The problem is that most people don’t realise how quickly the stretch flex mechanism sets in. And therefore traditional stretching gives the impression to change something but mostly things stay the same.

Much reduction in muscle length e.g. in office workers comes from a reduced ranged of movement. The body concludes it is not necessary to provide all this length if ‘no-one’ is using it. This in turn leads to adapted and strenuous movements habits which in usually stay, even if there is a bit of muscle length gained from stretching. Thus, for prevention and reducing strain on joints it is best to work on the habits first.

In order to deal with habits I’d recommend the Alexander Technique which teaches to become aware where we add unnecessary limitations and strain to our organism. Then a practical way of stopping tightness and moving into more length can be learnt in lessons.