Are stretching exercises not so good?

• May 3, 2024

The positive effect of stretching exercises, as part of the warm-up prior to physical activity or sport, had never been discussed because it was considered an optimal practice to facilitate performance.

However, there is some controversy about the application or not of stretching exercises because they may not be conducive to further performance and even type, whether they are static, dynamic or proprioceptive neuromuscular Facilitation.

In this regard, an investigation published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research , says that if you stretch your muscles before lifting, you feel weaker and less stable when you exercise later.

On the other hand, according to an article published in the magazine The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports where 104 different studies were analyzed, the habit of doing static stretching exercises during the warm-up phase should be avoided, because it weakens the muscles and makes movement difficult, especially those that require explosive performance.

To this is added that studies conducted by orthopedists who argue that there are no differences in the number of injuries experienced by runners who perform stretching exercises before their tests, and those who do not, so this practice would not serve to protect neither the joints nor the muscles.

It should be mentioned that static stretching does not imply any kind of movement. It requires a progressive, smooth and sustained tension, where the slowness is especially important.

This type of stretching is the best to vary visco-elastic properties; that is, for the gain in stretch achieved to be maintained for a longer time.

Dynamic stretching exercises seem to be the most recommended in the introductory part to training or competition, however, there is no unanimous scientific evidence about the detrimental effect of static stretching in this phase, so it is advisable to have the guidance of a personal trainer or physical specialist when practicing sports.

Video Medicine: Exercises for Better Health : Stretching for Abdominal Adhesions (May 2024).