How important is stretching really?

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Most people have been taught from a young age that not stretching before or after exercise is akin to a mortal sin. Ignore your stretching routine, the lesson goes, and you’ll be more prone to injury, soreness, and a generally worse workout.

But is this idea supported by science? And do you really need to stretch before and after each exercise? “The simplest way to answer that question would be ‘no,'” said Dr. Samantha Smith, assistant professor of clinical orthopedics and rehabilitation at the Yale School of Medicine.

But the longer answer, experts say, is that it depends on the type of workout you do, as well as your fitness goals. Here’s why.

What the research suggests

If you’re about to do an exercise that doesn’t involve a wide range of motion, like running a few miles at a relatively steady pace, you don’t need to stretch first, said David Behm, research professor of sport science at Memorial University of Newfoundland. , In Canada. (There are many different types of stretching, but for this article we’re talking about static stretching, where you stand still in a position to stretch a muscle.)

In that case, a simple warm-up with dynamic movements – like lunges, squats, back kicks and high knees – will adequately prepare your body.

While there is some conflicting evidence, most research also suggests that static stretching has no effect on – or may even hinder – your performance during strength and power training. (Strength training involves performing moves like jumps or powerlifts to work on speed and power.)

According to Behm, strength exercises involving large movements, such as squats or bench presses, stretch muscles in the same way that stretching does. Therefore, stretching before a lifting session would not improve your performance (or be a good use of your time). And, Behm said, stretching can slightly tire your muscles and tendons, so if you stretch your quads and glutes before doing squats, for example, it can really derail your workout.

Many people stretch before exercising to reduce their risk of injury, but there’s also a lot of conflicting evidence on that topic, Behm said. For example, he and his colleagues found in a 2021 review that while static stretching before exercise doesn’t always decrease the risk of injury, it does reduce muscle and tendon injuries when done before exercises that require agility and explosive movements, such as run, jump or spin.

Optimal exercise preparation takes place in two stages, said Eduardo de Souza, associate professor of health sciences and human performance at the University of Tampa in Florida. First, you should raise your body temperature with a warm-up – light jogging, jumping rope or light cycling, for example. “And then you do a rehearsal of the moves of what comes next.”

That means dynamic moves that stretch your muscles’ full range of motion — think lunges or arm circles.

What about stretching after training?

Many people stretch after a workout because they think it will help with recovery and minimize pain, Dr. Behm said. But “the literature is pretty confusing about that” too, Smith added. When it comes to stretching after lifting weights to prevent muscle soreness, for example, “there have been studies that have shown a positive benefit and studies that have shown no benefit,” she said. Likewise, in 2021, researchers found no evidence that static stretching after a workout accelerated recovery (or was of any use). That said, Dr. Smith saw no evidence that stretching as part of a post-workout cool-down is harmful.

In another 2021 review, Behm and his team found that pain-minimizing stretching only works if you have a consistent stretching routine, separate from other exercise, that you were doing regularly before you started doing strenuous exercise. These stretches should last 30 to 60 seconds for each muscle group and should be performed at least twice a week.

After a workout, you should cool down properly, and stretching is one way to do that, Souza said — as is foam rolling or walking. However, he added, there isn’t enough research to determine which relaxation method will make you feel better after a workout.

When should you stretch?

If you’re looking to improve your flexibility or mobility, stretching multiple muscle groups for about 30 to 60 seconds a day can help, Smith said. It can also be beneficial in ways you never realized.

People don’t often think of stretching for flexibility as a type of exercise or training per se, Smith said, but adding a separate stretching routine to your weekly training regimen can help you reach your flexibility goals.

Stretching can also help loosen tight muscles. But be careful, Smith said, because “an injured or weak muscle is often a strained muscle.” If a muscle is tight and sore, it could be injured, so you should consult a doctor before starting to stretch.

Other benefits of regular stretching include better balance, as well as alleviating joint and muscle pain, Dr. Behm said.

But rather than focusing on whether or not you stretch, Smith said, it’s important to look at the big picture of fitness, “which is: being strong, having good balance and good coordination,” important goals to strive for with various types of exercise. Exercises. Stretching can be part of that, but if it doesn’t fit into your schedule or your goals, don’t force it.

Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves

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