Let's think of a new word for Stretching. Yes, our muscles are able to lengthen and shorten, but when we feel "tight" it's not really because our muscles are too short.

The problem is either a lack of movement between the layers of our muscles, joints, skin and connective tissue (fascia), or tension from our nervous system, or some of both.*

*Occasionally there are structural issues, adhesions like internal scar tissue or restrictions in the joints themselves for example, limiting mobility. Luckily, Fascial Stretch Therapy is perfect for addressing all of these!

Instead of stretching, let's call it Recovery Movement. Or Corrective Movement. Or Tension Reset.

I made a list of some important principles for effective stretching (or whatever we decide to call it). These are in no particular order:

1. Use your breathing to release tension. Inhale, then exhale and allow your body to stretch. Close your eyes and feel your body. Are you holding your breath? Straining? Pushing back? It may take some practice, but when you learn to let go and allow the movement your flexibility will improve. Work with your breathing like this: inhale as you lengthen the area you are stretching, exhale and let it release and stretch. Repeat this cycle 3 to 5 times or until you feel the release.
2. Think about why you are stretching and use the correct technique. Dynamic stretches to prepare your body for activity. Recovery/static stretches after activity (see my blog post "When to Strectch").
3. Start with body parts closer to your trunk. Hips, then knees, then ankles. Shoulders, then elbows, then wrists and hands.
4. Stretch without pain. If it hurts you won't be able to relax and let go. If you notice that you are holding your breath, you have probably gone too far and need to back out of the stretch.
5. Move through stretches in multiple planes. This means making small changes in the angles or directions of movement to get to all the fibers. Try reaching one arm straight out to the side, then reach it back. Now drop your arm to about 45 degrees from your hip and reach it back. Next reach your arm up to about 45 degrees from your ear and reach it back. You should feel a different part of the pectoral (chest) muscles stretch in each position.
6. Most of us have one side that is tighter than the other. Stretch the tighter side more than the other side. Sometimes this is challenging, because it's more comfortable to stretch the easy side! But you want to improve the balance between sides or muscle groups. Use a 2:1 ratio. For example, my left hamstring is tighter than my right, so I stretch the left side, then the right, then repeat the left side again. Continue that ratio until you feel the sides are equally flexible.
7. Use traction, or lengthening through the joints and muscles, to get the best results and to prevent uncomfortable joint compression. Here is an example: Stand up and reach one up straight up in the air; lean and stretch over to the opposite side. Return to your starting standing position. Now reach the same arm up again, then reach and stretch that arm straight up like you are trying to touch the ceiling. Keep that length through the shoulder and arm as you lean over to the opposite side. You should feel less compression at the waist or low back and a deeper stretch along the side of the raised arm. That is traction, or lengthening.
8. Avoid a rebound effect as you come out of each stretch. When you just reverse direction out of a stretch the tissues tend to return to their pre-stretch position. Sometimes this can even cause discomfort like a cramp in the muscle. Move out of each stretch through a neutral motion. In the standing side bend stretch above, instead of just standing straight up again, put your hands on your knees and bend a little forward as you circle around and up again.
9. Consider opposing muscle groups on opposite sides of your body. Tightness in the hamstrings at the back of the body may be due to limited flexibility of the hip flexors in the front of the body.

Patience

You probably didn't get tight in a day or two, so give your body time to loosen up. Following the principles above should result in some quick and noticeable improvements, especially when tension from the nervous system is released. For long term issues make a plan to stretch regularly and follow through for 4 weeks. You will feel more flexible at the end of that month!