Is PNF Stretching the Most Efficient Strategy to Enhance Mobility?

Stretching is an integral a part of any exercise routine. Larger flexibility permits us to turn into extra proof against damage whereas gaining power, 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 muscle mass extra pliable.
• Dynamic: Motion-based actions (e.g., trunk twists, excessive knees) to prime the physique for motion.

However there’s one other approach to enhance flexibility and vary of movement known as PNF stretching. In case you’ve ever labored out with a private coach who stretched you post-workout or visited one of many fashionable stretching studios, it’s possible you’ll already be conversant in this observe.

Whether or not you’re a novice or often have another person stretch you, right here’s what you want 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 — much like energetic stretching. The purpose of the observe is to unlock better ranges of movement and enhance flexibility.

Bodily therapists developed PNF within the Nineteen Forties as a approach 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, power, and coordination to injured muscle mass,” explains Chris Gagliardi, scientific schooling content material supervisor for the American Council on Train. Most frequently, this stretching is completed with a educated accomplice.

Nonetheless, anybody who desires to enhance mobility can profit from PNF strategies. “It’s a remedy technique 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 muscle mass/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 pressure supplied by the muscle being stretched, whereas oblique strategies use pressure supplied by muscle mass that oppose the one being stretched.

Direct strategies

Direct strategies are used for tight muscle mass that aren’t painful or harmful to stretch. A standard stretching technique 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.okay.a. push towards a pressure with out shifting the muscle) for 5 to 10 seconds.
• After a short leisure, you’ll discover that you may stretch the muscle a bit deeper.

For instance, if you happen to have been to stretch your hamstring, you’d lie in your again and raise your leg up as excessive as it could go whereas maintaining it straight. Then, push towards an opposing pressure — like a accomplice, strap, or wall — as if you happen to have been going to decrease your leg again down, however ensure your leg doesn’t transfer. After contracting for as much as 10 seconds, calm down your leg, and you need to have the ability to raise it greater than you probably did beforehand.

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

This leisure is feasible due to a reflex known as autogenic inhibition. When the muscle contracts, sensory receptors known 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 elements to stretch a decent muscle. “This system could be 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, relatively than contracting that muscle, you isometrically contract different opposing muscle mass for 5 to 10 seconds, which, in flip, assist the tight muscle calm down and stretch.

For instance, if you happen to have been to stretch your chest, you’d raise your arm up in order that it’s parallel to the bottom and stretch it as far again behind as you may with out ache. From that time, brace your arm towards a accomplice or a wall behind you and contract the muscle mass in your shoulders and higher again to push towards the pressure. After contracting for as much as 10 seconds, calm down your arm, and it’s possible you’ll discover extra vary of movement within the preliminary chest stretch.

Throughout this system, the muscle mass have interaction in reciprocal inhibition. Whereas one muscle is contracting, inhibitory alerts trigger the opposing muscle to calm down.

Oblique PNF stretching is often carried out with a accomplice, however it could 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 one of these stretching is used previous to exercise, it could 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 to do some dynamic stretching after PNF stretching. In any other case, research present you will have much less vertical leap top or energy throughout your exercise.

What Are the Advantages of PNF Stretching?

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

In a research revealed 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 elevate (TSLR) approach (one other approach 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 take into account PNF the “handiest stretching approach” for growing vary of movement.

Precautions When Practising PNF Stretching

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

This additionally applies if you happen to’ve had latest surgical procedures, as stretching the affected muscle mass could impair restoration. As soon as you already know the strategies, you could possibly do some PNF stretching by yourself.