What is overstretching anyways?
Basically, it is just how it sounds. If you overstretch, it means you are pushing too hard in your stretching. Some people are born with natural flexibility, but if you push too far without the muscle and joint support to back you up, you can really hurt yourself.
What happens if I overstretch?
It is very likely that you will damage your body. Overstretching can manifest in sprained muscles, sore joints, damaged sockets, stress fractures, etc. Arthritis is a long term effect of repeated overstretching.
What are signs of overstretching that I can look out for?
Thanks to The Ballet Blog, here is an easy to read list of overstretching signs:
- Pain in the joint
- Like the joint needs to ‘crack’
- A strong ‘line’ of pull (often this is a nerve)
- Pain in another area (i.e. pulling in the calf when you are trying to stretch your hamstrings – again, this is usually fascial or neural tension)
- Pain on the opposite side of the joint (i.e.. in the back of the hip during second splits – this will not get better with more pressure)
- Compression pain (ie. in the front of the hip when pulling the knees to the chest)
- There should not be pain the next day (no – not even a “good sore”)
https://www.theballetblog.com/portfolio/is-over-stretching-bad/
How can I stretch safely?
Take it slow! Listen to what your body is telling you. It isn’t a race to see who can do a split first. Just enjoy dancing and take care of your body.