exactly what they are doing. This restricts children from stretching children because they do not know what they are doing. Continual feedback by talking must happen. The partner cannot know what you are feeling unless you continually say so. The command to stop must be instantly respected. It is not your responsibility or place to maintain a stretch once someone has indicated to stop. Continued and uncomfortable tension may be appropriate but it may lead to aggravation of an injury or cause one. You cannot know this. Don't assume you do. Instant but slow release of tension must be allowed. You must also do any stretching assistance (or alone) from a stable and balanced position. No violent and uncontrolled movement must ever occur, like falling over!

Incidentally, when performing any exercise which involves repeating a movement make sure you try not to succumb to peer group pressure and do the required number but with poor style just to make the numbers. This only promotes poor style and does not in any way adapt the body through correct stress. It is important to do a few good quality movements and build on this and not perform sloppy method. The only result of this can possibly be a general poor style in training. It is so important to do few of good quality and not many of low quality. Quality will always outstrip quantity.