The idea of elongation usually refers to a stretching of the muscles.
The etymological origin of the term elongation that concerns us now is found in Latin. Specifically, it is the result of the sum of the following lexical components:
-The prefix “ex-”, which means “outwards”.
-The adjective “longus”, which can be translated as “long”.
-The suffix “-cion”, which is used to indicate “action and effect”.
Based on its composition we can establish that it means “action and effect of making something longer.”
Elongation concept
The concept of elongation refers to stretching or dilation . Within the framework of physical activity, the exercise that is carried out with the aim of stretching a muscle is called elongation.
Elongation is necessary before performing an intense effort . It consists of lengthening the muscles in a gentle and sustained manner so that, when they are subjected to greater effort, they are already prepared and no injuries occur.
How to increase the length of a muscle
To lengthen a muscle, therefore, you must increase the length it has at rest. This must be done carefully so as not to damage it. If elongation is carried out correctly, the muscles gain flexibility, tension is minimized and their coordination is optimized.
Once the intense exercise is over, it is advisable to do a stretching session again so that the muscles gradually adapt to the state of rest and thus prevent them from getting hard when they cool down.
Elongation must be done carefully to avoid injury.
Injuries due to inadequate elongation
When this action is carried out inappropriately, what is known as muscle elongation can occur, which is a mild injury that occurs due to microtears in the muscle fibers that have been pushed to the limit of their stretching capacity.
The most relevant symptoms of this aforementioned elongation are pain, stiffness and even disability in the area that is affected by it. However, it should not be overlooked that the area may have a certain harshness.
Tiredness, lack of warm-up, dehydration, prolonged effort or inadequate training are some of the causes that can lead to muscle elongation. In this case, it will be necessary to stop the physical activity that is being carried out and, immediately, proceed to apply ice to the affected area and then take an analgesic to calm the pain.
By following this treatment, the person suffering from this injury is completely cured within a maximum period of ten days.
The notion in mechanics and astronomy
The idea of elongation is also used in the field of mechanics to name the elongation of a material that is subjected to a tensile stress . In this way, elongation is the magnitude that reflects how the length of the piece in question increases before breaking. This elongation is expressed as a percentage of the length of the object at the initial moment.
Astronomy , finally, uses the notion of elongation to refer to the angular distance that separates a star from the Sun , seen from planet Earth .