Lucas Studios Stretch Classes
What is the purpose of stretching?
Lucas Studios® provides Stretch Classes which employ a combination of safe gentle stretching techniques.
Part of the overall quality of life comes from maintaining a good range of motion in the joints, and conversely loss of flexibility can result in pain, injury, stiffness and/ or balance problems. Good range of motion makes for better biomechanics and therefore efficiency of movement of the body, reduces fatigue and helps prevent overuse injuries.
Reduced motion may be due to some mechanical problem with a particular joint or a result of disease such as some types of arthritis. Pain, swelling, and stiffness associated with arthritis can limit the range of motion of a particular joint and impair function and the ability to perform usual daily activities.
People differ in their individual flexibility. Gender, age, and genetics influence the extent of your flexibility. For instance women tend to be more flexible than men. A person’s range of motion in any particular joint is influenced by the structure and alignment of the joint, the health, structure and laxity or tightness of ligaments, tendons, muscles and skin. Also injury, the amount of fat carried and body temperature of an individual also play a role in flexibility.
Flexibility is the range of movement in a joint, and the length of the muscles that cross that joint.
Range of Motion is the distance and direction a joint can move to its full potential. Flexibility in some joints can be increased by stretching.
Static Stretching stretches muscles while the body is at rest, lengthening a muscle to an elongated position (to the point of discomfort), holding that position for 30 seconds to two minutes.
Dynamic Stretching uses momentum from static-active stretching strength, to propel the muscle into an extended range of motion not exceeding one's static-passive stretching ability (anything beyond this range of motion becomes ballistic stretching – see below). Dynamic stretching increases range of movement, blood and oxygen flow to soft tissues prior to exertion, helping reduce the risk of injury.
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching (or PNF stretching for short) is a combination of passive and isometric contractions encouraging flexibility and coordination through the entire range of motion. ( PNF terms include concentric isotonic contraction when the muscle shortens, eccentric isotonic when it lengthens even though resisting a force, and isometric is when it remains the same.)
Resistance Stretching is a form of stretching in which a muscle contracts and elongates at the same time. Resistance stretches are done by using resistance against your own body, the ground, a wall, or other props, or assisted resistance with two or more people, where the stretcher resists the movement of the assister/s while the assister/s flex/extend, adduct/abduct, and/or inward/outward rotate the target muscle/s.
Ballistic Stretching is stretching in a rapid bouncing action, and should only be used by athletes who know their own limitations and with supervision as it can injure muscles and nerves and even rip tissue off the bone. Ballistic stretching is not included in Lucas Studios® classes.
The Timetable for the Stretch Classes is contained within the Group Pilates Classes timetable HERE (or click button below).
