Have you ever wondered: what is PNF stretching? This technique is also known as proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and is commonly used in exercise and injury prevention. Chances are, whether you’ve heard of it or not, you’ve probably seen it before.
But first, What does stretching do to your body? (opens in a new tab)? In simpler terms, stretching relaxes, strengthens, and lengthens muscles to improve range of motion and reduce the chance of injury. Dynamic (moving) stretches are traditionally used before training to prepare muscles and joints for exercise, while static (non-moving) stretches are beneficial after training to aid recovery, although they can also be incorporated into exercises. warm ups.
There are many ways to stretch, but PNF stretching is said to be a more advanced method favored by athletes to achieve a deeper stretch. However you decide to exercise, PNF stretching may improve your performance and aid recovery.
We talked to experts to find out more. discover the many benefits of stretching (opens in a new tab) for your body and best yoga mats (opens in a new tab) to perform them, or read on to learn more about PNF stretching.
What are PNF stretches?
rami hashish, doctorate
Rami Hashish earned his Ph.D. in biomechanics from the University of Southern California in 2014. He then worked as a physical therapy clinical instructor for several years before founding the National Institute of Biomechanics.
According to rami hashish (opens in a new tab) (PhD, DPT) An injury and body performance expert, the contract-relax method is possibly the most common PNF stretching technique and facilitates deeper stretching to improve range of motion.
“With this stretching method, a passive stretch is applied to a muscle or group of muscles, then the muscle being stretched makes an active contraction,” explains Hashish. “This results in some short-term fatigue in the muscle. The muscle is then relaxed and helped to stretch deeper.”
Hashish explains that consistent PNF stretching can increase range of motion and overall flexibility, leading to improved muscular and athletic performance. And research, like this study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics (opens in a new tab), do you agree
Hope Choplin, a certified clinical exercise physiologist and Noom trainer, adds that NFP was originally developed in the late 1940s for people with neurological conditions before being adopted for musculoskeletal conditions as well. “It is now commonly used by therapists, athletes, and dancers,” she says. “In recent years, it is also popular in gyms due to its association with ‘quick results.'”
hope choplin
“As an ACSM-certified clinical exercise physiologist, “exercise is medicine” resonates with me, and I’ve spent time working with both sides of the wellness spectrum. I have spent over 10 years creating and implementing clinical group exercise programs for people with heart and peripheral arterial disease, using cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing to build meaningful health and wellness goals. Also, I have personal training experience with people after stroke and TBI (traumatic brain injury). While I believe post-event therapy is important, providing intervention prior to a major medical event is a change in the wellness continuum that is long overdue. As a health coach, I love making an impact at this crucial juncture for so many.”
What are the three types of PNF stretches?
According to the International Journal of Sports Physiotherapy (opens in a new tab), PNF stretching is divided into three categories. But before we dive into them, let’s quickly cover the most common stretching methods:
- Static stretch: It involves holding a muscle under tension without movement, with or without using a support or partner. Passive stretching requires an accessory to add resistance, such as a wall or resistance band.
- Dynamic stretch: This sport-specific warm-up stretch includes active Y ballistic extension. Active involves moving a limb through its full range of motion, such as leg swings. Ballistic stretching involves rapid ‘bouncing’ motion (such as a bouncing toe touch) in the final range of motion, but is no longer recommended as a stretching technique.
PNF sits below pre-contraction stretch and it is a passive form of stretching that requires the contraction and relaxation of the muscles to their limit against a support or partner, performed repetitively.
PNF is thought to trigger an inverse stretch reflex. Essentially, this tells your muscles to relax before they get injured. Think of it as a protective conversation between your brain and your muscles. Interestingly, however, research such as this to study (opens in a new tab) mentioned above, says that it is still a working theory.
Regardless, PNF is divided into three types: contract-relax, wait-relaxY contraction-relaxation agonist contract (CRAC) – which we break down below.
Other Benefits of PNF Stretching
We’ve already covered benefits like increased range of motion and flexibility, but PNF can also help strengthen muscle groups and improve performance.
“Increased strength is not commonly seen with stretching,” says Choplin. “Nevertheless, studies (opens in a new tab) have shown that performing a PNF stretching routine prior to exercise for a couple of months (twice a week for eight weeks) can double the effectiveness in runners and movements such as a vertical jump and throwing distance.”
Chartered Physical Therapist Ben Lombard specializes in treating sports injuries and agrees that it is a useful technique.
“It works on the principle of gently maintaining a sustained contraction of a muscle that is being gently stretched,” he explains. “This action stimulates special receptors in the joints, called Golgi tendons, that help the muscle relax.”
But Lombard advises using it as part of a group of treatments rather than alone, and also in conjunction with dynamic stretching and strengthening of target muscles for best results; this is because the technique is not very dynamic when executed alone.
ben lombard
Ben Lombard is a private chartered physiotherapist working in London. He specializes in sports injuries but in recent years he has broadened his scope to become a specialist consultant in postural rehabilitation and scoliosis treatment.
How is PNF performed?
It is worth reiterating that to fully benefit from the PNF stretch, it must be performed carefully with a person or a prop, such as the best resistance bands or a friend Hashish agrees that implementing it into a regular stretching and exercise routine could maximize your results.
hold-relax
“The keep-relax The technique involves stretching the target muscle and then holding it for a few seconds,” explains Hashish. “The muscle then performs an isometric contraction where the muscle contracts without moving. After the contraction is relaxed, the deeper, passive stretch can be repeated.”
For example, if a trainer is helping you stretch your hamstrings while lying on your back, they will passively stretch you to raise your leg straight until resistance is felt. After holding the passive stretch, he would contract his hamstrings by pressing against the trainer’s resistance; the trainer would apply enough resistance to prevent any active movement of your leg. After this contraction, you can relax and the trainer deepens the passive hamstring stretch.
contract-relax
“The contract-relax The method is almost identical to hold and release, but the muscle contracts as it moves,” adds Hashish. “For example, by contracting the hamstrings, the back of the knee will move closer to the ground as you push against the resistance of the trainer. Then you relax while the trainer pulls you into a deeper position.”
contract-relax-contract
contract-relax-contract it is similar to contract-relax, but after the contraction is released, the opposing muscle group contracts while the trainer helps to deepen the stretch.
In other words, after pushing against the coach’s resistance to bring the back of the knee closer to the ground, now reverse the action by bringing the still-stretched knee closer to the chest as the coach helps deepen the stretch.
I’m not sure how to stretch the hamstrings (opens in a new tab)? Make sure you learn some basic stretching techniques first, including how to stretch lower back (opens in a new tab)also.
What are the drawbacks of PNF stretching?
Hashish warns that performing PNF stretches before exercise can result in reduced performance. According to a study in Journal of Human Kineticsthis may decrease muscle performance in plyometrics, sprinting, weightlifting, and high-intensity training where maximal muscular effort is required, possibly due to an “inhibitory effect” after stretching.
However, doing it after (or without) exercise has been shown to significantly increase performance when done at least twice a week, with effects lasting around 90 minutes after stretching.
Use this method with caution, especially if you are new to the exercise or PNF as a technique. Choplin tells us that the PNF stretch has not been consistently shown to be superior to ‘regular’ stretching and requires a partner who knows how to perform it, something that can otherwise cause muscle tears and injury to novice stretcher bearers.
She advises a few simple ways to reduce your risks:
- Do not start a PNF stretching routine without being shown the proper procedure by a professional trainer
- Children and adolescents should not attempt the PNF stretch as their bones have not finished growing and are often more flexible than adults, which could result in a higher risk of connective tissue or tendon damage.
- The more advanced PNF stretching methods should only be used by professional dancers or athletes.
“While PNF stretching has a place, especially for advanced exercisers, athletes and dancers, or in the therapy setting, it may not be a practical form of stretching for everyone,” adds Choplin.
“PNF stretching can be extremely difficult without a trained partner. People can rest assured that leaning towards more traditional forms of stretching (active, passive, or dynamic) will still benefit from increased flexibility and range of motion.”
It is also recommended to avoid unstable joints, such as the shoulders, and to use the stretch for the back and lower body.
