• April 26, 2024

Around the stretching exercises have been carried out studies in which they agree on their benefits, especially previous to the practice of a sport and to the prevention of injuries; however, there are also those that refute the type of heating and its implications.

In general, it is recommended to perform various types of stretching exercises against the practice of physical activities, which can be dynamic or static, since they allow the heating of the muscles and greater flexibility.

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Static stretching

In this regard, specialists recommend taking into consideration the following points when performing stretching exercises, according to a study published in the journal Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports:

1. Stretching before exercise can increase flexibility in the short term, but there is little scientific evidence to improve physical performance, reduce muscle pain or help prevent injuries.

2. Stretching from 15 to 30 seconds is effective, so it is not necessary to do it for a longer time.

3. Stretching just before exercise can cause temporary strength deficit.

4. In some aerobic activities the increase in flexibility may be interesting, but in other exercises, such as running or cycling, it may impair performance, or cause instability in sports that require great stability of the joints.

5. There is a lower performance due to the loss of elastic energy storage capacity in shortening stretch cycles, produced during sports practice.

6. Stretching before a session of weights decreases strength levels, according to the study published by The Journal of Strenghth and Conditioning Investigation . A static stretch can decrease the performance of your muscles up to 5%.

7. Not only the maximum force is negatively affected by a previous stretch, the power (explosive force, or in relation to the weight, fundamental in team sports, racket or opposition) can also decrease more than 2% according to scientists.

Therefore, it is not recommended to do static stretching exercises and maintained before training. It is much better to warm up with a light activity such as jogging a bit or doing some cycling, and then perform large warm-up movements that involve dynamic stretching: strides, jumps, turns, etc. It is best to reserve static stretches maintained for specific sessions of flexibility improvement.

Video Medicine: Full Body 10 Minute Static Stretching Cool Down for Intense Workouts (April 2024).