Your range of motion—how far you’ll be able to move a joint in several directions—is set by many things, starting with the inner workings of the joint and its surrounding structures. Stretching exercises may help increase this range of motion. To understand how, it helps to be aware of these structures and the way they may help — or hinder — joint flexibility:
- joint They are the junctions that connect the bones together. The architecture of every joint—that’s, whether its structure is a hinge, axis, or socket in a ball—determines how the bones can move.
- The muscles surround the joints and supply the energy used to maneuver them. The amount of tension within the muscles across the joint is a very important consider how much movement the joint can achieve. Muscle tension could be affected by each passive aspects, similar to tissue scarring or your habitual posture, and energetic aspects, similar to involuntary muscle spasms or purposeful muscle contractions.
- Tendon There are elastic cords of strong tissue that connect muscles to bones and make movement possible. When a joint moves, energy is transferred from the muscles to the tendons, which pull the bones.
- Ligaments There are tough, fibrous bands of tissue that connect bone to bone, or bone to cartilage. An example is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which is considered one of five ligaments that together control the movement of the knee. Among other things, the ACL prevents the knee joint from rotating too far.
When you stretch, you might be working the muscles and tendons relatively than the ligaments. Ligaments shouldn’t be flexible. An overstretched ligament is not going to provide the soundness and support needed for a secure range of motion.
No material on this site, no matter date, needs to be used as an alternative to direct medical advice out of your doctor or other qualified practitioner.