5 Reasons Stretching Isn’t Working

(and What to Do Instead)

You’ve tried stretching. You’ve held poses, followed routines, and still—your body feels tight, sore, or unbalanced. The truth? Stretching isn’t bad. It’s just not enough.
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1. You’re stretching cold muscles.

Think of your muscles like rubber bands. When they’re cold, they resist and snap back. That tension you feel? It’s your body protecting itself, not loosening up.

The fix: Warm up your tissue first. A few minutes of rolling increases blood flow, activates muscles, and makes stretching safer and more effective.

Use: 🔹 RAD Roller or RAD Rounds to warm up and wake up your muscles before you stretch.

2. You’re targeting the wrong tissue — it’s fascia, not just muscle.

Most people try to stretch “tight muscles,” but the restriction often lives in the fascia the web-like connective tissue wrapping every muscle and joint.

When fascia gets stuck, no amount of stretching will make it release.

The fix: Use compression and movement to free up that sticky fascia and restore mobility.

Use: 🔹 RAD Helix for the spine and hips, or RAD Axle for full-body fascia release.

3. You’re ignoring imbalances and restrictions.

Tight hamstrings? It might be your glutes or lower back doing the talking. Stretching the wrong area can keep you in a loop of tension.

The fix: Identify and target your body’s real problem spots. Rolling helps you discover asymmetries, release deeper knots, and restore balanced movement.

Use: 🔹 RAD Roller for shoulder blades and back alignment, RAD Rounds for smaller problem zones like hips, feet, or traps.

4. You’re missing active recovery.

Stretching is passive, your body needs active recovery to actually adapt and feel better.

Rolling engages your muscles and nervous system in motion, giving lasting relief that stretching alone can’t achieve.

The fix: Combine mobility work with rolling to train your body to stay open and pain-free.

Use: 🔹 RAD Roller during mobility flows or cooldowns to keep muscles supple and joints moving freely.

5. You’re not giving your body the right tools.

A random lacrosse ball or foam roller might feel intense — but not in a good way.

Hard plastic bruises. Oversized foam rolls miss key muscle groups. The wrong tools can actually make recovery worse.

The fix: Use tools designed by physical therapists to match your anatomy, comfort level, and performance goals.

Use: 🔹 The RAD All-In Kit — includes everything you need (Helix, Roller, Rounds, and Axle) to recover smarter, not harder.

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Stretching only lengthens, RAD releases.

Our tools are engineered with physical therapists and trusted by thousands of athletes, trainers, and everyday movers.
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