23/03/2022
Taekwondo Stretching---
Stretching is one of the most important things to do while practicing or participating in any physical activity. Stretching not only warms up the muscles in your body, but it helps prevent pain and pulling of the muscles, and helps with flexibility and motion. In order to perform taekwondo moves, one needs to practice and stretch. The focus on stretching is on the muscle itself and where the tendons and muscles meet or connect. This helps in increasing flexibility. For example, in order to perform the turning kick, or dollyo chagi, one must rotate dynamically and be able to kick at the height of someone's head. To do this, the goal is to increase the range of motion in the body through flexibility, which can be achieved by stretching.
What happens when we stretch? First off, the basic make-up of our muscles is two parts: the muscle belly and the tendon. The muscle itself can stretch up to one-and-a-half times its own length, while tendons could be permanently damaged if stretched only four percent beyond their length. When we stretch, it goes from the middle of the muscle belly to where the muscle and tendon meet. The best stretch is held for sixty seconds, allowing the stretch to reach the whole length of the muscle and work into the muscle-tendon connections. Gentle stretching allows the muscles to relax, let them release and eventually grow longer. Too much of anything can be bad - stretching is no different!
If you stretch too long or too intensely you can experience pain in your muscles. Pain is usually a bad signal and usually means your body is trying to repair damage. While stretching there shouldn't be any form of pain or severe discomfort, especially if you are trying to become more mobile and increase your flexibility.
Relax your mind and body.
Stretching should be gentle and relaxing, not straining and painful. Stretching not only relaxes your body, but also your mind. If done correctly, flexibility work and stretching should have a calming effect. Stretching is good to practice before physical activity and also before bed. There are many different stretching activities and exercises that can be practiced. There are upper body stretches, lower body stretches, and stretches that focus on certain parts of your body. Hip, neck, ankle, back, calf, chest, and many other parts of the body can be stretched individually and help when practicing your taekwondo skills.
