Stretching to Perform
08/08/2022
Good morning! As I lay in bed pondering what would be good to write about today, it only hit me when I got up and felt the need to stretch. Is there anything that gets you better ready for a day that a long, yawn inducing stretch? Well a good nights sleep I suppose, and a healthy breakfast, and coffee, I digress. Stretching is good for us clearly, and it’s a topic people frequently ask us about in the clinic – “what stretches should I do before and after I run or play sport x etc.?”
The first point to make on stretching before some form of exercise is that it should be one part of a warm-up routine. It’s a topic worth exploring in more detail another time. As regards stretching, it needs to be specific to the type of movement you will be performing. For example, if you are going to run 5k, then quite obviously the focus will be on leg stretches, however they only need to be for the muscle groups that propel you forward (calf, hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteals). There is very little side to side movement with straight line running, therefore limited need to stretch the groin (inner thigh) or the muscles at the side of the hip. However, if you’re playing football there will be plenty of movement in various directions, and it is important to include stretches for the groin as an example. For golf and tennis, shoulder and trunk stretches that replicate the movements involved are vital.
The second question that arises is whether the stretches before exercise should be static (lengthen the muscle and hold the position) or dynamic (lengthen and shorten the muscle repetitively without holding). Overwhelmingly I find that people do mostly static stretches before exercise. While the research may not be definitive yet, (there is some evidence that points to there being a slightly increased risk of injury, in some sports, with static stretches), dynamic stretches are preferable as they aim to mimic the movements that you will be doing in your exercise. When we run, there is no stage where a muscle stays at the same length for 5-10 seconds, as happens with static stretching. Our muscles during running, a golf/tennis swing, a shot at goal etc. are getting longer and then shorter repeatedly and usually quickly. As a result we need to tell our muscles before we are going to use them, how they are going to be used.
It is beneficial with dynamic stretching to start with slow, smaller range (the arc or amount) repeated movements and as you continue for 30-60 seconds, to increase the speed and the range of movement. This tells the muscle and the nerves that control the muscle what to expect. It has an additional benefit in that as we go through a few of these movements it will also start to increase the heart rate and possibly breathing rate. Both are important to help the body be ready for exercise.
After exercise, it is acceptable to do static or dynamic stretches and both types of stretching, is likely to be better still, again for the muscles you have been using.
The key message I hope you can take with you before your next bout of exercise:
- Make it specific to the movements you will be doing
- Use dynamic stretching (slow and small to fast and large movements repeatedly)
Happy stretching and take care for now.
Lonán Hughes
Chartered Physiotherapist