Stretching: The Art of Lengthening Your Body and Your Life
Originally sent to subscribers on 13 December 2025
Why Stretching Matters
This week I was stretched—physically. I walked out of an assisted stretching session feeling like my joints were oiled, my posture lifted, and my nervous system reset. Most people think stretching is optional: something you do if you’re into yoga, injured, warming up, or feeling guilty for sitting. They either stretch so gently nothing changes or force it so hard their nervous system clamps down.
Here’s what’s true: Stretching is a biological conversation between muscle fibres, connective tissue, and your nervous system. Your body reads the tension you put into it and decides whether to remodel or protect. Stretching isn’t about being bendy; it’s about being able—able to move well, stay strong, keep joints youthful, and tissues resilient as the years stack up.
DATA
Where insight becomes impact
What I’ve been looking at this week…
First, what stretching actually is: taking a muscle and its connective tissue into a longer position and staying there long enough for your nervous system to stop treating it like a threat. Calm, controlled, consistent stretching works because your brain has to approve the range.
Dynamic vs. Static
Dynamic stretching is movement through range—leg swings, arm circles—and is best before resistance training because it warms tissue and primes coordination.
Static stretching is a held position, usually 30–60 seconds, best done on its own because it needs attention to build range over time. A 2024 meta‑analysis found regular stretching over at least two weeks increases range of motion. Consistency matters.
Why People Ignore Stretching
Because it’s quiet—no sweat, no scoreboard. But stiffness impacts posture, pain, gait, breathing mechanics, speed, and the mental load of moving through your day.
Stretching, Flexibility, Mobility, Agility, Hypermobility
Stretching: what you do.
Flexibility: passive range of movement you can access.
Mobility: range plus strength—range you can control.
Agility: mobility plus fast direction change—nervous system timing.
Hypermobility: extra range, which can be problematic if it comes with pain or instability.
PNF and the 3 F’s
PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation): assisted stretching blending a stretch with a short muscle contraction, then a deeper stretch. It’s potent, especially with timed exhales.
Fascia: connective tissue web that wraps muscles; it needs to glide.
Fibres: tightness is often your nervous system applying the brakes. Ageing changes the nerve‑to‑muscle connection.
Feelings: mental stress increases muscle tension even without physical load.
The Plot Twist: Stretching Your Arteries
Regular stretching can reduce arterial stiffness and improve blood pressure markers. An 8‑week study found stretching outperformed brisk walking for BP improvement in people with high‑normal BP or stage 1 hypertension. Stretching may also stretch your vessels—a very different story to “can you touch your toes.”
DEVICES
Track it to hack it
So how do you track how effective your stretches are? You need three dials:
Distance – Measure your range: Pick one benchmark—how far down your shins your fingers go or how much of the wall behind you you can see when you turn your neck. Precision lovers can use a goniometer; simplicity lovers can use photos taken in the same position and lighting.
Duration – Time your holds: For static stretches, hold one stretch for 50 seconds; long enough for the nervous system to soften, especially if you slow your breathing.
Dose – Gauge intensity: Use a 0–10 scale.
0–4/10: pleasant, probably too light to change much.
6–7/10: strong stretch, controlled, breathing steady—the growth zone.
8–10/10: pain, breath‑holding, face‑grimacing—where people get injured or rebound tighter.
Aim for 6–7/10. Precision beats punishment.
DECISIONS
From knowing to doing
The 5‑50 Flexibility Fix
Five stretches a day, 50 seconds each. Add my favourite upgrade: the “soft face, slow breath, small range” rule.
First 10 seconds – arrive
Next 30 seconds – find a 6/10 edge, keep the breath smooth
Final 10 seconds – add a gentle contraction, then relax and go a touch deeper
This bite‑sized PNF approach teaches control, not collapse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I stretch every day? Yes—small daily doses beat big sporadic sessions.
Before or after exercise? Dynamic before; longer static holds after or in a separate session.
Why am I still tight even though I stretch? Your nervous system doesn’t trust the range yet. Add control at end range.
Does stretching prevent injury? Evidence is mixed. Stretching has mobility benefits but isn’t a guaranteed injury shield.
Testing Panels
If you’re stiff, it’s rarely just a stretching problem. Test these to go from guessing to testing:
Vascular: BP, lipids, ApoB, hs‑CRP.
Metabolic: glucose, insulin, HbA1c, triglycerides, uric acid.
Minerals & hormones: vitamin D, magnesium, calcium, PTH, cortisol, oestrogen, testosterone.
Case in point
A late‑40s founder trained three times a week and stretched when he remembered but still felt stiff and had calf cramps. We started with the 5‑50; within ten days his hips felt freer and sleep calmer. The cramps persisted until we tested: HbA1c and fasting insulin were high, vitamin D low, magnesium suboptimal. Once we corrected the drivers and kept the 5‑50, the cramps settled and morning stiffness dropped. Stretching is the tool; biology decides how well it works.
DIARY
Last week: I bounced through consultations and collaborations after that assisted stretch session; my new chair is now a bouncy ball!
This week: Speaking to CEOs and MDs on biohacking biology for business brilliance—because longevity belongs in the boardroom, not just the gym.
Next week: It’s Christmas! Heading to Hampshire with the children and dogs for phone‑free drift: slower mornings and longer walks.
DISTINCTION
“Stretching is the art of lengthening. Lengthening your tissues, lengthening your breath, lengthening your life”.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead! (that's 168 hours of your million hour life)
Dr Alka