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With spring upon us, many of us will come out from hibernation and will take to the great outdoors to savor that fresh air and (hopefully) warmer temperatures. Some will walk, some will run, some will bike, and some will work around the yard.
Conventional wisdom has previously been to stretch before and after performing any such physical activities. Although I'm not implying that we are always diligent with our stretching, generally speaking, most people have accepted that stretching can only be a positive thing in conjunction with any physical activity.
More recently, however, there has been some scientific murmurings that stretching may not be all that it’s cracked up to be. A recent review of the larger scale studies related to the effects of stretching, concluded that stretching – be it, before or after exercising – does not decrease the occurrence of injury, nor does it protect the muscles from getting sore.
Huh? I’ll bet that caught a few of you by surprise. It has, most definitely, raised more than few eyebrows in the exercise science community.
So, should we then abandon any notion of stretching?
Not so fast! Okay, so stretching may not decrease injury risk, nor offer the muscles the protection that we once thought it did, but there are still MANY wonderful reasons to keep stretching in your daily routine. Here’s a few:
- Stretching can maintain and increase your flexibility. This flexibility tends to diminish with age.
- Stretching can help enhance your balance and coordination. Again, this can diminish with age.
- Stretching is a known stress and tension reliever (both of physical and mental stress / tension).
- Stretching can improve your circulation.
- Stretching can help correct muscular imbalances and postural problems.
Furthermore, we should all note that the studies that have made conclusions regarding the lack of injury-risk reduction, were studies that only examined a few weeks worth of stretching. Scientists have not yet made conclusions regarding the reductions in risk of injury from stretching over many months or years.
So continue to stretch! Stretch often, and remember to hold a stretch for a minimum of 20 to 30 seconds. Further, be patient. To realize any of the above-mentioned positive effects of stretching, you must stretch regularly – preferably multiple times per day. If you only stretch once in a while, or only hold your stretches for a few seconds at a time, you can expect to see very little benefit. To illustrate this point, think of going for a run; if you run only once or twice, you cannot possibly hope to have significantly improved your level of fitness. However, if you run 50 times, or 100 times, you can expect that the body will have made some positive adaptations that will result in improved fitness. Stretching follows a similar pattern.
To date, studies have determined that the best thing we can do before a work-out is to warm-up. “Warm-up” is not the same thing as stretching. A warm-up can include a 5 to 10 minute walk, or jog on the spot, for example. Its purpose, as the name implies, is to literally warm the muscles up by bringing blood flow to the muscles that we are about to use. By warming the muscles up, we are making the muscles more pliable – more bendable – and hence, ready to be engaged.
Stretching then is best performed when muscles are warmed-up. A light stretch after your warm-up is fine, but is most useful after the physical activity has been performed. Consider this your cool-down, post exercise.
If you like to stretch in the morning – that’s great – just do not stretch immediately after getting out of bed. Instead, get up, and get moving. Walk around the house, or climb the stairs a few times to properly warm up the muscles – and then you may stretch.
Finally, note that that not all stretches were created equal. Some stretches can be potentially harmful to your body, while some can lead to a greatly improved quality of life. Some stretches are better (and more specific) for certain physical activities than others. If you would like a stretching program, or have any questions about your stretching routine, I am here to help. Please feel free to contact me.
In good health,
Dr. Michael Carney
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