Stretching – Making You Weaker?

[M.D. Holloway]

Found This 'Interesting'.

Stretching – Making You Weaker With Every Passing Second

In high school when you were in gym class, you were always taught to stretch your muscles so that you avoid injury. Just when you thought stretching was completely beneficial before exercising, new research shows that this may not be the case. Athletes used to stretch before and after big competitions to improve flexibility and reduce injury. While stretching may still contains those pros, there is a very consequential con to add to pre-workout stretching: reduced muscle strength.

The ideal warm-up should loosen muscles and tendons, not decrease muscle strength by up to 30%. This could have a severe impact on the effectiveness of an athlete's workout. The strained muscle can stay weakened for up to 30 minutes; during this time, gym-goers may notice a drop in endurance or the inability to work out for long periods of time. If an athlete commits even 10 minutes to a workout, you can guarantee that they will want to reap all of the benefits. It is now advised that stretching should be used after your workout, not before. Although you are not stretching, warm-ups should still be performed before launching yourself into a workout.

So what should a warm-up include if stretching is out of the picture? Warm-ups should include light aerobic activity to warm your body. This kind of warm-up will improve blood flow and increase body heat. After your workout, it is still recommended to stretch to avoid injury.

So next time you get ready to hit the gym running, make sure to warm-up by doing light aerobic activity and not by stretching. Too bad you can't blame a low grade in gym class on stretching!

· Do you usually stretch before working out?

· Has stretching before workouts made a noticeable difference in athletic performance for you?

Resources:

http://www.impactlab.com/2008/11/07/stretching-before-exercising-actually-weakens-muscles/

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/stretching-before-exercise-can-actually-weaken-muscles_100114729.html

[Hard-Deck]

For over two decades now, I have not pre-stretched, and I have taught my Marines and Soldiers to not pre-stretch. I could never figure out why the "experts" told us to stretch cold muscles, tendons, joints. We've always done light calestenics first to get the blood pumping.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by Snapper33

For over two decades now, I have not pre-stretched, and I have taught my Marines and Soldiers to not pre-stretch. I could never figure out why the "experts" told us to stretch cold muscles, tendons, joints. We've always done light calestenics first to get the blood pumping.

Just makes sense.

I have a mild case of cerebral palsy which made the tendons in the left side of my body shorter and more rigid than normal. Part of my physical therapy as a kid was aggressive stretching. Weak as a kitten afterward.

[surflvr911sc]

I've always Ran, Worked out, and Stretched; in that order.

I think I just do it that way because it feels better, I feel stronger, and I end up less sore after a hard workout. I always thought it was funny for guys to stretch before going sufing. I should probably stretch after surfing too but I never do.

[legion]

I do at least a half hour of warmup before any stretching.

I was told in high school by the football coach never to stretch cold muscles.

[Steve Viegas]

Isn't Yoga basically stretching? People that I know who practice Yoga are strong in a compact package. This being the case, I would suggest that the weakness that you feel after a good stretch is similar to muscular fatigue after a good work-out.

This is pure speculation on my part as I really do not know, but it seems to make sense to me.

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by Steve Viegas

Isn't Yoga basically stretching?

Hatha yoga, yes. Yoga rules! Nothing mysterious or arcane about it. Consider the range of movement that a 6 month old infant's limbs have and the flexibility of its spine; the reason we loose that flexibility as we grow older is that we don't put our limbs and spine through that range of movement and flexibility daily. Things tighten up and we become stiff.

The yoga poses wherein the body is inverted utilizes gravity to stretch and tone muscles, ligaments, connective tissue that are normally stretched the opposite way. This is of great importance in yoga and is why the headstand is considered the "king of asanas" (positions).

The range of movement and flexibility of youth can regained in adulthood through the daily practice of hatha yoga. It takes a month or two of a daily routine before most people are convinced that it is having any effect at all. It's important that the poses are entered very slowly, that the pose is held for a period of time at the point where stretching any further is painful and then gotten out of as slowly as gotten into or injuries can be sustained.

Those who commit themselves to a disciplined daily regimen will without exception become aware of its efficacy in promoting a general feeling of good health and mental well being.

Coupled with the breathing excercises, yoga rules.

[nut11]

32 years of running (slow) and have stretched b/f and after each roughly 5 k run. Just an easy stretch for about a min each leg. Been injury free - knock on wood.

87 blk coupe