Stretching:
When it comes down to exercising, one of the
things you’ll have to keep in mind is stretching. What muscles to stretch and
when to stretch are just as important as what workout you are about to do or
have just completed. Simply going through the motions is not enough to get the
benefits, you must also know where to focus your stretches and know what
benefits they are giving you.
So why should we stretch?
According to the website ukpmc.ac.uk:
“Competitive and recreational athletes typically
perform warm-up and stretching activities to prepare for more strenuous
exercise…” (Shellock FG, Prentice WE 1985)
So pretty much, it warms up and gets you body
ready for whatever exercise you are about to perform. By doing this, your body
is better able to absorb any sudden shocks and is more prepared to fight off
any new tension put on it. However, not all stretches can be said to be good
for you.
In the article “The Importance and Dangers of
Stretching” by Josh Hewett, he introduces to us two kinds of stretches, active
and passive. Passive is “… when you use an outside force other than your own
muscle to move a joint or limb beyond its active range of motion, to put you
body into a position that you couldn’t do by yourself…” (Hewett, 2008) and that
active stretching “…involves using your own muscles to achieve range of motion…
this is a safe, effective, and recommended method of stretching.” (Hewett, 2008).
So when stretching, keep that in mind.
The other good thing about stretching is that you
do not need a lot of space to do it. But aside from warming up the muscles and
stretching, another benefit according to the mayoclinic.com is that it “…also
increases blood flow to the muscle.” (Mayo Clinic staff, 2011). With increased
blood flow, a muscle will be able to function better and be stronger.
Some research however has come out to prove
that stretching has no impact on your workout.
The article “Effects of stretching before and after exercising…” by Rob
Herbert and Michael Gabriel goes on to say “…Stretching before or after
exercising does not confer protection from muscle soreness. Stretching before
exercising does not seem to confer a practically useful reduction in the risk
of injury, but the generality of this finding needs testing. Insufficient
research has been done with which to determine the effects of stretching on
sporting performance…” (Herbert R., Gabriel M., 2002)
At the end of the day, stretching is important to your workout,
but you should be careful to decide what kind of workout you do, and how it
affects you.
Sources:
Hewett, J. (2008, april 25). The
importance and dangers of stretching: The long and short of it. Retrieved
from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/stretching_types.htm
Mayo Clinic staff. (2011, February 23).
Stretching: Focus on flexibility. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/HQ01447
Shellock FG, Prentice WE. (1985). Warming-up
and stretching for improved physical performance and prevention of
sports-related injuries.. Retrieved from http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/3849057
Herbert R., Gabriel M. (2002, March
21). Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness
and risk of injury: systematic review. Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/content/325/7362/468.short
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