Stretching is an integral part of any drive routine. Greater flexibility allows us to become more resistant to injuries while gaining strength, but most people know only two types of stretching:
- Static: Traditional stretching where a muscle is kept in an elongated position up to 30 seconds (think of the touches of the toes) to release tension and make the muscles more flexible.
- Dynamic: Activities based on movement (for example, trunk twists and turns, high knees) to start the body for action.
But there is another way of increasing the flexibility and the amplitude of the movements called stretching of the PNF. If you have already worked with a personal coach who stretched you after training or visited one of the trendy stretch studios, you may already know this practice.
Whether you are a novice or you often have someone else stretch, here is what you need to know about the stretch of the PNF.
What is PNF stretching?
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or stretch of PNF, implies stretching a muscle at its limit, then contracting this muscle or surrounding muscle to allow a deeper stretch – similar to active stretch. The objective of the practice is to unlock greater ranges of movements and improve flexibility.
Physiotherapists developed a PNF in the 1940s To treat patients with polio and multiple sclerosis and then started using it for other conditions. “The stretching of the PNF is mainly used in rehabilitation and orthopedic contexts to restore flexibility, strength and coordination of injured muscles,” explains Chris GagliardiScientific Education Content Manager for the American Council we exercise. Most often, this stretching is done with a trained partner.
However, whoever wishes to improve mobility can benefit from PNF techniques. “It is a treatment method and a philosophy that uses the power of the nervous system to improve movement,” explains the personal coach and the physiotherapist Keats SnidemanPT, DPT, Comt, CSCS, LMT.
He explains that the rupture of the acronym helps to understand how it works:
- Proprioceptive: referring to the many sensory receptors which relay information on the movement and the position of the body towards the central nervous system.
- Neuromuscular: the link between the nerves and the muscles / tendons they provide.
- Facilitation: to facilitate an action or a process.
How does PNF stretch work?
Snideman divides PNF concepts into “direct” and “indirect” techniques. Direct methods use the strength provided by the stretched muscle, while indirect methods use the strength provided by the muscles that oppose that stretched.
Direct techniques
Direct techniques are used for tight muscles that are not painful or dangerous to stretch. A current stretching method is the relaxation of the contract (CR):
- You stretch the tight muscle at its finished or simply shy movement beach if it is painful.
- Then, from this position, contract the muscle isometrically (AKA pushes against a force without moving the muscle) for five to 10 seconds.
- After a brief relaxation, you will find that you can stretch the muscle a little more.
For example, if you were your hamstrings, you lie on your back and lift your leg as high as possible while keeping it straight. Then push against an opposite force – like a partner, a strap or a wall – as if you were going to lower your leg, but make sure your leg is not moving. After contracting up to 10 seconds, relax your leg and you should be able to lift it higher than you did previously.
“This technique works by what is called” post-isometric relaxation “, explains Snideman,” which means that a muscle has a brief period of relaxation after the isometric contraction. »»
This relaxation is possible because of a reflex called Autogenic inhibition. When the muscle contracts, the sensory receptors called Golgi tendon organs send an inhibitory signal which orders the muscle to release the tension, which allows it to lie down. In simple terms, the muscle relaxes when it experiences too much tension.
You can often make direct PNF stretching with a partner or with accessories such as a strap or a wall.
Indirect techniques
Indirect techniques use antagonistic or opposite parts to stretch a tight muscle. “This technique may be better when a muscle is low or painful to contract,” explains Snideman.
With indirect techniques:
- You stretch the tight muscle at its finished or simply shy movement beach if it is painful.
- Then, rather than contracting this muscle, you contract isometrically other opposite muscles for five to 10 seconds, which, in turn, helps the muscles tightened to relax and stretch.
For example, if you were your chest, you lift your arm so that it is parallel to the ground and stretch it as far as possible without pain. From this moment, prepare your arm against a partner or a wall behind you and contract the muscles in your shoulders and the upper back to push against force. After contracting up to 10 seconds, relax your arm and you can find more amplitude of motion in the initial chest stretch.
During this technique, the muscles engage in reciprocal inhibition. While a muscle contracts, the inhibitory signals cause a relaxation of the opposite muscle.
The stretching of the indirect PNF is generally carried out with a partner, but it may be possible to stretch by yourself with accessories, depending on the muscle you target.
When should I do PNF stretching?
“There is no consensus on the best time to use the stretch of the PNF,” explains Snideman. “But if this type of stretch is used before activity, he can help someone perform the amplitude of the movements he needs for any activity in which he is about to participate.”
It is preferable to warm up before stretching PNF, because flexibility is more effectively driven when the muscle is hot, adds Gagliardi.
In addition, before the exercise, be sure to make dynamic stretching after the stretching of the PNF. Otherwise, studies show that you can have Less vertical jump height Or power during your training.
What are the advantages of PNF stretching?
“PNF type stretches often produce a faster increase in the amplitude of movements than passive or static approaches,” explains Snideman.
In a Study published in Sports biology In 2016The researchers divided 40 students with tight hamstrings in four groups. Three days a week for four weeks, the students played:
- Typical static static stretching
- PNF Stretching
- Relaxation technique of the right leg of the traction of Mulligan (TSLR) (another technique which increases the flexibility of the hamstrings)
- No stretch
The stretch of the PNF and the Mulligan TSLR both increased the amplitude of the movement of the hamstrings more than static stretching. Some even consider PNF The “most effective stretching technique” to increase the amplitude of movements.
Precautions during the practice of the stretch of the PNF
To be safe, only the PNF extends with a professional, such as a personal coach or a physiotherapist trained in practice. Talk to them about injuries or strains, because the muscle contract or injured tendons can worsen things, warns Snideman.
This also applies if you have undergone recent surgeries, as stretching the affected muscles can harm recovery. Once you know the techniques, you may be able to make PNF stretching by yourself.
