06/13/2025
Flexibility One Part of the Puzzle That Many Athletes Overlook!!
One thing I see a lot in the clinic is athletes who are strong, who train hard, but they can’t move well. They come in with pain, or stiffness that keeps coming back, or performance that isn’t where it should be.
And often, it’s not because they aren’t working hard, it’s because their body can’t move through the range it needs to for their sport. And when the body can’t move where it should, it will find a way around the problem and that’s where injuries begin.
I tell my clients all the time: flexibility is not about getting looser. It’s about helping the body move the way it’s meant to move, with control and with strength.
In Thai Medical Massage, when I work with athletes, flexibility is one part of a bigger system we use to restore function. We don’t just stretch muscles and hope it fixes things. We go step by step:
- First, we do passive release work using deep Thai techniques and fascial release along the Sen lines to help open restrictions that block joint movement.
- Then we add active release Thai dynamic stretching with breath, so the nervous system learns to allow the new range.
- I often use PNF and MET inside the session as well these are very helpful when a muscle is protecting too much and needs to be re-educated.
- After that, we always work on activation because if you give someone more range but don’t teach the body how to use it, you can make them more unstable, not better.
Different sports need different things:
-A swimmer needs open shoulders and thoracic spine.
-A runner needs hip extension and ankle mobility.
-A golfer or tennis player needs spine and hip rotation.
If these areas are restricted, the body starts forcing the movement through the wrong joints and that’s where pain and injury show up.
What I see a lot is that many athletes think stretching is enough. Or they stretch and stretch but still feel stiff. That’s because it’s not just about muscle length it’s about how the fascia, joints, nervous system, and muscles all work together.
That’s why I like the tools we have in Thai Medical Massage they allow us to address all of those layers, not just the muscles.
And it’s not only about preventing injury. When the body moves well, everything becomes more efficient athletes use less energy, they perform better, and they recover faster.
At the end of the day, flexibility is just one part of helping someone move better. But it’s an important part. And if we take the time to train it the right way with good release work, active control, and sport-specific focus it makes a big difference.
References
Witvrouw E, et al. Intrinsic risk factors for the development of patellar tendinopathy in an athletic population. Am J Sports Med. 2003;31(3):480-487.
Sahrmann SA. Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes. Mosby. 2002.
Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD, McHugh MP. Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016;41(1):1-11.
Schleip R, Müller DG. Training principles for fascial connective tissues: scientific foundation and suggested practical applications. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2013;17(1):103-115.
Peck E, Chomko G, Gaz DV, Farrell AM. Effects of stretching on recovery of hamstring strength after eccentric exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2014;28(3):831–837.