To stretch?..& when to stretch, that is the Question..

In my blogs over the last year or so I have spoken about most areas of health and fitness. One area yet to be talked about though is that of 

s t r e t c h i n g, more specifically when to do it, how often, before or after exercise, what type or actually if at all!  Over the years stretching has been touted as necessary to prevent soreness and risk of injury & improve performance

Of course the debate rages as to the answers to these questions and as usual no-one has proven this one way or the other. A lot of the research I have seen is based on the performance of athletes only, not your regular Joe Blow, however we can still look to this to discover what may relate to ourselves. 

One point that I believe needs to be clarified is that stretching is natural,  what is often the first thing you do automatically when you awake…you stretch! it’s our natural way of awakening the body after a night of (generally), not moving – we feel stiff, so we stretch…and it feels good!! You don’t NEED research to tell you that!. 

I also want to point out there is a difference between a warm up and stretching…a ‘warm-up’ refers more to gentle aerobic exercise, as you do not exercise cold muscles, a warm up will increase the blood flow & oxygen to muscles to help prevent injury, this will also assist the body to use stored fuel more efficiently and withstand loads better. Plus there are different forms of stretching.

For example…

• STATIC stretches:- (sometimes referred to as passive stretching), where you stretch the muscle to a point where it is held with no movement for 15-30 seconds, to feel the stretch, but with no actual discomfort or pain. Used for general stretching of all muscles, and early stages of recovery from injury, and of course cool down after vigorous exercise.

• DYNAMIC (or range of motion or active) stretching:- this refers to more of a rhythmical movement of stretching often used before say an aerobics class or a sport involving movement in different directions, so its more of a compound stretch, not restricted to just one muscle group at a time.
• BALLISTIC this is like a ‘bounce’ stretch, where to stretch a single muscle to its end of range then bounce it – this is not commonly used now (though you still see many people at the gym doing it believing it to be effective – its not!) as it may in fact cause damage to the muscle especially if its not warmed up properly.
• PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) stretching:- often done to stretch the hamstrings, a person lies on their back, a partner takes a leg, straightens it and eases it backwards as in a static stretch, the person on the floor then resists the stretch (ie pressure against the partners hand, without movement), after they relax, they can then stretch the leg further back) – this often amazes people who are inflexible! And it would normally be done with a trainer, or someone who knows what they’re doing.

The latest research, in terms of athletic performance, shows that stretching before exercise or a run or other activity, does not prevent injury or enhance performance and may actually weaken the muscle. Numerous 

studies, (Nebraska University, 2009), testing athletes before exercise showed that participants generated less force after static (the most common type) of stretching, than no stretching at all. So for runners (which may well be you?), with less flexibility are actually more efficient at running. Other sports however, like gymnastics or swimmers, do require more flexibility… so you cannot generalise, it is sport specific. I also often see people doing a stretch for literally 3 or 4 seconds, this is also ineffective and will not stretch the muscle. Because of our fight or flight response if stretch our muscles initially contract (tighten), and it takes up to 8 or 9 seconds, to realise it isn’t being attacked and will then stretch, so always hold them for at least 15 seconds.

So how does this effect you?.. 

If you are an athlete, it would be worth doing some research into your particular sport to find out the best type of stretch to benefit you here. For most people who are just starting a new exercise program, or a weight loss regime it is important to always warm up, start gently, for a period of 5-10 minutes. If you are doing a weights workout you can do one set of very light weights to do the warm up for that muscle group. Otherwise learn the correct stretch for each individual muscle group. I believe that a warm up will suffice before a run, or walk or other form of exercise, though afterwards, it is very important to stretch, particularly the legs after a walk or run. If you are doing weights in the gym, and really pushing yourself, it can be beneficial to stretch the muscle after working it, i.e not waiting till the end of your workout.

I know from experience that if I don’t do this I do feel sore the next day – again, you need to listen to your body. If you DONT, as you get older, you will start to lose more and more flexibility, until your movement is hindered. I have seen this in clients where they have been in physical pain when trying to do what most would consider basic movements. Don’t let this happen to you. If you can’t touch your toes, or if you feel you have a lack of flexibility, don’t worry, you can change this, by stretching everyday, if you can morning and night, (either static or PNF with a partner) and trying to, you will see a vast improvement in only a couple of weeks.

To finish on a personal note, when I was working as the Fitness Director on board the cruise liner “Crystal Serenity”, I was confined to my cabin for 48 hours (for a tummy bug I caught), the cabins are VERY small, so I could hardly move for 2 whole days, the effect on my body was horrendous, I could barely move afterwards and was incredibly stiff – it was a real wake up call to not feel like that again! I now swear by the motto “move it or lose it” …it is so true.