2.4 - Overflexibility
Description
This article is from the Stretching FAQ, by Brad Appleton Brad_Appleton@ivhs.mot.com with numerous contributions by others.
2.4 - Overflexibility
It is possible for the muscles of a joint to become too flexible.
According to `SynerStretch':
There is a tradeoff between flexibility and stability. The looser you
get, the less support offered to the joints by their adjacent muscles.
Excessive flexibility can be just as much of a liability as not enough
flexibility. Either one increases your risk of injury.
Once a muscle has reached its absolute maximum length, attempting to
stretch the muscle further only serves to stretch the ligaments and put
undue stress upon the tendons (two things that you do *not* want to
stretch). Ligaments will tear when stretched more than 6% of their normal
length. Tendons are not even supposed to be able to lengthen. Even when
stretched ligaments and tendons do not tear, loose joints and/or a decrease
in the joint's stability can occur (thus vastly increasing your risk of
injury).
Once you have achieved the desired level of flexibility for a muscle or set
of muscles and have maintained that level for a solid week, you should
discontinue any isometric or PNF stretching of that muscle until some of
its flexibility is lost (See "3.6 - Isometric Stretching"), and See "3.7 -
PNF Stretching").
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