How to Increase Flexibility Safely
Written by Becca Sigmund
Through my journey studying with Lisa Howell and through close observation of my students, one of the most instrumental things I have learned is that just because it looks like the dancers are all doing the same thing, does not mean that they are all experiencing the same thing in their bodies. I recently did a simple “hover” test with thirty of my students in which the dancers had to hover their heel above the floor at full relevé, 2/3 of their relevé, and 1/3 of their relevé for 60 seconds. After asking the dancers to explain what they felt during that exercise, out of thirty students, I received twenty different responses. Some dancers felt the exercise in their large calf muscles, their Achilles, the front of the ankle, the side of their ankle, their quadriceps, the side of their hip, etc. This simple endurance test of the calf turned into a much bigger realization for me… everybody is different and as a teacher, and we need to be more involved with what our students are feeling when executing movements, and especially during stretches.
In my last blog, I discussed the dangers of overstretching, specifically related to the bony and ligamentous structures in the body. So how do we safely achieve high levels of flexibility? Asking the dancers “What do feel” and “Where do you feel this” can be the simplest means of ensuring the dancers are doing stretches properly and it can give you feedback as an instructor about what areas are tight in your dancer. Asking the dancer to indicate with their hands or fingers where they feel the stretch can tell you whether they are experiencing muscular, fascial, or neural tension. Knowing the difference between these can help you build a flexibility program unique to each dancer.
Addressing neural tension should be the first priority for any flexibility program. If a student is experiencing neural tension, they will feel a line of pull down their muscles to which that nerve supplies. This is the nerve sliding along each axon. This could be a line of tension down the center of their spine, a diagonal line from their spine out to the shoulder blade, or a line down the back of the leg or calf. You will often see that these students stretch and stretch but do not improve upon their flexibility. This is because nerves do not stretch, they glide through each axon sending nerve impulses through the body. If a nerve is being compressed by tight muscles or fascia elsewhere, the nerve will feel like it is being pulled. In short, if a dancer feels a line of pull down the back of their hamstring, it is not the hamstring that is tight, but an area above it that is compressing the nerve. If you release the tension in that area the hamstring will no longer feel tight. This is all done without stretching the hamstrings at all!
The next priority to address is fascial tension. Fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds all the organs and muscles in our body. I like to think of the fascia like a giant hammock surrounding our muscles. If you pull the hammock too tight on either end, the layers thicken, become tighter (not as spread out) and may even get tangled together into knots (see image 2.1). If a dancer is experiencing fascial tension in their hamstrings, they will feel the tension spread out across the back of the leg when in a forward bend. Since blood and fluids flow through our fascia, sitting in static stretches will decrease the flow of these fluids and the muscle may respond by becoming tighter due to the natural “fight or flight” response of the fascia. Instead, by moving in and out of the stretch, the dancer will increase fascia flight response, thereby releasing the muscles faster.
Figure 2.1
The third kind of tension is muscular tension. Surprisingly, this is less common compared to neural and fascial tension. If a dancer is experiencing muscular tension, they will feel tension in the belly of that specific muscle. Doing traditional stretches on muscular tension may help to increase flexibility, however, using trigger point release will be the fastest way to release the muscle. To maintain flexibility long-term, look for the source of the tension. Often, the tension is caused by executing movements with improper alignment or having weak deep stabilizing muscles. If not addressing the source of the tension, the muscle will return to its state of tension within a day or two.
Majority of students will experience neural, fascial, or muscular tension during traditional stretches, however, there are some occasions where the dancer may feel the stretch deep in the joint itself. In this case the dancer should stop doing that stretch. I have frequently observed during foot stretches. When stretching the foot, the dancer should feel the stretch in the top of the foot or the top of the arch. If the dancer is feeling pull from the back of their ankle, it is not a stretch. Instead, it is a compression of the joint and should not be performed. As a rule, stretches should stretch the region being stretched stretch, not the opposing side of the targeted area.
Addressing the proper source of tension is far more effective and efficient than performing traditional stretches. After performing a trigger point release on the inner thighs, I have assisted students to increase their straddles by as much as 6 inches. Releasing neural tension has also helped my students to reach a full split position in a single lesson. Watching students achieve greater success through proper stretching is one of the most rewarding experiences I have as a teacher. Asking dancers “what do you feel” is critical to understanding what is happening inside of a student’s body, not just what it looks like exteriorly. It helps them build body awareness that will help them make informed decisions on how best to warm-up and care for their body, which will translate into their technique.
