DOES STRETCHING BEFORE EXERCISE IMPROVE MY FLEXIBILITY?

By Mike Eyers.

The amount of times I see people getting ready to run or start an exercise session by stretching leads me to believe that there is a need for education on stretching techniques.

Does stretching before I train help with my performance and increase my flexibility? The quick answer to this is no! To better explain this I use plasticine as an example. Take a roll of plasticine out of the refrigerator and try to stretch it out. Chances are it will soon tear apart. If I were to roll it in my hands for 5 minutes and then attempt to stretch it out, it will stretch a lot more before eventually tearing. This is a result of warming the plasticine up enough to make it stretch easier.

Active stretching is stretching whilst moving. This is done by gradually taking your body through a range of movement which you are about to perform. To prepare yourself for a run you would swing your legs back and forth to mimic your running style. Other examples of active or dynamic stretching are walking, slow jogging, skipping, and walking on toes and heels.

Passive stretching is what you would do after you have finished your workout. This is when the core of your muscle is warmed up sufficiently to then passively stretch. It is not enough to think that the day is hot and I am sweating, as the core of your muscle is not adequately warmed up. An example of a passive stretch is touching your toes from a standing position or pulling your foot up behind your leg to stretch you thigh.

Although stretching is a very important part of any good exercise regime, it should be done in a way as to improve flexibility and recovery, and reduce the chance of injury. Another important aspect of stretching which is often forgotten is breathing. A typical example of this is Yoga which is focused on breathing whilst stretching or holding poses. The rule of thumb is to hold a stretch for at least 30 seconds for it to be effective. Another affective way is to breathe deeply at least 5 times whilst holding each individual stretch.