As Fido is demonstrating above, everyone enjoys a good stretch. Typically, we feel more relaxed and our movements feel less restrained. In order to reap the benefits of stretching, you need to do it correctly. Here's what you need to know about stretching the right way and at the right time so you can enjoy all the outdoor activities Vancouver has to offer!

For almost all cases you want to hold your static stretches for 15-30 seconds.  That's because during this time frame you're causing change in the contractile portion of the muscle.  This is not going to cause the same permanent change that longer holds would in the non-contractile muscle component, ligaments, and joint capsules but it also won't cause any instability in the joint or overly stress the joint surfaces.  Additionally, research shows that if you're changing the non-contractile component you increase your chance for injury immediately following stretching. ​

To know if you need to do longer holds all you have to do is ask yourself if after doing dynamic warmups before activity and static stretches after you still feel tightness or restriction.  Alternatively if during your normal daily routine you may also feel tightness or restrictions doing simple movements like putting your coat or socks on.  At Granville Physio we'll be able to assess which joints have restrictions and what stretches would benefit you the most!

Although some dynamic movement may be required for certain stretches, bouncing into and out of stretches can cause injury and should be avoided! ​

With the exception of stretches that restore joint mechanics or alignment you should only do dynamic stretches before activity.  Ideally, you've worked on the mechanic and alignment issues at other times and don't need to work on them before activity.   Numerous studies show that as little as 90 seconds of dynamic stretching prior to an activity enhances performance and reduces risk of injury.  Dynamic stretching has a significantly smaller impact on flexibility when compared to static stretching though. 

Here is a link to our blog on how to perform a dynamic stretch routine: Lower Body & Upper Body coming soon!

Did you know just from moving your wrist back and forth the ulnar nerve moves on average 14mm at the point of your funny bone?  Sometimes tight nerves are responsible for pain, numbness, tingling, and tightness that doesn't go away with stretching.  This is where you could use guidance from one of Granville Physio's experts to make sure all your nerves move correctly. ​
We now know that the nervous system controls our flexibility much more than we thought.  Part of the limits of our flexibility is how much our nerves “put the brakes on” to protect our tissues from damage by excessive length or tension.  This is part of our “danger” mechanism.  There are receptors in our muscle spindles (muscle cells) and golgi tendon organs (stretch receptors in our tendons) that provide feedback to the nervous system and constantly drive a certain amount of tension that resists excessive length in the muscles.  Remember your muscles do not do anything by themselves – they need the brain and the nerves to tell them what to do.  When people are under general anesthetic (and their neural drive is turned right down) – suddenly they have excellent flexibility! Stretching is now thought to inhibit that neural drive, or modulate the “danger” response. 

References:
​Small, et al. (2008). A systematic review into the efficacy of static stretching as part of a warm-up for the prevention of exercise-related injury.Research in Sports Medicine, 16(3), 213-231.
 
Lauersen, et al. (2014). The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(11), 871-877
 
Konrad & Tilp, (2014). Increased range of motion after static stretching is not due to changes in muscle and tendon structures. Clinical Biomechanics, 29(6), 636-642
 
Schroeder et al., (2015) Is self myofascial release an effective pre-exercise and recovery strategy? A literature review.  Curr Sport Med Rep 14,  200-208
 
McHugh & Cosgrave, (2010). To stretch or not to stretch: the role of stretching in injury prevention and performance. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(2), 169-181.
 
Amako M, Oda T, Masuoka K, et al. (2003) Effect of static stretching on prevention of injuries for military recruits. Mil Med. ;168:442-446


Bacurau RF, Monteiro GA, Ugrinowitsch C, Tricoli V, Cabral LF, Aoki MS (2009) Acute effect of a ballistic and a static stretching exercise bout on flexibility and maximal strength. J Strength Cond Res 23:304–308
Bandy WD, Irion JM, Briggler M (1998) The effect of static stretch and dynamic range of motion training on the flexibility of the hamstring muscles. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 27:295–300
Beedle BB, Mann CL (2007) A comparison of two warm-ups on joint range of motion. J Strength Cond Res 21:776–779
Behm DG, Chaouachi A. A review of the acute effects of static and dynamic stretching on performance. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011: 111: 2633–2651.
Behm DG, Bambury A, Cahill F, Power K. Effect of acute static stretching on force, balance, reaction time, and movement time. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004: 36: 1397–1402.
Christensen BK, Nordstrom BJ (2008) The effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and dynamic stretching techniques on vertical jump performance. J Strength Cond Res 22:1826–1831
Covert CA, Alexander MP, Petronis JJ, Davis DS (2010) Comparison of ballistic and static stretching on hamstring muscle length using an equal stretching dose. J Strength Cond Res 24(11): 3008–3014
Gelen E (2010) Acute effects of different warm-up methods on sprint, slalom dribbling, and penalty kick performance in soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 24:950–956
Jaggers JR, Swank AM, Frost KL, Lee CD (2008) The acute effects of dynamic and ballistic stretching on vertical jump height, force, and power. J Strength Cond Res 22:1844–1849
McHugh MP, Cosgrave CH. To stretch or not to stretch: the role of stretching in injury prevention and performance. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2010: 20: 169–181.
O’Sullivan K, Murray E, Sainsbury D (2009) The effect of warm-up, static stretching and dynamic stretching on hamstring flexibility in previously injured subjects. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 10:37–42
Papadopoulos G, Siatras T, Kellis S (2005) The effect of static and dynamic stretching exercises on the maximal isokinetic strength of the knee extensors and flexors. Isokinetics Exerc Sci 13:285–291
McMillian DJ, Moore JH, Hatler BS, Taylor DC (2006) Dynamic vs. static-stretching warm up: the effect on power and agility performance. J Strength Cond Res 20:492–499
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Lean Protein
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and plays an important role in knitting damaged/torn tissue back together. This is especially important when healing cuts or incisions. Generally, it is recommended that people consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight but these numbers should increase after injury as demands for protein will be significantly higher. You should aim to get 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass.

Excellent lean protein sources include eggs, fish, turkey, legumes and beans.

Fiber
A common condition post-surgery is constipation. This is due to side effects of pain medications, anesthesia, dehydration, changes to diet, stress and reduced physical activity. To maintain healthy eliminations, it is recommended to drink plenty of water and consume foods that are high in fiber.
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Prunes are a rich source of both soluble and insoluble fiber which softens and adds bulk to stool.
Other foods include beans and legumes, apples, pears, bran flakes, oatmeal and flaxseed meal. 

Fermented Foods
It is standard protocol to be given antibiotics as a preventative measure before or during and sometimes after surgery. Antibiotics kill both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria in our digestive system. The problem with this is that since 75-80% of natural immunity resides in our digestive system, this actually reduces our natural protective barrier.
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There are foods rich in probiotics and digestive enzymes you can eat to help keep your immune system integrity strong. Some of these include:

• Yogurt
• Kefir (both dairy and water)
• Apple cider vinegar or other traditionally fermented vinegars
• Naturally fermented vegetables; sauerkraut, kimchee
• Fermented beverages; beet kvass, kombucha
• Fermented bean and legumes
• Naturally fermented chutneys and salsas
  
• Additionally, companies such as AOR provide well researched solutions to combat bad intestinal bacteria (fighting bacteria with bacteria) and good bacteria in the form of probiotics. 

Deeply Coloured Fruits
The body is under constant oxidative stress but the stress of surgery or an injury, in addition to the drugs used during and after the procedure, further increases the stress placed on the body through free-radical production. Your body will naturally utilize antioxidants to combat these harmful molecules but the demands will be much higher post-injury or surgery.

Antioxidant intake can be substantially increased by eating deeply coloured fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and pomegranates. These fruits contain anthocyanidins, which are compounds that enhance the effects of Vitamin C, as well as improve the integrity of your capillaries and stabilize collagen.

Vegetables & Orange-Coloured Fruits
Vitamin A is needed by the body for the repair and maintenance of soft tissue, mucus membranes, and skin and is thus, important when dealing with an injury.

Sweet potatoes, carrots, darky leafy greens like kale are excellent sources of beta carotene, or pro-vitamin A, which the body converts into Vitamin A as needed. Orange-coloured fruits such as cantaloupe, mango, and dried apricots are also exceptional sources of beta carotene.

Bell Peppers & Citrus Fruit
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that helps to cross-link collagen. As mentioned previously, collagen is a crucial protein to proper wound healing, especially if you have had an incision during surgical procedures. Stress also depletes Vitamin C stores so increasing your intake is highly recommended after surgery (up to 900 mg per day).

Excellent sources of Vitamin C are bell peppers (340 mg per medium pepper), papaya, broccoli, strawberries, citrus fruit, kiwis, and broccoli.

Cruciferous Vegetables
There is always the risk of infection after surgery and the best protection is to build up your immune system. Phytonutrients are natural compounds found in plant foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grain product and legumes. There are many different phytonutrients and they have been shown to possess antioxidant properties, act as antibacterial or antiviral agents, and have positive effects on the immune system.

Foods rich in phytonutrients include dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale, bok choy), cabbage, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower.

Nuts & Seeds
Zinc is necessary for proper immune system function. The body requires zinc to develop, mature and activate cells that are integral to the process of immunity. Furthermore, zinc is essential for wound healing as it is integral to protein synthesis and cell growth.

Sesame seeds, squash and pumpkin are excellent sources of zinc. Oysters have the highest concentration of zinc and red meats have some incredibly high concentrations as well. 

Inflammation & Eating
In a healthy body, inflammation is a normal and effective response that promotes healing. However, sometimes inflammation persists on a daily basis even when you are not injured or ill. This is when inflammation can become a problem. Many major diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s, have been linked to chronic inflammation.

Studies have shown that certain foods and beverages have anti-inflammatory effects such as tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fatty fish and fruits. Conversely, there are some foods that can promote the inflammation response and should be limited as much as possible. These include refined carbohydrates (such as white bread and pastries), fried foods, soda and other sweetened beverages, red meats, processed meats, margarine, shortening and lard.