Picture your high school gym class (if it’s not too painful to think about!) and you can probably remember doing stretches before any activity—holding the same pose for a few seconds before moving on to the next one. Today, most fitness experts advise against that type of static stretching. Studies seemed to show it temporarily reduces muscle power, weakens physical performance and increases the risk of injury.
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But now a comprehensive new review of decades’ worth of research indicates that they might not be such a bad idea after all. Researchers have found that static stretching only adversely affects muscles if the stretch is held for more than 60 seconds and no further warm-up is done. And that hardly ever happens in real life; most people don’t hold stretches for more than 30 seconds. They also found that if these short, static stretches are followed by a short jog or other basic warm-up movement, people are significantly less likely to strain or tear a muscle.
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So what should we do? According to the study’s author: Runners and cyclists should warm up by jogging or pedaling lightly. Performing a full body dynamic warm up will prepare all of your systems to ensure that you perform most efficiently in your workout. But people who play basketball, soccer, tennis and ultimate Frisbee — or other sports that involve leaping, sprinting and forceful, potentially muscle-ripping movements — should perform dynamic stretching (arm swings, leg swings, lunges, neck rolls, mountain climbers) in advance. The dynamic stretching prior to your workout is designed to prepare your joints and ligament for the same movements you’ll be doing in your workout, but most importantly it will raise and maintain body temperature as you enter your workout whereas static stretching can drop your temperature.
Many trainers encourage the practice of visualization as a mental prep during your warm up, you’ll not only be laser focused for your workout, but you’ll improve movement efficacy lowering your risk of injury.
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Yes, you should stretch..but when? Many individuals view their warm-up and stretching routines as simply a precursor to their actual workout, others take their stretching routine to the next level by regularly performing yoga and/or Pilates. As with any type of physical activity, it is important to understand the intent of the activity and how best to perform it so that you can reduce the probability of injury and receive the maximum level of benefits. In general, warming up will elevate the heart rate and increase the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body, thus preparing the body to be stretched. Stretching then prepares the soft tissue and joint of the body to safely perform a physical activity. It is important to remember that a warm-up routine is not the same as a stretching routine.
Regularly performing warm-up and stretching routines prior to your exercise routine readies the body and mind for the strenuous activity that is about to begin.
Curated article from:
NY Times