Digital Realms
Stretching is one of the most accessible yet underappreciated tools for maintaining physical health. Often viewed as optional or secondary to more intensive forms of exercise, it is frequently neglected—until injury strikes. For athletes, this oversight can lead to serious consequences. Conditions such as knee effusion—marked by swelling, stiffness, and restricted mobility—can abruptly remove individuals from sports like basketball, football, or soccer.
These injuries serve as stark reminders of the body’s need for regular care and mobility maintenance. I learned this first hand after sustaining a significant injury, and soon discovered that consistent stretching brought measurable improvements: greater flexibility, faster recovery, and enhanced range of motion. These benefits revealed a larger truth—stretching is not a luxury, but a necessity for long-term physical well-being. As scientific evidence continues to support its profound impact on injury prevention and performance, the importance of daily stretching deserves renewed attention, both in personal routines and public health discussions.
Regular stretching delivers powerful physiological benefits that extend well beyond athletic performance. Most notably, it enhances blood circulation by increasing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to muscles. This improved circulation accelerates the delivery of nutrients and the removal of metabolic waste, which speeds up recovery and strengthens overall muscular function (Weerapong et al., 2004). In addition to healing and endurance, stretching significantly improves flexibility and posture.
Flexible muscles exert less strain on joints, allowing the body to maintain proper alignment and move more efficiently. Conversely, tight muscles often disrupt posture and movement, leading to discomfort and long-term issues such as lower back pain and joint stress (Chaabene et al., 2019). When the body moves with balance and freedom, daily tasks become easier, and the risk of injury drops. Given these compelling advantages, the real challenge lies in motivating broader populations—not just athletes—to embrace stretching as a daily health practice.
One potential solution lies in the growing intersection of fitness and technology. A notable innovation is the MyotonPRO, a portable diagnostic device that assesses the mechanical properties of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and skin. This non-invasive device uses a “tap-and-listen” technique to measure five key metrics: muscle tone, stiffness, elasticity, relaxation time, and creep (Myoton AS). These indicators provide detailed insights into the functional state of the muscles.
For example, tone measures the level of muscle tension at rest; stiffness reflects the muscle’s resistance to an external force; elasticity indicates how well the muscle returns to its original shape after being stretched; relaxation time shows how quickly the muscle returns to rest; and creep assesses how muscle fibers elongate under prolonged stress (Myoton AS). Though the device was initially used by professional athletes, its application is expanding rapidly—and even includes outer space.
A compelling demonstration of the MyotonPRO’s potential comes from the Myotomes Project—a joint study by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the German Aerospace Center. Aboard the International Space Station, researchers used the device to examine how microgravity affects muscle tone and function in astronauts (Schoenrock et al., 2024). In the absence of gravity, muscle stiffness and strength decline rapidly, threatening astronauts’ physical performance during and after missions. However, the study found that consistent stretching helped preserve muscle elasticity and mitigate deterioration.
These results not only underscore the essential role of stretching in maintaining muscular health but also confirm the MyotonPRO’s value as a precise and dependable tool—even in the most extreme environments. If it can support muscle function in space, its potential to advance health monitoring here on Earth is even more promising.
Indeed, the real promise of the MyotonPRO lies in its versatility. It can support muscular health not only in elite sports and space exploration but also in everyday life. In physical therapy and rehabilitation, the device enables clinicians to assess a patient’s muscle function in real time, allowing for personalized treatment plans based on precise data. For athletes, it supports custom recovery strategies and helps prevent overuse injuries by identifying muscular imbalances before they become serious. Coaches can use it to develop tailored warm-up routines that enhance performance while reducing injury risks.
The device can also help monitor muscle recovery after games or tournaments, improving decisions related to return-to-play timelines and training loads. On a societal level, MyotonPRO holds promise in public health—particularly in addressing mobility-related issues that affect both the young and the elderly. Given that musculoskeletal conditions are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, using such diagnostic tools in preventive care could yield significant improvements in health and quality of life.
However, the MyotonPRO is not without its drawbacks. Its price—approximately $4,000—places it out of reach for many individuals and even some smaller healthcare facilities. Its size (about eight inches long and two inches wide) also limits its portability for everyday users. If I were leading the company, I would advocate for a new product line with scaled-down, more affordable versions of the device tailored to different users—such as athletes, seniors, physical therapists, and school health programs. I would also invest in making the accompanying software more accessible by translating it into multiple languages and simplifying its interface. These improvements would increase usability, broaden the device’s reach, and align with the company’s mission of supporting global muscular health.
Ultimately, stretching is not merely a warm-up activity or a post-workout routine. It is a science-backed, fundamental practice that supports the body’s ability to move, heal, and perform throughout life. Devices like the MyotonPRO give us the tools to make stretching more personalized, effective, and measurable. Whether you are training for a championship, recovering from an injury, or navigating the challenges of aging, the pursuit of flexibility and function is a shared human goal. With the right tools, informed education, and commitment to accessibility, this goal can become achievable for everyone—regardless of background or ability.
Looking to the future, global campaigns that promote the importance of stretching—combined with affordable, user-friendly muscle-monitoring technologies—have the potential to transform public health. By shifting from a healthcare model focused solely on treatment to one centered on prevention, nations can reduce strain on medical systems while empowering individuals to take proactive control of their health. In underserved or developing regions, portable tools like the MyotonPRO could help fill critical gaps in medical access, especially in areas where routine physical assessments are difficult to obtain.
Integrating stretching education and muscular monitoring into schools, workplaces, and eldercare facilities can help foster lifelong mobility and independence. As technology continues to evolve, we may soon see muscle health tracking become as routine as checking daily step counts. With continued investment and international cooperation, tools like the MyotonPRO can help redefine what healthcare looks like—building not only stronger muscles, but a stronger, more resilient global population.
By: Michael Kim
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