If you thought that stretching has a unique method for practicing it, you are drifting.

There are several ways to apply and perform stretching exercises.

Ballistic stretching
Dynamic stretching
Passive static stretching
Static active stretching
Isometric stretching Stretching

Flexibility exercises involve muscles, tendons, bones and joints and largely consist of muscle stretching movements. Flexibility refers to the full range of motion in a joint or set of joints, and the length of the muscles that run through the joints to induce a flexion or movement. Flexibility varies between individuals, particularly in terms of muscle length differences of the multi-joint muscles. Flexibility in some joints can be increased, improved or simply maintained, as flexibility tends to decrease as we age.

Ballistic stretching
It is an obsolete muscle stretching technique, widely used in the 70s and 80s, which consists in repeatedly and uncontrollably swinging the limbs or torso in an attempt to force the muscle stretch beyond its normal range of motion. This oscillatory movement is completely counterproductive as it activates the myotatic reflex in a very strong way, which in the most accentuated cases can lead to tears and strains.

Dynamic stretching
This technique resembles ballistic stretching, but differs from it in the way the exercises are performed. The concept is always that of swinging the limbs or the torso, but in a controlled and slow manner, therefore without resorting to jolts and shots as it happens otherwise in ballistic stretching. The movement consists in throwing the limbs in a certain direction in a controlled and slow manner, gradually exploiting all the amplitude granted by the joint, avoiding the rebound effect or springing that cause the activation of the myotatic reflex, leading the muscle to react contracting rather than relaxing.

Passive static stretching
It consists in assuming a precise position and maintaining it by relaxing the affected muscle for a certain time, generally from 20 to 30 seconds, with the support of a partner, without therefore the contraction of the agonist muscles (complementary to those that stretch).

Static active stretching
It consists in assuming and maintaining a position by relaxing the affected muscle for 20-30 seconds without the help of a partner. This type of stretching involves two phases: pre-stretch phase assumes the posture slowly, inhaling before the movement and exhaling during the movement to assume the desired posture. Once the position has been reached, it is maintained for a maximum duration of 10 seconds without reaching the maximum lengthening of the affected muscle development phase - the affected muscle is taken to maximum stretch, without exceeding the pain threshold, inhaling before the movement and exhaling during the movement. Once in the position of maximum extension, it is maintained for a maximum of 20 seconds.

Isometric stretching

PNF - Proprioceptive Neuromuscolar Facilitation
That is "neuromuscular proprioceptive facilitation". This system consists of four phases: Maximum gradual and slow stretching of the muscle Isometric contraction for about 15 - 20 seconds (in the stretch position) Relaxation for about 5 seconds Further stretching of the previously contracted muscle for at least 30 seconds

CRAC - Contract Relax Agonist Contract
That is, "contraction, relaxation and contraction of the antagonist muscles". It differs from PNF in the final stretch. It involves the contraction of the muscles antagonistic to those that are stretching. In this method the phenomenon of reciprocal inhibition is exploited, which facilitates the relaxation of the agonist muscle.

CRS - Contract Relax Stretch
That is, "contraction, relaxation and stretching". This system is based on an isometric contraction of the muscle for 10 - 15 seconds, followed by a relaxation of 5 seconds and a subsequent stretch.

To train flexibility correctly, it is necessary to develop strength and flexibility in parallel. Strength training aimed at developing good flexibility is carried out through "dynamic strength" exercises which consist of high repetitions and low loads of movements carried out by the muscle district that you want to train with stretching and must always be performed to the maximum degree of opening granted by each single joint and in a slow way. This type of preparation is necessary to increase muscle endurance and the strength of the connective tissue associated with the muscle, reducing the risks of overtraining and any micro-injuries that could result from a reckless use of stretching exercises. It is also important, if not essential, to keep in mind that to obtain the best results from a stretching workout it is essential to respect a correct sequence in the exercises; The sequence that produces the best training effect is: Some principles of stretching are made its own and used with preventive intent and the benefit of postural rebalancing and compensation in the context of the preventive technique of ergomotricity. By ergomotricity, according to the authors who introduced the term in the scientific medical field in 2004, we mean a particular prevention technique validated in efficiency and effectiveness that, starting from the postural risk of every human activity. It identifies the body segments most affected and proposes simple compensatory musculoskeletal exercises to the subjects that can be independently repeatable to manage the balance of their organism