Thursday, September 02, 2010
TO STRETCH OR NOT TO STRETCH THAT IS THE QUESTION
They are still trying to figure out if stretching helps alleviate injury in running.
Does Stretching Before Running Prevent Injuries?
The answer in this study is no, stretching does not make a difference.
Except that the people who did stretch before the study and went without during got injuries at a higher percentage than the people who never stretched.
Read it.
When I ran, at first, I didn't know about stretching. This would be in 1955 or so. We also didn't know about shoes then either. I ran around the Charles River Basin in your basic Ked tennis shoes. And I did not stretch.
Then, later, when running became fashionable, I subscribed to Runner's World and began to get all the results of "studies". I also got introduced to stretching as a "simply for its own good" activity whether you ran or not.
So I began to stretch. But, what to stretch. How?
Over time there came to be a number of exercises which became standard. In later years, some of these were found to be harmful. In the same way that situps and some other "standard" exercises were found to be harmful.
When I took up the gym craze and joined up, there was a new stretching regime that came into effect. But always, always, always, running or walking, lifting weights or working out on machines, there were people who said that stretching was unnecessary.
The idea that exercise is its own stretch and that warmup is the main issue, not a stretch, overcame me. I quit stretching.
And, running, I got injured. I developed a neuroma on the left foot pad. A nerve bundle. Nothing that stretching would help at all. And I had to give up the run.
When I rode the bike outdoors for many years I never, ever stretched. I do not stretch before I get on the gym bike today.
I stretch after. Before I go do my minimal weight work.
Why?
Because it feels good. I also use the pole on the shoulders back twist. Every day.
I don't know if it prevents injury but at a certain age it just feels very good to stretch and touch my toes. To be able to do a series of stretches that can actually get my leg muscles to twitch as the spread gets wider.
I do the stretches after the bike because I read and became convinced that stretching when warm was way better than stretching when cold. Stretching should not be a warmup exercise.
So I am back to that 60s book that told me that flexibility was all. Muscles or no, cardio fit or not, the flexibility of the body, long term, is a valuable asset and should be nurtured.
