Why You Still Feel Tight, Even If You Stretch

We’re all guilty of not stretching enough—if at all. Most people only start stretching once the damage is already done. They feel tight. They feel stiff. But that tightness can come from different things.

Sometimes it’s from overusing a muscle. Other times it’s from using it incorrectly. And in many cases, it’s simply because the muscle hasn’t been used at all. When that happens, the muscle gets pulled, irritated, inflamed, and stiff—and that’swhen it starts to hurt. Only then do most people think, “Maybe I should stretch.”

What Stretching Actually Does

Stretching helps your muscles relax after they’ve been contracting over and over. That’s why it’s recommended after exercise: your muscles are full of blood, shortened and tense, and you want to release that tension and bring them back to their full range of motion.

But here’s the catch: stretching only works well if the tightness is from contraction. Most people feel tight not because they’ve used a muscle too much—but because they haven’t used it at all.

The Real Reason You Feel Tight

If you’ve been sitting at a desk for hours, your muscles aren’t tight from exercise—they’re tight from being stuck in the same exact position for too long. No blood flow. No movement. That’s why your shoulders feel stiff. Your neck aches. Your glutes, hips, and lower back start screaming. These muscles have been shortened for hours, just sitting there.

Now think about it: after the gym, you stretch, right? Even just for five minutes. But when your workday ends, you clock out and go home. You don’t stay behind with your colleagues and stretch your neck and back in the office for five minutes, do you?

This Is Where Massage Comes In

Massage helps undo that damage. It breaks up the muscle fibres that have become stuck, hardened, and stiff over time. It increases blood flow. It brings your muscles back to life.

Then—and only then—stretching actually works. Once the muscles are relaxed, then you can stretch them and improve flexibility and range of motion.

But first, you have to undo what’s been building up. You’ve got to soften the muscles that have been solidified for too long. Massage does that. Then the stretching can do the rest.