töjning

Töjning is a Swedish term for stretching. The word derives from töja, “to stretch.” It denotes both the act of extending something and the state of being stretched. In human movement, töjning describes exercises or procedures that increase flexibility by lengthening muscles and connective tissue; in engineering and physics it can refer to the elongation of a material under load (strain).

In health, sport, and rehabilitation, töjning is used to improve range of motion, reduce muscle tightness, and prepare for activity. Common methods include statisk töjning (holding a stretch without movement), dynamisk töjning (active movements through a range of motion), ballistisk töjning (rapid, bouncing movements), and PNF-töjning (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation). Guidelines emphasize gradual progression, warm-up, avoiding pain, and durations typically 15–60 seconds per stretch.

In materials science, töjning refers to elongation that occurs when a material is subjected to stress, often expressed as percentage change in length (ΔL/L0). It is a key parameter in characterizing ductility and is studied alongside stress (spänning in Swedish).

Applications include sports training, physical therapy, ergonomics, and textile sciences, where töjning may describe fabric elasticity or the stretching behavior of textiles under tension. The term thus spans both physiological and technical contexts, reflecting a common concept of lengthening under applied forces.