Stretching has been an integral part of wellness, physical therapy, and sports for centuries. Countless programs have been developed for various forms of stretching, like ballistic stretching, partner stretching, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching. But it appears that stretching might not be as productive for the body as once believed. In fact, some analyses suggest that it hurts athletic performance and could even be detrimental to the body.
The ‘New’ Old News
Tae Kwon Do master Hwang Jang Lee raised eyebrows in the mid-1980s by writing an article in Black Belt magazine stating that it was harmful to stretch before kicking class. This was contrary to everything athletes knew about flexibility and muscle conditioning at that time. When other martial arts enthusiasts stopped stretching before class and saw an increase in leg strength, flexibility appeared to be less important than previously believed. However, this information lost traction as hundreds of new stretching books and methods for sports performance appeared on the shelves.
Two decades later, an article appeared in the British Medical Journal titled, “Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: systematic review.” Their objective was to determine the effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness after exercise, risk of injury, and athletic performance. They found that “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. Insufficient research has been done with which to determine the effects of stretching on sporting performance.”
Following additional studies, The New York Times published a summary on this topic, using information from two large studies. Their alarming findings stated that static stretching was bad for sports performance, including everything from weight lifting to running. Not only does pre-exercise or pre-performance stretching not prevent injury, but it in fact, reduces strength, balance, and speed of athletic performance.
The Good and the Bad
While it’s refreshing to see large studies come out on a topic that is understood and has been studied but not highly publicized for years, there are problems with the message being spread. The studies cited in The New York Times’ piece refer only to “static stretching” and “athletic performance.” That is, bending and holding a stretch for 30 seconds as a warm-up and loosening-up prior to physical activity. It’s crucial to understand that it is not saying that stretching is inherently bad for you.
If stretching were terrible for you, everyone practicing yoga and engaging in physical therapy would be weak, slow, and injured. But this isn’t the case. Stretching is vital for relieving muscle contraction, hypertonicity, and spasms. It’s important for relaxation and enhancing an overall feeling of well-being-independent of sport.
To clarify:
- Static stretching is not productive before engaging in physical activities.
- Static stretching has been shown to be counterproductive and can cause decreased performance and even lead to injury.
- Other forms of stretching that are more passive, like yoga, are healthy and promote well-being.
- Combined stretching/strengthening exercises/therapies like PNF and MET (muscle energy technique) relax muscles while strengthening them and were not included in the cited studies.
In conclusion, stretching ultimately can improve one’s sense of well-being and reduce pain. It’s crucial to understand that stretching for well-being is not the same as stretching for sport, and so the studies mentioned above do not apply. In other words: don’t stretch to become flexible. Stretch to feel good.
