Well we all know what it's like to feel stiff and sore and sorry after the load out!!. And the next day…we feel like we've been hit by a Mack Truck!! Our muscles are tight, we're sore all over, and just walking into the next gig is a major drama! Relax; there is a way to reduce this pain and help to prevent work related injuries.

Intro to muscles.
The soreness that follows hard physical work - and you can't get much more physical than setting up a big production number!! - is the result of minute tears within the muscle fibres, blood pooling in the muscles and the accumulation of the waste products of exercise, such as lactic acids.

Muscles are made up of tiny cylindrical cells called muscle fibres which run parallel to each other, and can be up to 30cms long. For every muscle in the body there is an opposite or opposing muscle which acts against it. The two groups of muscles provide a resistance to each other to balance the forces within the limb or body. If the opposing groups of muscles are flexible, the working muscles do not have to do as much work against the opposing muscles.

If one of these groups of muscles becomes a lot stronger or more flexible than the opposing group, it is likely to be out of balance with the other, leading to injury, or problems with posture. For example : hamstring injuries are often caused by out-of-balance thigh muscles. The quadriceps are strong but opposed by weak or inflexible hamstring muscles.

The muscles are connected to the bones by the tendons, which are made up of very dense connective tissue that is extremely strong, yet very pliable.

Stretching.
Stretching, as part of an effective warm up and cool down, helps to reduce muscle soreness and speeds up recovery time. Stretching before exercise helps to prevent injury, and after exercise it helps to prevent tight muscles and delayed muscle soreness. It does this by lengthening the individual fibres, increasing the blood to the muscles, and removing the waste products of exercise.

One of the greatest benefits of stretching is that we are able to increase the length of our muscles and tendons, leading to an increased range of movement before injury occurs. By increasing our muscle and tendon length we increase the distance over which our muscles are able to contract, resulting in a potential increase in the power and control of the muscle.

Tight, stiff muscles limit the normal range of movement of the body and limbs and interfere with their proper action. If our muscles cannot contract and relax efficiently, we will have decreased performance and a lack of muscle movement control. Short, tight muscles can also cause a dramatic loss of strength and power.

Finally.
The majority of injuries to raodogz are caused by the sudden exertion needed for lifting heavy bits of gear, without a thorough warm up and warm down!

As mentioned above; as part of general fitness routine, stretching will help reduce muscular discomfort and soreness, loss of power and performance, and reduce the risk of injury and repeated re-injury.

Just as we don't get fit in a couple of days, don't expect overnight miracles with stretching…be patient!! Some muscles and tendons my need a minimum of three months intense stretching before any benefits are obvious!

Stick with it, it's worth it in the long run, & you'll be able to keep on the road for longer!!

Next week, we'll look at the rest of the Upper & Lower Body Stretches. Until then, have a good one!! Willy T.

See images of the streches