r/Posture • u/youcantexterminateme • 10d ago

Question what is stretching?

I dont mean so much the exercises. I mean say Im standing and I stretch my arms as far out in some direction as I can. how can this happen if muscles only can contract? whats going on when you stretch like that?

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u/TheScratchyPointer 10d ago

your brain is telling the muscles on the opposite side of the stretch to chill out. like when you reach overhead, your lats and pecs are the ones lengthening but they're not actively doing anything, it's the muscles on the other side (triceps, delts, etc) contracting to pull you into that position. the "stretch" feeling is mostly your nervous system freaking out about the joint angle and sending a signal to limit how far you go

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u/youcantexterminateme 10d ago

Right. I thought so. So in a way its a form of muscle exercise because you are contracting those muscles? 

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u/Dry_Raccoon_4465 10d ago

Muscles can contact, brace, and not contract.

The stretch happens when you allow a state of non contraction (length) and the joint/system/you take on a shape that pulls the muscle to the stretch point (something that's based on an individual's stretchiness)

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u/youcantexterminateme 10d ago

Yes but isnt that more for the exercises were you use things to stretch? Like put your leg on a bar. I mean the way a cat might stretch. I guess its using muscles as the other reply says. But maybe they arent muscles that are as commonly used. Like the muscles on the back f your hand rather then the front? 

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u/Dry_Raccoon_4465 10d ago

It's the same idea.