There has been a lot of discussion here about how to stretch property. The Speedo tip of the week at usa swimming sets the record straight. Short answer: warm up your muscles before swimming but do not do traditional "static stretches" until after swimming.
www.usaswimming.org/.../ViewMiscArticle.aspx
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As long as I stretch out properly AFTER a workout, I rarely feel sore the next day. Although a hard set of sprints is tough sometimes to recover fully from....but after spin classes and other cardio stuff, stretching the legs for 10-15 minutes really, really helps prevent being sore the next day.
After swim practice, I try to really stretch out the back, hamstrings and calves......and I feel pretty good the next day.
As long as I stretch out properly AFTER a workout, I rarely feel sore the next day. Although a hard set of sprints is tough sometimes to recover fully from....but after spin classes and other cardio stuff, stretching the legs for 10-15 minutes really, really helps prevent being sore the next day.
After swim practice, I try to really stretch out the back, hamstrings and calves......and I feel pretty good the next day.