New research is starting to question the importance of stretching. Some scientists say that the research does not prove that stretching prevents injuries, while many athletes believe it helps them perform better, and stay limber between practices.
Most of us grew up with the notion that when you exercise you are supposed to stretch before hand. This normally means 2-5 minutes of bending and twisting to “loosen things up.” The other belief is that stretching after exercise is the key to staying in healthy shape. To some extent both practices are correct.
Stretching routines should be determined by the activity that you are about to do. The most important habit to be in before exercise is an appropriate warm-up. For those people that do low-intensity exercise like walking, swimming, and bicycling, this may be as simple as starting your exercise of choice at a slower pace for few minutes before working up to full speed. For athletes with high-intensity sports that require sudden movements and explosive muscle contractions, warming up may take 5-15 minutes.
The key to preventing muscle injury is two-fold. First you must know your limits, and you need to stay within these limits. (Regardless of what you could do when you were in high school.) Secondly, you need to make sure that all the major muscle groups of the body are warm, loose, and ready for the demands you are going to place on them. For most of us, going for a short jog, doing some jumping jacks, or starting a routine like tennis out at a slow pace will help ensure that our muscles are all warmed-up.
The reason for a warm-up, as opposed to pre-activity stretching, is to establish the “elastic” component to muscles. We all know that muscles shorten and lengthen to allow our joints to move, but it is the elastic component of muscles that allows them to stretch instead of tear. It is now believed that stretching after exercise is the best way to make our muscles longer, and less resistant to injury in the future. As a college athlete, I quickly learned that without stretching after exercise, I would be much stiffer and sorer the day after a rigorous work-out. It is also important to realize that trying to stretch without warming up may result in more tearing of the muscles, since that elastic property of muscles has not had a chance to reach its full potential.
I recommend that anyone who wants to perform an activity have a well established pre- and post-exercise routine. Before activity, be sure to complete an appropriate warm-up to get your heart pumping and your muscles ready for activity. After exercise it is important to drink plenty of fluids, eat a balanced meal or snack to replace the energy you burned, and stretch all of the major muscle groups at least twice. A proper stretch requires that you hold the stretch for a minimum of 8-10 seconds, and then repeat it a few moments later. Stretches should be done to the point of tolerance, and at no time should it be painful.
In short, what we do before and after exercise is just as important as exercising itself. Physical activity is vital to a fit and healthy body, but if the body is not ready for exercise or if we exceed our physical limitations, then we will do more harm than good.