The Dangers of Stretching

It is difficult to pick up any fitness magazine without a cover story about stretching and the beneficial health effects from it. The fitness craze over the past decade had brought to light all types of tips and techniques. Unfortunately many people do not read past the headlines of many of the articles. Stretching is something almost everyone knows they should do, but few people know how to do it right!

The Biggest Mistake!

By far, the biggest mistake people make when stretching is doing it at the wrong time. Most people will start stretching BEFORE they begin exercising. This is 100% wrong! The correct way to stretch is AFTER the body’s muscles have warmed up a little bit. For example, a runner should jog slow and easy for several minutes before even thinking about stretching which could cause a running injury. And then he or she should only stretch lightly. Ten or fifteen minutes of easy to moderate exercise is needed to get the muscles loose enough to stretch safely. But be careful on those cold days! Read my page about cold weather running tips.

Stretch and Tear

If one stretches cold muscles, there is a good chance of tearing them. No, you may not feel it at the time, but tiny tears can lead to bigger tears as the muscles become fatigued. Never ever stretch a cold muscle! Always warm the muscles by doing whatever type of exercise you plan to do. If you are going to bike, go easy for a mile or two and then get off and stretch. Swimmers can do a few easy laps before doing some pool stretches.
Stretching, just like other health practices, needs to be done in moderation. It takes time to build up to doing a good stretch. If you are new to stretching, take it easy. Don’t over do it! Don’t stretch to the point it hurts and don’t do too many reps. As with any training, work up slowly to longer and longer stretching sessions.

Stretching is for Prevention!

Should you pull a muscle during exercise, be very wary of stretching that area for the next few days. If the muscle is pulled, do not do any type of stretch which causes it pain. Stretching is meant to prevent possible pulls, not to cure them. It is very easy to further damage a pulled muscle with too strenuous stretching. With moderation, stretching can be of great benefit to anyone’s road to fitness and health! Read about more health and fitness tips here.