You’ve probably all heard the terms “Dynamic” Stretching and “Static” Stretching. I prefer to introduce to my clients, “Facilitated” stretching as a component of static stretching to help further deepen the stretch.
As we all know, dynamic simply means movement. So dynamic stretching includes repetitive movement of the body in order to increase flexibility or deepen the stretch.
An example of dynamic stretching would be during any Vinyasa Flow in yoga.
You should perform dynamic stretches each morning to reset your resting muscle length each day. A great example would be performing Sun Salutations.
Facilitated Stretching occurs when you contract the muscle being stretched during an active static stretch.
By contracting the stretched muscle, a reflex arc involving the golgi tendon organ is triggered, which allows for a much more enhanced muscle relaxation when the contracting period ends.
When practicing facilitated stretching, it is encouraged to lightly contract the stretched muscle in order to protect the associated joints.
