Stretching Sucks
And it’s boring and it kind of hurts more than sitting through one of those new Star Wars films which also gets you thinking what was the point… Right?
Well is there any point in stretching?
Turns out the Science is not that great.
We were told that stretching can help reduce injury and improve R.O.M. But the reality is they’re just a drag like the Hobbit Films.
(Ok I actually like the Hobbit films but one book dragged out into three, 3 hour films come on!)
Anyway, that’s what stretching feels like. A 2011 Meta study revealed that stretching has no significant benefits (1&2) Another study showed that for injury prevention there are no benefits from stretching (3). The Meta Study (2) also showed that static stretching over 60 seconds can reduce muscle force potential meaning it reduces your performance. Static Stretching doesn’t warm up your muscles so you’re just stretching a cold muscle.
How to warm up effectively
So static stretching is like Gandalf turning up at your door, leaving a mark on it and a bunch of Dwarves turn up and all of a sudden you’re on a quest to Rob a Dragon. Your muscles are not ready and can actually reduce your performance whilst giving you no benefits.
What should I do instead?
Agility drills, Static holds, Games Specific drills… This is what the Fifa Starting 11 warm-up involves and it has been shown to reduce injury rates by about 30%. No static stretching is involved. (4)
Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching increases blood flow to your muscles and increases muscle temperature which increases flexibility (5). Dynamic stretching reflects real-world movements and allows you to mobilise the whole joint system rather than creating tension in one area (1).
Not to mention it’s more enjoyable like watching the Lord of the Rings instead of the Hobbit. (That was the last LOTR comparison)
For a warm-up choose dynamic stretching
When to Static Stretch Then
So you’ve watched Star Wars 1-3 (warm-up) and gone on to watch the originals 4-6 (Main workout) now your thinking well Might as well watch the last 3 (Cooldown)… (Wasn’t Lord of the Rings)
Stretching tight muscles after a workout can help reduce muscle tension, prevent injuries and help improve posture and movement patterns (1)
How to Make Stretching Fun
I saw this in the Book Built from Broken its called the 10-10-10 method.
Gently ease into a stretch and hold for 10 seconds
Move in and out of the stretch for 10 repetitions holding the stretch for 10 seconds and gradually take the stretch further with each rep.
It’s more stimulating than trying to hold a stretch for endless minutes at a time and it’s a good way to combine static stretching with dynamic stretching.
To conclude
Warming up or general mobility throughout the day perform dynamic stretches. Get yourself 3-4 and create a flow mobility drill to make it more fun and engaging.
After workout Static stretching, do the 10-10-10 method to keep it engaging and stop you from banging your head on the wall out of a painful boredom
References –