The
topic of stretching seems to always be a source of conversation. Recommendations
on whether to stretch or not stretch seem to vary year to year and expert to
expert. For years stretching has been promoted as a vital part of a fitness
regime and known to prevent soreness, decrease the risk of injury and improve
performance. While researchers will continue to look at the pros and cons of
stretching, it seems there may always been conflicting evidence to sort out
these opinions.
An
area of confusion for many seems to be how a warm up relates to stretching.
There have been studies that demonstrate a warm up alone doesn’t increase range
of motion, but when stretching follows a warm up there is an increase in range
of motion. Many people misinterpret this finding to indicate that stretching
before exercise prevents injuries. A better explanation is that warm up
prevents injury, whereas stretching has no effect on injury. So if injury
prevention is the primary objective - the evidence suggests that athletes
should limit the stretching before exercise and increase the warm up time.
Another
area of confusion is regarding how long to hold a stretch and what kind of a
stretch to perform (i.e., static, ballistic, PNF). Current studies do support
that range of motion can be increased by a single fifteen to thirty second
stretch for each muscle group per day. However, some people require a longer
duration or more repetitions. Research also supports the idea that the optimal
duration and frequency for stretching may vary by muscle group. As far as what
type of stretching to perform, arguments can be made advocating the usefulness
of each type of stretching. But for the most part researchers agree that
ballistic stretching (bouncing during a stretch) may lead to injury and should
be avoided.
My
personal suggestion when sorting out all the research on stretching, is it's
important to remember that the goal of stretching is to develop and maintain an
appropriate range of motion around specific joints. It's also important to
realize that stretching (or releasing) tight muscles should go hand in hand
with strengthening
the weak muscles.
I
have no doubt we will continue to hear about the positives and negative of
stretching. Bottom line is that if you choose to stretch, it may be best to
customize your workout to fit your needs. Assess your body (or find a qualified
health practitioner to do this for you) and make sure you stretch and
strengthen in order to reduce muscle imbalances.
And let’s face it – sometimes
stretching just feels good!
References:
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