Stretching is an integral a part of any exercise routine. Higher flexibility permits us to change into extra immune to damage whereas gaining energy, however most individuals solely learn about two sorts of stretches:

• Static: Conventional stretching the place a muscle is held in an elongated place for as much as 30 seconds (suppose toe-touches) to launch stress and make muscular tissues extra pliable.
• Dynamic: Motion-based actions (e.g., trunk twists, excessive knees) to prime the physique for motion.

However there’s one other technique to enhance flexibility and vary of movement referred to as PNF stretching. For those who’ve ever labored out with a private coach who stretched you post-workout or visited one of many fashionable stretching studios, you could already be acquainted with this observe.

Whether or not you’re a novice or steadily have another person stretch you, right here’s what you have to learn about PNF stretching.

What Is PNF Stretching?

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF stretching, entails stretching a muscle to its restrict after which contracting that muscle or a surrounding muscle to permit for a deeper stretch — just like lively stretching. The aim of the observe is to unlock larger ranges of movement and enhance flexibility.

Bodily therapists developed PNF within the Nineteen Forties as a technique to deal with sufferers with polio and a number of sclerosis and later started utilizing it for different situations. “PNF stretching is primarily utilized in rehabilitative and orthopedic settings to revive flexibility, energy, and coordination to injured muscular tissues,” explains Chris Gagliardi, scientific training content material supervisor for the American Council on Train. Most frequently, this stretching is finished with a educated accomplice.

Nonetheless, anybody who desires to enhance mobility can profit from PNF strategies. “It’s a remedy methodology and philosophy that makes use of the ability of the nervous system to boost motion,” says private coach and bodily therapist Keats Snideman, PT, DPT, COMT, CSCS, LMT.

He explains that breaking down the acronym helps to grasp the way it works:

• Proprioceptive: Referring to the various sensory receptors that relay details about the motion and place of the physique again to the central nervous system.
• Neuromuscular: The connection between the nerves and the muscular tissues/tendons that they provide.
• Facilitation: To make an motion or course of simpler.

How Does PNF Stretching Work?

Snideman splits PNF ideas into “direct” and “oblique” strategies. Direct strategies use power supplied by the muscle being stretched, whereas oblique strategies use power supplied by muscular tissues that oppose the one being stretched.

Direct strategies

Direct strategies are used for tight muscular tissues that aren’t painful or harmful to stretch. A typical stretching methodology is contract-relax (CR):

• You stretch the tight muscle to its finish vary of movement or simply shy of it if that’s painful.
• Then from that place, isometrically contract the muscle (a.ok.a. push in opposition to a power with out transferring the muscle) for 5 to 10 seconds.
• After a quick rest, you’ll discover that you could stretch the muscle a bit deeper.

For instance, should you have been to stretch your hamstring, you’d lie in your again and elevate your leg up as excessive as it might probably go whereas holding it straight. Then, push in opposition to an opposing power — like a accomplice, strap, or wall — as should you have been going to decrease your leg again down, however be sure your leg doesn’t transfer. After contracting for as much as 10 seconds, loosen up your leg, and you need to have the ability to elevate it greater than you probably did beforehand.

“This method works by what is known as ‘post-isometric rest,’” Snideman explains, “which signifies that a muscle has a quick interval of rest after isometric contraction.”

This rest is feasible due to a reflex referred to as autogenic inhibition. When the muscle contracts, sensory receptors referred to as golgi tendon organs ship an inhibitory sign that directs the muscle to launch stress, permitting it to elongate. Put merely, the muscle relaxes itself when it experiences an excessive amount of stress.

You’ll be able to usually do direct PNF stretching with a accomplice or with props like a strap or a wall.

Oblique strategies

Oblique strategies use antagonist, or opposing, physique components to stretch a good muscle. “This method is perhaps higher when a muscle is weak or painful to contract,” Snideman says.

With oblique strategies:

• You stretch the tight muscle to its finish vary of movement or simply shy of it if that’s painful.
• Then, reasonably than contracting that muscle, you isometrically contract different opposing muscular tissues for 5 to 10 seconds, which, in flip, assist the tight muscle loosen up and stretch.

For instance, should you have been to stretch your chest, you’d elevate your arm up in order that it’s parallel to the bottom and stretch it as far again behind as you’ll be able to with out ache. From that time, brace your arm in opposition to a accomplice or a wall behind you and contract the muscular tissues in your shoulders and higher again to push in opposition to the power. After contracting for as much as 10 seconds, loosen up your arm, and you could discover extra vary of movement within the preliminary chest stretch.

Throughout this method, the muscular tissues interact in reciprocal inhibition. Whereas one muscle is contracting, inhibitory alerts trigger the opposing muscle to loosen up.

Oblique PNF stretching is usually carried out with a accomplice, however it might be potential to stretch by yourself with props, relying on what muscle you’re focusing on.

When Ought to I Do PNF Stretching?

“There isn’t any consensus on when it’s best to make use of PNF stretching,” Snideman says. “But when this sort of stretching is used previous to exercise, it might probably assist somebody obtain the vary of movement they want for no matter exercise they’re about to partake in.”

It’s greatest to heat up earlier than doing PNF stretching, as flexibility is most successfully educated when the muscle is heat, Gagliardi provides.

Additionally, earlier than train, make sure you do some dynamic stretching after PNF stretching. In any other case, research present you could have much less vertical leap top or energy throughout your exercise.

What Are the Advantages of PNF Stretching?

“PNF-type stretching usually produces a larger enhance in vary of movement extra rapidly than passive or static approaches,” Snideman says.

In a examine printed in Biology of Sport in 2016, researchers divided 40 faculty college students with tight hamstrings into 4 teams. Three days every week for 4 weeks, college students carried out:

• Typical static stretching
• PNF stretching
• Mulligan traction straight leg increase (TSLR) method (one other method that will increase hamstring flexibility)
• No stretching

PNF stretching and Mulligan TSLR each elevated hamstring vary of movement greater than static stretching did. Some even contemplate PNF the “only stretching method” for rising vary of movement.

Precautions When Practising PNF Stretching

To be protected, solely do PNF stretching with knowledgeable, comparable to a private coach or bodily therapist educated within the observe. Inform them about any accidents or strains, as contracting injured muscular tissues or tendons might worsen issues, Snideman cautions.

This additionally applies should you’ve had current surgical procedures, as stretching the affected muscular tissues might impair restoration. As soon as the strategies, you could possibly do some PNF stretching by yourself.