To Stretch or Not to Stretch? The Answer Is Elastic
Good article from the NY Times:
www.nytimes.com/.../13Best.html
Excerpt:
The truth is that after dozens of studies and years of debate, no one really knows whether stretching helps, harms, or does anything in particular for performance or injury rates. Yet most athletes remain convinced that stretching helps, and recently more and more have felt a sort of social pressure to show that they are limber, in part due to the popularity of yoga. Flexibility has become another area where many athletes want to excel.
Former Member
I understand the theory of geriatric stretching as minimal stretching that should be done after exercise. www.ah.ouhsc.edu/.../stretching.htm
I understand the theory of geriatric stretching as minimal stretching that should be done after exercise. www.ah.ouhsc.edu/.../stretching.htm
Oh, I wasn't referring to geriatric stretching. Those are just some simple principles of biomechanics. I just work in geriatrics and see the long term effects of not stretching thus not keeping ROM WNL. This is just a small component to promoting preventative health care. :cheerleader:
And I'd always question a website that doesn't list it's references. I guess that is what happens when I take some of my doctorate of physical therapy classes at one of the more prestigious med schools in the area and have access to their research hospital's library. :D
Do you have a medical background, too? Cause we could spark some super nerdy conversations! :groovy:
I use only a few to loosen/limber the back and select muscle groups. Without them, I would have to add another 1,000 yards of swimming to get my strokes aligned and the kinks worked out.
I do not do anything "hyper" anymore, as age has a way of reducing one's desire to put the knees behind their head! :)
It's interesting. Most physical therapists seem to endorse stretching despite the mixed literature.
The "increasing the distance between the joints" stuff is what causes shoulder pain for swimmer's though. Loose ankles cause pain for runners.
Oh, I have my fair share of that (shoulder pain :cry:). But I now know that I have naturally hypermobile joints (not looking forward to having kids one day and being at risk for injury with the rise of relaxin). But most of the injuries are actually joints stretched on one side due to weakness (rhomboids) and tightened on the other (pec minor). Well, it's not that simple, really, but there is definitely a balance that needs to be created.
And yes. We (colleges) have had many many debates on areas where research is mixed. And there are passionate people on either side. But if I've seen it work, read it works and used it, I'll believe it until someone convinces me otherwise. And that isn't just for stretching. There's a few areas of science I apply to work which is that way...
Oh you guys are all making me feel super nerdy. I could talk FOREVER about this area. I had a patient get me off on a tangent about Parkinson's Disease today...
Oh, I wasn't referring to geriatric stretching. Those are just some simple principles of biomechanics. I just work in geriatrics and see the long term effects of not stretching thus not keeping ROM WNL. This is just a small component to promoting preventative health care. :cheerleader:
And I'd always question a website that doesn't list it's references. I guess that is what happens when I take some of my doctorate of physical therapy classes at one of the more prestigious med schools in the area and have access to their research hospital's library. :D
Do you have a medical background, too? Cause we could spark some super nerdy conversations! :groovy:
I have talked to many experts who say stretching before activity is not the way to do it.
I have no medical background but a lot of experience in what affects the Skeletal System by doing lots of swimming. Also my conversations with kinetic experts who have told me that stretching before the muscles are completely warm is just asking for injury. I never stretch and am sure my flexibilty is better than any one who stretches and gets injuries due to improper or even proper stretching. I can reach every area of my back with my hands, I can scratch any itch on my back without the use of a Chinese Back Scratcher.
Any streching I do is by me swimming, except my calf stretches I do during pauses after walking a few miles.
oh yeah. definitely never stretch a "cold" muscle. Sorry if you got that from what I was geeking out on. You would definitely be asking for it then. Someone should have told my coaches that when i was little though. Ha.
The worst story I heard from stretching gone awry is from a world champion gymnast friend of mine. He said that as a child his coach would make him do the splits and physically stand on him until he got all the way down. Ouch!!!
