Thread: "Pulsing" in stretching -- why?

I know ballistic stretching is dangerous, but I keep seeing dance teachers and fitness instructors telling people to "pulse" in their stretch. It's different from ballistic stretching, in that it's more gentle.

My question is -- what is the "pulsing" supposed to accomplish?

Why pulse when you can just hold the stretch. Is the pulse supposed to help increase the stretch? I don't understand the science behind this.

I don't have the answer for you, but in recent AFAA and SharQui training we were told not to pulse with stretching at all. It's the latest recommendation, apparently.

I'm not sure about pulsing but I am familiar with "active isolated flexibility". For example, you can stretch your hamstrings by lying on your back with one leg bent at the knee, foot on the floor. The other leg extended upwards at a 45 degree (or greater) angle, foot flexed, the hands providing gentle support behind the leg (above the knee, at the shins, or ankles) and easing the leg to a deeper angle (with out bouncing or pulsing). In a traditional athletic stretch you'd hold this for 30+ seconds.
In active isolated flexibility you'd move through this position, holding for approx 10 seconds, before releasing the extended leg down on an exhale and bringing it back up again on an inhale; again holding the position for 10 seconds or so but trying to get a little deeper into the stretch.
Its a more dynamic way to stretch the body. You can use the same technique with most of the classic athletic style stretches & I've seen it used a lot in fitness videos lately.

Honestly, I think it's just aerobic instructors not being able to hold still!

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Honestly, I think it's just aerobic instructors not being able to hold still!

..l;,..l;,

My dance instructor in middle in high school had us pulse. It was counted. I don't do it now, but I've never had any problems physically with it. Mind you I was a teen.

I've seen the active isolated flexibility stretches, but I haven't experimented with them yet. Sounds intriguing, though.

@Lauren -- ..g.:

Seems to me that pulsing would actually engage the muscle -- and it's not going to lengthen if it's engaged. So ... it's actually counter-effective (it seems) for increasing flexibility.

Suhaila does this pulsing with the straddle squat exercises, and the only thing I can see it does for me is makes me tired more quickly. Think I'll skip it. Thanks!

I've always heard that one should not pulse when stretching.

I presumed it was for the pussy cats amoung us who wouldn't hold the stretch without whining. 30 secs down? No wsy Jose? 3 pulses of 10s- well, I will try *whine whine*

Effectivly active isolated flexibility for the whiny and weak.

Originally Posted by Amira_Siddiqah

I presumed it was for the pussy cats amoung us who wouldn't hold the stretch without whining. 30 secs down? No wsy Jose? 3 pulses of 10s- well, I will try *whine whine*

Effectivly active isolated flexibility for the whiny and weak.

This!

I like to deepen my stretch over time as I go into it. I only "pulse" and fall back if I'm really tight and find it hard to hold the stretch at the deeper level, but usually not even then, I'm more likely to just stretch more shallowly.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Honestly, I think it's just aerobic instructors not being able to hold still!

hey! I resemble that remark! .w.: and yet i can't hold still... oh well.

I only use it during strength training to eek out that last bit and really fatigue the muscle, not in stretching.

pulsing is very bad for the muscle because one pulse may take you further than the previous and you may actually seriously injure the muscle. continuous holding of the stretch actually utilizes the muscle and lengthens it rather than making your body go back and forth like a rubber band. the more you snap a rubber band, the higher the chances are that you will pop the rubber band. the same principle works with muscles.

in all my years of training, i've always been told *not* to 'bounce' during the stretch, it'll just increase your chances or ripping the muscle...

As an exercise teacher I was always taught not to let anyone in my classes do ballistic stretches, 'pulsing' really doesn't add or subtract anything much from the stretch, it is really to avoid boredom/ keep moving.
Although it is drummed into everyone that bouncing during a stretch is dangerous, I don't think there is a huge amount of scientific evidence for this.

There is a place for ballistic flexibility training, but it is for advanced athletes within martial arts, gymnastics, and certain other explosive forms of exercise.

I have no idea why it would be used in aerobics or bellydance.

Active Isolated Stretching is a very specific technique and requires proper training in that technique. It does use ballistic-type stretching, and for that reason, it should not be used for teaching anyone other than a HIGHLY trained athlete or dancer. And I don't mean a good student, I mean pro level ballerinas.

Pulsing, if it's being done within one's normal range of motion could be counted as a form of dynamic stretching, and it's ok as far as I'm concerned.

But if it's being done in a ballistic way (i.e trying to push the body beyond its normal range of motion), then it's going to be a) ineffective and b) harmful, as the Stretch Reflex will just kick in and contract the muscle. At worst the stretch reflex can mean tearing muscle fibres, tearing tendons and tearing the connective tissue that attaches the tendon to the bone. All seriously nasty.

Originally Posted by beafarhana

Pulsing, if it's being done within one's normal range of motion could be counted as a form of dynamic stretching, and it's ok as far as I'm concerned.

That's the kind of pulsing I'm talking about. It doesn't seem to do much for me, as far as flexibility -- at least not any more than plain old stretching does -- but it does tend to fatigue my muscle faster, and as a result, I don't like it :)

I wonder if there is actually any research to show the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of pulsing in a stretching or strengthening routine?

Originally Posted by firefly5

As an exercise teacher I was always taught not to let anyone in my classes do ballistic stretches, 'pulsing' really doesn't add or subtract anything much from the stretch, it is really to avoid boredom/ keep moving.
Although it is drummed into everyone that bouncing during a stretch is dangerous, I don't think there is a huge amount of scientific evidence for this.

There is a place for ballistic flexibility training, but it is for advanced athletes within martial arts, gymnastics, and certain other explosive forms of exercise.

I have no idea why it would be used in aerobics or bellydance.

I don't think the problem is with pulsing in a stretch per se but they way some people do it, which is without control. Most people stretch and relax, which aids lengthening. People hear pulse - which is controlled but they perform bounce where you have a greater risk of pulling something.

Just holding a stretch for 20-30 secs is good enough for most people.