for the fitness gurus - Q about overstretching
#208803 - 08/26/05 10:42 AM
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jaime g
Reged: 07/27/05
Posts: 961
Loc: new york city
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alright you people who know about these things...
three nights ago at the gym i overdid my stretching - i miss being more flexible, and pushed myself too far. (i think it was also that stretching at the gym usually means stretching in sneakers, which keeps my feet flexed and makes the stretch more severe.) i started feeling sore yesterday, and still feel it today - it's tightness in the backs of my knees, so i know it's not a muscle thing. my question is am i supposed to wait this out, or stretch through it like with muscle soreness? and am i supposed to rest the sore parts or just keep working out?
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jaime
ibs-a (mostly d) // vegetarian
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You should probably continue to stretch, as it will help you gain your flexibility back. I would definitely warm up before you stretch, though, as it helps get blood flowing and reduces risk of injury. Just keep at it, and you will see a difference soon. Feel better!
Christianne
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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it's all about???
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Hmmm this is a tough one, actually. Is it possible that you pulled something? Because it's pretty weird to be sore from stretching, unless you're just feeling all-over "stretched out" sort of. I get that sometimes after a really intense yoga session. But it shouldn't be overtly painful unless you pulled something. Or maybe are you just sore from your workout?
Here are the basic "rules" when it comes to soreness - don't train a sore muscle (where training = with weights, or something bodyweight oriented like pilates. Cardio is usually ok, as long as it doesn't hurt). However, stretching a sore muscle will help it. Contrary to popular belief, stretching before a weights workout is not the best thing to do, because it stretches out the muscles and makes them weaker, which makes you more prone to injury (it's much more scientific than that but that's the quick 'n' dirty version  ) It's much better to do some light cardio and some warmup sessions of your lifts to get the muscles warmed up but not stretched out. It's best to do your stretching AFTER your workout - this gets the lactic acid moving in your joints and such and will keep you more flexible and less sore between workouts (helps speed up recovery). You can (and should) also stretch lots between workouts.
Anyway, I'm blabbering on a bit here but the basic story is that stretching more probably won't hurt and probably WILL help provided that you haven't pulled something. Tight hamstrings (the backs of your thighs and knees - which, yes, is a muscle) are very common - especially after leg workouts. If you did anything like squats or leg curls or anything like that, then it's probably just your hamstrings are sore. I know that when I work my hams, they get insanely sore, which means that they're insanely tight and inflexible (it actually drives me insane so I stretch them like crazy right after and on all my off days). So it could just be that...? Either way, I'd say stretch more. Go easy, don't hurt yourself. If it's just tight, stretch more and more often. If it honestly hurts when you try to touch your toes or do anything else to stretch the hamstrings, you may have pulled something.
Anyway, that was very longwinded  but hopefully helpful!
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Anything that gets your heartrate up to a certain percentage of maximum... Laurel can be more specific.
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That's exactly what I would've said...  Anything that gets your heartrate up - usually in the range of 60-80% of max but really there's no need to be that specific. Anything that gets your heart pumping faster than usual, more basically.
So anything from fast walking to jogging to running, to bike riding, to jumping jacks, skipping rope, dancing, using any of the cardio machines at the gym... chasing your kids around the playground... etc.
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the pain is behind my knees... where i guess my tendons would be. i've had this happen before - it's when i push myself too far when i'm stretching. i don't know what the stretch i was doing is called - i was sitting on the floor, my legs in a v, as far out as they'd go, and then i was stretching over each leg and forwards between my legs. it feels different than muscle soreness, and is in a different place. stretching does make it feel better, but it's saturday now, and this is from tuesday, and the tightness is still there.
i'm not worried, but curious about your insights.
thanks so much.
jaime
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jaime
ibs-a (mostly d) // vegetarian
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