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For many people of a certain age, high school gym class began with reaching for your toes. Then, over the years, we were told it was better to stretch after exercise. It turns out both of these things can be true, but the different advice has led to some confusion. Stretching can help you become more flexible, improve the range of motion in your joints, and feel good. David Behm, who researches human kinetics at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, Canada, offers this advice about when to stretch and how to do it safely:
Warm up first
Behm, author of “The Science and Physiology of Flexibility and Stretching,” said it’s always good to stretch, but it’s even better if you warm up first. He recommends light aerobic activity, such as jogging, walking or cycling, for five or 10 minutes. Then do some static stretching, which is the traditional way of getting into and holding a position (think gym class). Then you can do activity-specific dynamic stretching, in which you warm up muscles with repetitive movements like leg lifts. Behm says one minute is the “magic number” for how long to do static stretching for each muscle group without tiring.
Expand your definition of ‘stretching’
Should you always stretch before exercising? If it’s traditional stretching, it’s not necessary. Behm says the better question is, “Should people increase their range of motion? Should people have better flexibility? And yes, because it helps prevent injuries. It’s good for health. But you don’t have to stretch to achieve it.”
For example, resistance training can be an effective form of stretching, he said. Doing chest presses increases the range of motion in your deltoids and pecs, whether with barbells, dumbbells or machines, so there’s no need to stretch beforehand. Just be sure to start with a small amount of weight to warm up and then add more weight as you train.
“You probably don’t need to do extra stretching unless you’re a gymnast, figure skater or golfer who needs a lot of momentum during the swing,” Behm said. If you’re going for a leisurely run, you don’t need to stretch first. Just start with a slow jog to warm up and then increase the speed.
don’t do it if it hurts
After exercise, “light stretching is fine, as long as you don’t get to the point where you feel pain,” Behm said. Since your muscles will be warm by that time, you’re more likely to get injured by overdoing it. Foam rollers can aid muscle recovery and help with stretching as well as increasing range of motion.
Do some static stretching before the game
Behm said if you’re playing a sport, doing static stretching first helps reduce muscle and tendon injuries. “If you’re going to do an explosive movement, change of direction, agility, running, any of these explosive movements that involve your muscles and tendons, you’re going to be stronger by doing static stretching,” he said. People can especially run into problems when they return to a sport they used to play, whether it’s tennis, surfing or any team activity. Also, stretch equally on both sides. Lack of flexibility on one side can also lead to injury.
This seems very easy. Then why so much confusion?
Different studies over the years have either encouraged or discouraged stretching before exercise. Behm says one reason for this is that some studies do not reflect real-life situations or are designed with top athletes in mind, not the general population. “If you’re Usain Bolt, it makes a difference,” Behm says. For the rest of us, it doesn’t matter as much.
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