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Evolv Fitness Articles written by Padraig

To Pre Stretch or not to Pre stretch – That is the question?

A frequently asked question, should we stretch before we exercise: Old habits die hard and one of the oldest habits to die is the pre static stretch. We constantly see it from professionals to semi pros to amateurs, pre gym routines, pre running and pre sports, the guys and girls out there pre static stretching before exercise.

Most people don’t stretch after exercise; I feel the main reason for this, they can’t be bothered. It is boring and I am wrecked and want to go home.
In relation to the pre exercise stretch there seems to be allot of advice and studies promoting both sides of the discussion, and the one thing we all seem to agree on is

1: Never stretch cold

2: Always Warm up BEFORE YOU EXERCISE

Let’s break it down

Yes we should always warm up prior to exercise – remember stretching unless a very active movement is not warming up.
There is not a huge amount of research to even suggest warming up with stretching prevents injury but logic prevails and it would seem, slowly building up activity to the desired intensity will place less stress on the body but more importantly it would seem warming up (not pre stretching) improves the actual quality of the session thus improving your sport and making you more efficient and effective by

1: Increased muscle temperature is associated with less intramuscular resistance, thereby leaving more energy for muscular work

2: Increased blood temperature has been associated with enhanced dissociation of oxygen from haemoglobin thus facilitating aerobic metabolism

Let’s look at the big picture
We must warm up. This is seen on all the TVs before a game, the guys are actively warming up a gentle jog, kicking a ball about at a low enough intensity. Now unfortunately sometimes you do see them stopping and doing a static pre stretch. Think about it. We warm up to increase heart rate and muscle temperature, if you stop to stretch what happens the heart rate and muscle temp, they start cooling back down we have just defeated the warm up. Let’s throw the theory out the window and look at it from a military point of view. We have an active unit and they are going to engage hostiles, this is a maximum engagement, picture them asking the enemy to give them 5 mins to pre stretch before they rock and roll. It’s all about being fit and mobile enough for the activity.

Another concern is that prolonged passive stretching appears to decrease a muscle's maximal force production. This can result in a decrease in strength for up to one hour after the stretch. This may affect athletes who participate in sports that require maximal muscle force production for performance, such as power lifting, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, and many track and field events. Many runners and other endurance athletes have stopped stretching before exercise for this reason, as well.

Given these concerns, it appears that stretching during the warm-up period may be a bad idea for some activities, especially those requiring strength, speed and power.

Active stretch is important
Sometimes we are actively stretching without realising it, for example, the weights room. Prior to a weights session the neuro muscular pathways need to be prepared so that the specific movement patterns can be prepared for the hard work, so we are replicating the movements at a lower intensity prior to maximum intensity. E.G. Prior to squatting a heavy weight we will do warm sets at a lighter weight.

I am not saying we should not stretch; stretching is an important component of health and wellness. It will ease muscle tension and improve circulation. It is when and where is important. For individuals who have the time and patience it should be part of their programme possibly separate to their training programme. An actual training session which will just concentrate on improving mobility. For those with less time on their hands I would suggest stretching for a period of time immediately after training. If they have had an intensive lower body work out hold the stretches for shorter period of time. The majority want to run out of the gym the minute we are finished training, slow down if you look at the effort you put into your exercise, it is not too much to ask to spend some minutes stretching after exercise. Remember the idea of an exercise routine is not only about reaching certain goals but also about improving your wellbeing. If stretching is not part of your routine you are taking two steps forward and one step back.

The advice I would give is Be fit and Conditioned enough for the activity you select, in particular with gym training no need to do a pre stretch. Warm up really well depending on your fitness – 8 – 15 mins. With weights do light sets gradually building up to the training weight. Stretch when you finish, don’t fight and force stretches, gently stretch and focus on relaxing your breathing as you do. If you have been out of activity for a long period of time, get back gradually. If you feel your mobility is an issue, pre stretching before activity won’t solve the problem, may be getting into a yoga class and become flexible.

And if stretching during the warm-up has kept you injury-free, remember that the research is not conclusive at this point. You may wish to continue stretching, but you do have to ask could this time be better used.

Remember stretch the entire body.