It’s a commonly accepted belief that we need to stretch to reduce the risk of injury and help us perform better in activities. However, it was also widely accepted that the world was flat and that the universe revolved around the Earth once upon a time. Are our beliefs about stretching built on tradition and the “accepted truth” or science?
Here’s a quick summary of stretching research and injury prevention:
- Static stretching before or after exercise doesn’t prevent muscle soreness or injury
- Stretching doesn’t reduce overall injury rates but may reduce soft tissue injuries
- Some studies have demonstrated increased injury with improved flexibility
It’s difficult to study the relationship between stretching and injury as there are many factors related to injury risk such as previous injuries, fitness level, stress levels and recovery, nutrition and joint mobility to name a few. Overall, the evidence that stretching reduces the risk of injury isn’t strong.
Let’s look at stretching and performance. In a review of 43 studies on static stretching and dynamic activity (such as jumping, running), stretching had a detrimental effect or no effect on performance at all.
So where does this leave us? There isn’t a lot of scientific support for stretching. Regardless of the research, at the Kaizen Centre we’ve found that stretching can be useful in practice – especially for individuals who are very restricted or require high amounts of flexibility such as dancers and martial artists. We tend to use static stretching at the end of exercise sessions rather than in the warm up as there is some research that suggests that stretching muscles may reduce their ability to contract. Some of our clients find stretching relaxing and also enjoy yoga, which incorporates relaxation, breathing, strengthening as well as stretching. We tend to use dynamic flexibility exercises and the movements that we’re training with as warm ups
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