One of the main causes of injuries and dysfunction among active people is a lack of range of motion that places more pressure and stress on joints. When the muscles tighten up and shorten, this limits their functional range and the body finds away to get the motion through the joints. It is a condition called "relative flexibility." The body is a great cheater and will find a way to move even at the expense of the joint surfaces. When the muscles do not lengthen as they should, the joint compensates and undergoes more shear force, which can prematurely wear joint surfaces down and lead to arthritic changes.
Stretching and exercises designed to improve your functional motion will help reduce the stress on the joints and allow the joint surfaces to wear more evenly.
Our body functions optimally when it is balanced and the length of our muscles will determine the alignment and stress to the joint involved. As we age, stretching becomes necessary and even though this type of exercise is not popular, it is critical to achieving and maintaining optimal functional health.
Our mobilPT clinical development team has created a series of stretches, per body part to help reduce joint stress, in addition to a series of yoga based exercises designed to help improve your posture and structural integration. Making stretching a priority will yield great results and go a long way to preventing injuries and unnecessary wear and tear.
