{"id":47161,"date":"2016-01-26T07:15:23","date_gmt":"2016-01-26T12:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=47161"},"modified":"2021-05-12T07:51:34","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T11:51:34","slug":"best-stretching-exercises-myths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/best-stretching-exercises-myths\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Reasons You\u2019re Stretching All Wrong (and How to Fix It)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"7
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A bend here, a twist there. Most of us give minimal thought to our stretching routines<\/a>. But here\u2019s the thing: The way you stretch could make or break your workout. And, unfortunately, when it comes to stretching, most of what we think we know is actually bogus.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not your fault \u2014 many stretching myths are actually rooted in (now outdated) research. After all, experts are performing studies and uncovering new, pretty surprising, truths every day. But meanwhile, most of us are left still believing what our PE teacher told us back<\/a> in grade school.<\/p>\n

Upgrade your stretching know-how<\/a> and, ultimately, your fitness results, by learning the truths behind these seven popular stretching myths.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Is Your Mobility Holding You Back? 5 Tests to Find Out<\/a><\/p>\n

7 Things You Need to Know About Stretching<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Myth #1: You should never static stretch before a workout.
\n<\/strong>Experts have flip-flopped on static stretching (those moves you hold for long periods of time) for decades. First, we were all supposed to bend, hold and repeat before we even thought about running<\/a>, lifting weights or biking. It would reduce our risk of injury and gear us up for exercise. Then, we were told never to static stretch before a workout; it could wreck our fitness performances, gains, and possibly even cause injury. Now, a new review<\/a> published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism<\/em> suggests that the truth is actually somewhere in the middle. After combing through 125 studies, researchers determined that static stretches held for less than 60 seconds<\/em> can be beneficial \u2014 but only when they are part of a warm-up that also includes some cardio and dynamic stretching<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stretch this way:<\/strong> Perform some light cardio, then transition into active and passive stretches.Overdoing it with the static stretches can make your muscles too loose, preventing them from contracting quickly or providing the stabilization you need to keep proper form, explains physical therapist and strength coach Jesse Ellis, P.T., C.S.C.S., manager of physical therapy at EXOS<\/a>. Need some stretch-spiration? Try this mobility routine<\/a> from Daily Burn 365\u2019s Gregg Cook. Try to spend 10 to 15 minutes on your entire warm-up to ease your body into exercise and make sure you get the most out of every rep.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Run Faster With This Mobility Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n

“When your muscle ‘fights’ against a stretch, you can actually create larger and larger tears.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Myth #2: Stretching only benefits the area you stretch.
\n<\/strong>\u201cEverything is connected,\u201d says Dean Maddalone, C.S.C.S., director of the Professional Athletic Performance Center<\/a> in New York. He notes that stretching your hamstrings is actually a great way to help alleviate lower back pain. That\u2019s because hamstrings attach to your pelvis, which in turn pulls on your low back.<\/p>\n

Stretch this way:<\/strong> Even if only one part of your body feels tense, you should make a point of stretching your entire body every day, Ellis says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 5 Lower Back Stretches to Relieve Stress Now<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Myth #3: Stretching will prevent you from getting injured.
\n<\/strong>Unfortunately, stretching won\u2019t necessarily keep you off of the sidelines. In the recent Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism <\/em>review<\/a>, only eight studies (out of 125) found that people who stretched before their workout were less likely to suffer exercise injuries. And, by and large, those studies weren\u2019t able to prove that it was the stretching that reduced the incidence of injury. But while stretching may or may not prevent injury in the gym, it can certainly prevent other aches and pains. \u201cSitting in a desk chair all day keeps various muscle contracted, causing chronic tightness that can cause opposing muscles to get weak,\u201d Ellis says. The result: Tension, headaches, and in extreme cases, muscle imbalances<\/a>. The latter may actually come back to bite you in terms of exercise injuries, he says.<\/p>\n

Stretch this way: <\/strong>For every eight hours you spend at a desk per day, try to get up, move around, and stretch three to six times, Ellis says. (Even if it\u2019s in the bathroom stall \u2014 we won\u2019t tell.) And it doesn\u2019t have to be a full-blown stretching routine, either. Just make sure you hit your chest, neck, hip flexors and quads \u2014 they can all contribute to tension or even throw off your posture.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 9 Easy Yoga Poses to Help You Survive Work, Stress and Travel<\/a><\/p>\n

“Flexibility is largely genetic, so it doesn\u2019t tell you a ton about your overall muscle health.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Myth #4: Stretching should hurt
\n<\/strong>\u201cNo pain, no gain\u201d doesn\u2019t really apply to stretching. \u201cWhen you stretch a muscle too far, pain receptors in that muscle will fire in an attempt to stop the muscle\u2019s stretch and protect your tissues,\u201d Maddalone says. As a result, your muscle actually tenses up further, which is the last thing you want, Ellis says. Plus, when your muscle \u201cfights\u201d against a stretch, you can actually create larger and larger tears in your muscles. No bueno.<\/p>\n

Stretch this way: <\/strong>If you start to break form in a stretch, there\u2019s a pretty good chance that you\u2019re stretching beyond your flexibility, Ellis says. Dial things back and focus on performing stretches that feel good. Also make sure to breathe slowly and deeply through the stretch, as doing so will help relax your muscles, he says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The Netflix and Stretch Routine You Need to Try<\/a><\/p>\n

Myth #5: Stretching relieves post-workout soreness.
\n<\/strong>Post-workout stretches feel great, but they won\u2019t keep you from waking up the next morning with sore muscles. Multiple studies, including a 2011 Cochrane review<\/a>, found that neither pre- or post-workout stretching reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness<\/a> (DOMS), that ache you feel in your muscles one to two days after a tough workout. It\u2019s microscopic tears in the muscles that create soreness, and it\u2019s a totally healthy part of the exercise recovery process \u2014 so don\u2019t wish it away, Ellis says. It\u2019s when your muscles naturally heal those tears that they get stronger and fitter.<\/p>\n

Stretch this way: <\/strong>As long as it feels good \u2014 and it doesn\u2019t cause problems \u2014 why not keep stretching? Just make sure to focus on gentle, rather than deep, stretches. If you\u2019re not stretching, it’s possible that you\u2019ll form additional tears in your muscles that will prevent the tissues from repairing themselves like they should, Maddalone says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Daily Burn\u2019s Yoga Made Simple: 30 Minutes to Zen<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Myth #6: If you\u2019re flexible, you don\u2019t need to stretch.<\/strong>
\nStretching is about way more than flexibility. It helps relax tense muscles, correct posture, fight stress and can help you warm up and cool down, says kinesiologist Stephanie Dietz, manager of cycologist development at Cyc<\/a> in New York City. What\u2019s more, flexibility is largely genetic, so it doesn\u2019t tell you a ton about your overall muscle health.<\/p>\n

Stretch this way:<\/strong> Stretch every day, no matter your fitness routine or level of flexibility. \u201cI particularly recommend stretching in the morning after you wake up because your body has been in a static position for eight or more hours,\u201d Dietz says. \u201cIt\u2019s important to practice a few stretches at different times throughout the day as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Myth #7: Post-workout stretching is negotiable.<\/strong>
\nSkipping the last 10 minutes of your spin class is not an option. Going straight from high-intensity exercise to the locker room shocks the system and doesn\u2019t let your body cool down properly, Ellis says. And in one Journal of Human Kinetics<\/em> study<\/a>, Spanish researchers found that cooling down with some light exercise and then static stretching boosts next-day exercise performance, perhaps because their muscles were better able to recover. And better workouts lead to better results \u2014 period.<\/p>\n

Stretch this way:<\/strong> After starting the cool-down process with a few minutes of lighter exercise, complete roughly 10 minutes of static stretching. Focus on the areas you stressed during your workout, Maddalone says. But make sure not to neglect any body part, whether you worked it or not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hold off on that hammie stretch. New research suggests that much of what we once knew about stretching is actually wrong. Here\u2019s how to do it right. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,6],"tags":[289,145,341,343],"class_list":["post-47161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-exercise","tag-stretching","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47161\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}