Personally, I am not very good about stretching regularly. I should, but I also don’t worry too much about it. I focus on moving and maintaining a healthy range of motion. When I feel tight and limited, I add in a few focused stretches, or I foam roll the tight muscles. I’d like to add a yoga session or two a week, but I haven’t made it a top priority.
If your range of motion is limited and/or you are experiencing pain or limited performance, then stretching is warranted. But, first, understand what flexibility is and how it is increased. Flexibility is the ability to move a joint through a pain-free range of motion. It is not necessary to be overly flexible, but less flexibility (below normal ranges of joint movement) can impair performance and lead to injury. Flexibility is joint-specific.
Stretching is intended to elongate the connective tissue (e.g., tendons). Connective tissue has both elastic and plastic properties, depending on the state of the tissue. When the tissue is cold, it acts more elastic—meaning it will recoil to its original shape when it is stretched. When the tissue is warmed, it act more plastic—meaning that it is deformable and will retain more of its stretched form. Thus, stretching should only be performed after the muscle is warmed (ideally, post-workout).
The warm-up phase of the exercise session is to prepare the body for training/performance. It should include light activity to raise the body temperature and movements that progressively increase the involved joints’ ranges of motion (referred to as a dynamic warm-up). This need not take more than about 5-10 minutes. After this dynamic warm-up some focused stretching may be warranted, if there is perceptible tightness that might lead to injury. It is important to recognize that stretching prior to force producing movements can actually decrease force production (think of the tightening that must occur in a tow rope before the towed vehicle can begin to move). The warmup should function to provide the necessary joint mobility without decreasing the necessary muscle stiffness.
The best time to stretch is after the workout. Unless there are significant limitations, an effective post-workout stretch (as part of the cool-down) need not last more than 5-10 minutes. Focus on the major joints and exercised muscle groups (as these will be the most warmed). The number of stretches performed is less important than the total duration. Each stretch should be performed for a cumulative hold of about 30-60 seconds (generally in 15-s sets). Much more begins to cut into time that can be spent doing the actual exercises that are prescribed to meet your goals.
Stretching should help you achieve your goals and should, therefore, consider the principle of “opportunity costs”. So, use your exercise time effectively.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!