ADVANCED STRETCHING

SO MUCH CONFUSION Stretching causes injuries The truth – Stretching doesn’t cause injuries. Moving dynamically whilst there is a lack of stability around a joint however, can contribute to injuries.

SO MUCH CONFUSION Don’t stretch before exercise The truth – The value of stretching before exercise depends largely on the objective. If the goal is to restrict involvement of a particular muscle or facilitate better range of movement, then stretching prior to exercise can be beneficial if done correctly.

SO MUCH CONFUSION Don’t stretch after exercise The truth – Stretching after exercise is only truly beneficial for the purpose of restoring pre-exercise tissue length or tension. For flexibility purposes, any stretching should be done separately to a more intense or dynamic workout.

SO MUCH CONFUSION Don’t stretch during exercise The truth – Stretching during exercise can hinder effective muscle recruitment if held for too long. There is no evidence to suggest that stretches held for an appropriate amount of time represent any risk.

SO MUCH CONFUSION Stretching slows you down The truth – Stretches held for over 30 seconds at the full end range, can hinder maximal muscle recruitment. However, not all speed work requires maximal muscle recruitment, meaning this becomes a case by case issue.

SO MUCH CONFUSION Stretching lengthens your muscles The truth – The length of your muscle is determined by the distance between the origin and insertion of the muscle, not the amount of tension present within it. If the length of a muscle genuinely increases, it’s the result of structural damage.

SO MUCH CONFUSION Stretching makes you stronger The truth – The research that has propagated this notion falls into two categories: The first is typically research conducted on sedentary or untrained individuals. The second is research that shows stretching a muscle can strengthen it’s contralateral counterpart, i.e. stretching the quads can in some cases help to strengthen the hamstrings.

SO MUCH CONFUSION Stretching prevents injuries The truth – Maintaining full, healthy range of motion at a joint is correlated with improved performance in many cases and associated with lower rates of injury in others. Again however, it depends largely on the type of stretching being performed and the manner of its application.

REASONS FOR STRETCHING Restore pre-exercise tissue length Post-workout increases in tension can be mitigated in seconds. Spending any longer than this is typically unproductive.

REASONS FOR STRETCHING Inhibition Reducing the involvement of a particular muscle can potentially be acheived by ‘over’ stretching it.

REASONS FOR STRETCHING Activation/Facilitation If a muscles ability to activate/develop is restricted as the result of dominance elsewhere, stretching the dominant muscle can provide the lagging muscle with some opportunity for development.

REASONS FOR STRETCHING Flexibility The most commonly sought benefit of stretching and yet the least attainable. Genuine flexibility gains (as opposed to mobility improvements) are the result of near daily stretching sessions, typically involving exclusive focus on a muscle group for at least 5 minutes or more.

STRETCHING LENGTH Switch-off or Inhibit30-60 seconds Restoration10-15 seconds Mobility1-5 seconds Flexibility5-10 minutes Stretches for mobility should be primarily dynamic, with no fixed position being maintained for longer than 5 seconds.

STRETCHING TYPES DynamicMobility, Facilitation, Restoration Ideally involving workout movement patterns PNFFlexibility, Inhibition, Facilitation Targeted as appropriate StaticFlexibility, Inhibition, Facilitation, Restoration Targeted as appropriate BallisticOffer little to no advantage The only exception is for activity that involves ballistic movement and even stretches for this should be controlled in nature.