Is stretching necessary?

Dispelling exercise and nutrition myths is one thing we do regularly at Results FAST. One question that often comes up is whether stretching before a workout makes a difference.

How do you warm up?

Several recent studies into the benefits of warming up and down have indicated that stretching before activity does not actually help protect you from injury and stretching post exercise did not prevent muscle soreness.

With over 70 million people running worldwide this is a pretty large area to research in itself but the studies found that factors which contribute to injury from running include: past exercise and injury history, body mass index (or weight to height ratio) as well as changing pre or post-run stretching strategies.

These studies highlight a number of important factors when assessing how you could sustain an injury; firstly, injury history and the muscular balance of your body. Making sure the right muscles are doing the right thing is paramount for protecting you from injury and ensuringpain free exercise. There is a saying that you need to “get fit to run” which is actually quite accurate.

Often we see individuals who just hit the road in the New Year as part of their new fitness kick but if they have had an injury in the past they’re likely to aggravate it if they are not strong or mobile enough. Secondly, body mass index. This means that if you are carrying too much body fat then you are at risk of injuring yourself. The third factor highlights that changing how you prepare or cool down can have a negative effect. Routine is important in all elements of training, indeed if you perform a new stretch before exercising it may increase mobility in a joint that you do not necessarily need leading to instability and possible injury.

At Results FAST we prioritize all the above in a sensible training structure, firstly we emphasis strength and mobility as a foundation of a new programme, secondly nutrition is important and has to be maximised for optimum results – this involves reducing unnecessary weight and excess body fat. Thirdly, we emphasise mobility at the right joints (ankle, hips and upper back), stability (knees and lower back) while activating muscles that will help maintain both.

Getting into a correct warm up routine is vital for a good session and is a smart way of also reinforcing good posture. Post-exercise stretching is means led; some muscles may be tight such as the calves, thighs and hamstrings, this is dependant on the individual though.

Correct posture helps with an efficient running style and is a great way of protecting your body so make sure your pre and post-exercise routine is well structured.

Ian Mellis is Director of Performance at Results Fitness and Sports Training in Ware. To get in touch, contact Ian on (01920) 466456 or at ian@resultsfast.co.uk.

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