To stretch or not to stretch

22.06.2023

Written by Bowen Ji

Since we were young, most of us were taught to stretch before and after exercising as part of our routines because it’s ‘important’ to do so. Many of us were just told to stretch without giving much thought to how, why and the type of stretches to perform.

Interestingly, the pros and cons of stretching has been a hot topic in the fitness community recently with many conflicting studies stemming from both sides. This unfortunately does not help the average person in a practical sense since a lot of time and effort is required to skim through all the latest research. This is why we are going to break down the nitty gritty of it all for you!

Let’s first begin with some common arguments against stretching:

• Loss of overall performance (although minimal)

• Lack of evidence in improving injury prevention

Now let’s look at some of the main physical changes due to stretching:

• Helps increase flexibility through lengthening of muscle fibers, which helps protect muscle tendons.

• Improves movement and performance through increased mobility.

• Reduces risk of injury (potentially). E.G - improved ankle mobility helps reduce ankle sprain and knee injuries due to changed movement mechanics.

• Improves recovery process by increasing blood flow to targeted areas, which helps with nutrient uptake during exercise. 

Is Stretching Right for me?

Funny enough, whether stretching is right for you actually depends on what you aim to achieve and how it is performed. Let’s have a look:

Do you play a sport?

Deciding whether to stretch depends on the type of activity you do. Movements that rely more on the use of stretch shortening cycles (SSC), which is when your muscle undergoes a quick stretch before a shortened contraction (spring-like action) will benefit more from stretching. Stretching helps improve the muscle tendon’s ability to store and release elastic energy during SSC movements, therefore improving overall power and performance. It will also make our muscles more compliant during high intensity SSC movements like high jumps and kicking, leading to reduced chances of injury.

Meanwhile, sports that don’t actually require much demand of the SSC system during high intensity activities like swimming and jogging won’t benefit as much from stretching since they have less impact on performance and injury prevention.

Do you actually need to improve your flexibility?

As mentioned earlier, stretching helps improve range of motion which can aid in improving your quality of movements in everyday life. For instance, lack of adequate ankle mobility can negatively impact your movement pattern, leading to potential knee issues down the track.

How should i stretch?

Successful changes in flexibility depends on how it is performed. For instance, the overall duration, sets, intensity, and frequency (amount of times per week) that you perform. How you manipulate these parameters will dictate your level of improvement.

What type of stretches should I do? 

For the purpose of keeping it simple. There are essentially two main types of stretches:

• Dynamic - High velocity, fluid movements that help lengthen certain muscle tissues, getting it ready for your specific workout/sport. 

• Static stretching - Most well known type of stretching. It involves holding lengthened muscle to near its maximal limit for a given time. 

The stretches you choose to perform depends on when it is performed. Listed below is a simple guideline to follow:

For Warm-Ups:

Dynamic stretches should be performed based on the movements you’re about to perform.

• This increases body temperature, which helps prepare you for the activity at hand.

• There are no strict guidelines for dynamic stretches. Do it until you feel you’re optimal to begin.

Static stretches (<30 seconds per muscle part) is ok! - It is commonly suggested in the fitness community that stretching can have negative effects on muscle performance. However this is only true if performed for greater than 30 seconds.

To Cool Down

• Static stretches are ideal for aiding the recovery process. 

To Improve Flexibility

• Static stretches performed as part of its own programme. Long duration holds have been shown to demonstrate long term benefits in improving flexibility. This is best done in separate sessions to your workouts.

• Perform 30+ second holds for 5 minutes per muscle group for at least 5 times per week.

Overall take-aways

• Always consider why you’re stretching, and your overall objective. 

• Not all types of stretches are the same.

• Short duration static stretching is ok! 

• Dynamic stretches are effective during warm-ups.

• Long duration static stretches are ideal for improving flexibility.

If you have any further questions regarding stretching, feel free to ask any one of our trainers for assistance!