Stretching...is this a do or don't??

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  • Kate814
    Kate814 Posts: 145
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    Stretching won't change your appearance, but there are plenty of exercises that can't be performed correctly with restricted range of motion. You don't want to stretch cold muscles, and there is plenty of research documenting reduced strength when stretching before lifting which is due to the decreased stability of a mobile joint versus a fixed one, but on the other hand... if you don't have the proper range of motion (from a relatively fixed joint) to perform an exercise, you won't get the full benefit out of it. Stretching after exercise can help prevent injury and maintain range of motion. It can also help with recovery (i.e. everyones favorite... foam rolling) But to answer your question... it won't directly affect your appearance.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    First warm up the muscles a bit (~5 minutes of light cardio). It is recommended that you more specifically warm up muscles before a lift by doing body weight or light weight reps of the lift (i.e. body weight squats before a back squat) to make sure everything is ready before jumping in.

    Stretching after will probably make you feel a lot better but it won't make your muscles longer.

    I like to throw in a yoga class once a week because I find that lifting heavy negatively impacts my flexibility.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,599 Member
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    Very important after working out, helps prevent injury! I didn't stretch properly and i paid the price!
    Actually not scientifically founded to prevent injury.
    Overall Results of the 361 Studies. Stretching was not significantly associated with a reduction in total injuries (odds ratio = 0.93). Similar findings were seen in the subgroup analyses. Thacker and colleagues concluded that “there was insufficient evidence to endorse or discontinue routine stretching before or after exercise to prevent injury among competitive or recreational athletes.” The reviewers stated that further research, especially in the form of well-conducted randomized and controlled trials, was urgently needed to determine stretching’s proper role in sports.

    http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/does-stretching-reduce-injury-risk-0
    If one wants to stretch for flexibility, that's good. Pulls and muscle injuries happen because of the condition/strength of the muscle.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,599 Member
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    Actually static stretching prior to cardio is really....really frowned upon, and many sports teams don't perform static stretching prior to competition. Dynamic stretching and plyometric warmups.

    ^ this.
    +2
    I have clients do dynamic stretching because you can involve the upper body which doesn't happen on a treadmill and very little on an elliptical.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,599 Member
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    It's pointless to compare high school athletes who have no tight muscles to adults with desk jobs who frequently do have tight muscles. Static stretching IS sometimes appropriate before exercise, and this page explains when & how:

    To stretch or not to stretch before exercise?
    http://www.freewebs.com/fitbest/stretching.htm

    What's a cold muscle? Body temperature is about 100 degrees. That's pretty darn warm!
    Tight muscles are due to lack of flexibility regardless if someone is an athlete or not. Like exercise, to gain more flexibility, you have to work at it. But you don't do that at a beginning of a workout.
    Just about every flexibility test will show you that a person is much more flexible after exercise than before.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    Warmup - Stretch - Workout - Stretch

    ^^^ This.

    Ignore those that are giving advice based on the assumption that you are only lifting. Stretching is vital before doing cardio - go look at any professional sports team you can imagine before they play a game and note how much stretching they do. It helps prevent injury.

    Light stretching after cardio also helps reduce the chance of stiffness.

    Stretching is less important if all you are doing is lifting, for sure, but I would still do some...

    Actually static stretching prior to cardio is really....really frowned upon, and many sports teams don't perform static stretching prior to competition. Dynamic stretching and plyometric warmups.

    Who mentioned static stretching?

    You didn't differentiate between the two, that's my point.

    Saying dynamic stretching prior to lifting isn't as important is absurd.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    It's pointless to compare high school athletes who have no tight muscles to adults with desk jobs who frequently do have tight muscles. Static stretching IS sometimes appropriate before exercise, and this page explains when & how:

    To stretch or not to stretch before exercise?
    http://www.freewebs.com/fitbest/stretching.htm

    What's a cold muscle? Body temperature is about 100 degrees. That's pretty darn warm!

    Sorry, static stretching is still not advised. Even your link indicates warming up.

    Who's comparing HS athletes to adults with desk jobs. It is indicating trainers at all levels don't advise static stretching prior to exercise.

    You said your trainer in high school didn't have you static stretch prior to competition. The OP, on the other hand, is a 32 year old non-athlete who is about 20 lbs overweight, and, stastically speaking, probably has a relatively sedenatary lifestyle with lots of sitting. That often tightens certain muscles, which can negatively affect exercise form. Which is why many trainers at all levels recommend doing static corrective stretches prior to exercise, including NASM (National Acadamy of Sports Medicine).

    To see for yourself how effective it can be, try the "Overhead squat assessment" at my link on an out-of-shape, sedentary person that you know. Then have them stretch their overactive muscles for 30 seconds, and repeat the test. Usually there is an instant improvement in form.

    The problem with the "studies" on stretching is they stretch randomly-chosen muscles, not overactive muscles. That's like randomly loosing guitar strings and concluding that loosening strings before playing should never be done.

    I stated:
    From High School through College, and beyond I've never had a strength and conditioning trainer put us through static stretches prior to competition. Dynamic Stretches/Plyos.

    That's a little more than saying "this one time.....in high school."
  • gdrmuzak
    gdrmuzak Posts: 103 Member
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    Dynamic before…static after
  • cindyjoh1
    cindyjoh1 Posts: 1 Member
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    You should dynamically stretch before and after. You can static stretch after - no static stretching before.
  • sillygoosie
    sillygoosie Posts: 1,109 Member
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    Dynamic before…static after

    This. Stretching is the key to flexibility which leads to increased mobility, which leads to longevity. At least that's what I believe. I stretch before and after every workout and I dedicate every Friday workout to yoga and stretching.
  • _Josee_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
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    My physio told me to stretch "at distance" of my workout. NEVER right before.

    In the morning if I workout later in the day or after my workout. NEVER right before. Best thing to do before a workout is a warmup: If I'm running, I'll do a 5 min brisk walk. If I'm lifting weights I'll do 5 min on the elliptical.

    I have faith in the guy and what he is saying, so that's what I am doing!
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
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    Warm up (jumping jacks, stairs, whatever, slow jog)
    Exercise (lift/cardio)
    Static stretching (gentle, slow, stretches - no bouncing)

    ^^^ This. The "warmup" is known as dynamic stretching. Train, then Static Stretch (this is what everyone knows as the reach and hold for x amount of seconds).
  • _Josee_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
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    Warm up (jumping jacks, stairs, whatever, slow jog)
    Exercise (lift/cardio)
    Static stretching (gentle, slow, stretches - no bouncing)

    ^^^ This. The "warmup" is known as dynamic stretching. Train, then Static Stretch (this is what everyone knows as the reach and hold for x amount of seconds).

    ^^this!

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