10 Worst Cardio Crimes

mangozulu

A few articles with reference to stretching;

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/to-stretch-or-not-to-stretch/
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/new-ideas-on-proper-stretching-techniques
http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article folder/stretching2010UNM.html

mangozulu

Fitness advice is like diet advice. Ten years ago or more, everyone stretched before their workouts. These days, they say not to stretch or only do dynamic stretches. Just like Ten years ago they said eggs are bad for you and now everyone thinks their God's gift to nutrition.

Go with the flow and do what you feel is best for you and take all advice with a grain of salt.

To an extent you're right. However, we used to to think the world was flat and the sun revolved around the earth......... I'm glad that we keep advancing our knowledge.

beckajw

Really surprised to read number 3, about the author discouraging people from stretching before your work out.. I actually disagree with that. Is it not true that you decrease your risk of injuring a muscle if you stretch before exercise?

I was surprised by that too. I have always heard you should stretch before. Every organized sport I have played we stretched before. That is exactly why I put the disclaimer at the beginning. :huh:

Perhaps the author was referring to static stretching as opposed to dynamic.

There has been some recent research that suggest that static stretching before running etc has little or no value in terms of injury prevention (ie injury rates were virtually identical between stretchers and non-stretchers) and may actually be detrimental to performance.

Dynamic before, static after.

Well put.

Stretching a cold muscle (not warmed up) is a risky endeavor. don't get "warming up" confused with stretching. If I am going to stretch before an athletic activity, I warm up first, then stretch.

^^This. Warm up, then stretch, but dynamic stretching only.

basslinewild

The stretching one surprised me, especially because in Insanity, the stretching is done after the warmup.

Raynne413

I read not to use weights when walking because it puts your arms out of a natural motion and makes you more likely to strain your shoulder, especially if you aren't REALLY careful with the way you swing/move them.

tashjs21

Confusing "Activity" with Cardio
This is probably the most common mistake I see. We know how important it is to be active, and so we try to count every activity we do as "exercise" or cardio. That can be a big mistake for several reasons. While any activity is better than no activity, only those activities that meet the requirements for cardio activity really give us the health and fitness benefits we exercise in order to reap. Plus, tracking calories burned from every little thing you do is only misleading. You're only really burning "extra" calories when you're working pretty darn hard—not when you're simply walking leisurely through the mall or doing some light cleaning. Learn more about the differences between activity and exercise.

OooOOOooooo I bet lots of MFP'ers are going to be upset about this one. Haha.

That is exactly what I thought. :laugh:

Pebble321

I thought the "drinking" point was a bit out of date too - everything I've read lately says "drink when thirsty", not "drink regularly".
Although perhaps that is more relevant for long slow activities (eg. slow long distance runneres, like me).

RGv2

When playing sports, in pregame in both HS and College our trainers didn't stretch us and if they did, it was very light. If we were late we were always told we're doing plyo's to warm up and that's it (normally it was plyos and light stretching). The reasoning, I was told by multiple trainers at multiple schools was, the muscle is not made to streatch...it contracts. Stretching muscles can put un needed stress on them, or even cause tears (micro-trauma). Stretching has been out dated for a while, from what I have been taught.

We were instructed that warming up with a plyometric exercises was a better form of warming up.

RGv2

I thought the "drinking" point was a bit out of date too - everything I've read lately says "drink when thirsty", not "drink regularly".
Although perhaps that is more relevant for long slow activities (eg. slow long distance runneres, like me).

If you wait until you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

I can see the logic in everything but #3. Its kinda ridiculous to me. I was having problems with stiffness and soreness when I didnt stretch before my workouts/after warmup and I havent had a single issue since starting.

lindsiswatchingyou

Fitness advice is like diet advice. Ten years ago or more, everyone stretched before their workouts. These days, they say not to stretch or only do dynamic stretches. Just like Ten years ago they said eggs are bad for you and now everyone thinks their God's gift to nutrition.

Go with the flow and do what you feel is best for you and take all advice with a grain of salt.

People should remember this for everything in their meal planning and exercise routine!

RGv2

I can see the logic in everything but #3. Its kinda ridiculous to me. I was having problems with stiffness and soreness when I didnt stretch before my workouts/after warmup and I havent had a single issue since starting.

Depends on the stretching and if it's before or after a warm up. Technically...muscles don't stretch, they contract.

heybales

I thought the "drinking" point was a bit out of date too - everything I've read lately says "drink when thirsty", not "drink regularly".
Although perhaps that is more relevant for long slow activities (eg. slow long distance runneres, like me).

Your are right for the normal gym goer on drink when thirsty. Not there long enough to get dehydrated, and if so after their workout, they can make it up.

But for endurance and especially with heat, the advice is drink regularly, because by the time you feel thirsty, you likely won't make up the difference and your performance is already going to suffer the effects of being dehydrated to some degree.
So if thirsty, too late probably. Or else start packing it away and hope you can absorb it decently.

Not sure if the studies have been disproved about if you lose 1-2% of body weight in sweat/water, then performance suffers by so much, depending on running or biking or other. Elevated HR too dealing with thicker blood from lack of volume, less cooling effects, now ever warmer, sweat more, bad spiral.

Of course, that went overboard with drinking too much without taking some sort of electrolyte supplement, and then you had people with imbalances there too, causing just as bad effects.

ravenlaramie

Really surprised to read number 3, about the author discouraging people from stretching before your work out.. I actually disagree with that. Is it not true that you decrease your risk of injuring a muscle if you stretch before exercise?

I was actually really surprised at this as well. Not stretching before certain exercises can really hurt you, so I've heard.

I took Tae Kwon Do a few years ago. My instructor told me about a man that was in his class shortly before I got there. He said the man always put his all into his kicks and punches, but not always with the stretching. Apparently he didn't stretch his leg muscles properly one day, threw a kick like he normally did and snapped his Achilles tendon.

Edit

Perhaps the author was referring to static stretching as opposed to dynamic.

There has been some recent research that suggest that static stretching before running etc has little or no value in terms of injury prevention (ie injury rates were virtually identical between stretchers and non-stretchers) and may actually be detrimental to performance.

Dynamic before, static after.

That explains a lot.

I doubt that was from not stretching BEFORE his workout.

And the article isn't saying don't stretch EVER, it's saying don't stretch before. So let's say you're going to do a 5K (or marathon), do something for 5 minutes as a warmup (slow job, jumping jacks -- whatevs), THEN stretch, THEN do your workout.

That's a very valid point lol. My instructor said that was the reason but after reading more of the replies, it doesn't necessarily make sense. I'm still surprised about the stretching thing but no lie... :S I never stretch before my workouts and I'm no worse for the wear. Of course I don't do too much high impact stuff anymore lol. If anything I'd rather do a warm up than a stretch anyways- warm ups get the heart to pumping