The Stretch Reflex
The stretch reflex is something that is designed to protect us, but can get a little annoying when you are trying to get more flexible!
Inside the millions of tiny fibers that make up each of your muscles are little cells called Muscle Spindles that measure how much stretch there is in your muscles. As you stretch the muscle, a message gets sent to your central nervous system (not necessarily your brain) that causes a reflex contraction of the exact muscle that you are trying to stretch!
The most common example of the stretch reflex is a test for the stretch reflex in your quadriceps (thigh muscles).
In this test, the tendon below the knee (Patella tendon is hit with a small reflex hammer. (Dont try this with dads regular hammer – it might hurt!)
This causes a stretch in the quadriceps (Thigh Muscles) which is sensed by little stretch receptors in the muscle cell.
The message of the stretch is carried by the nerve to your spinal cord.
The message gets translated and immediately (your brain does not get involved) a new message is sent back down the nerve to contract the quadriceps, thus reversing the stretch. There is als a message sent to relax the hamstrings (the opposing muscle).
The same principle applies if we try to stretch our hamstrings too hard. As you pull your leg closer it starts to shake and . This is the fight between them pulling the leg in and the stretch reflex wanting to contract the hamstrings!
So, what do we do about it?
The first thing is not to try too hard. Most people think that if they pull harder, then the muscle will stretch more and they will get more flexible. Unfortunately this is just simply not true. The harder you pull, the more the stretch reflex will fire and the tighter and more sore you will feel the next day.
So when you are stretching next, try taking your leg just to the first point of tension that you feel and just pause there. Close your eyes and see if you can use your mind to slowly just let go of the tension in that muscle. This may take some practice, but once you master it, it will help you immensely. Once that point of tension has released, come out of the stretch, pump the muscle a few times to increase the blood flow and then try again moving slightly deeper into it. This will result in much faster flexibility gains than just pulling harder.
If you can learn to let your muscles relax in longer and longer positions, you will get far less activity of these little muscles spindles, and find it much easier to go into your stretches. This also helps protect you from injuring yourself while dancing, as you body will allow itself to go into a position easier. Muscles tears and strains often come when a muscle contracts as it is being stretched, and tears in the process.
Do yourself a favor, and learn how to make friends with your stretch reflex rather than hating it! Try releasing the restriction to your flexibility in other ways (neural and fascial releases) before stretching and you will be amazed at how much easier it is!
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