Your junior high school P.E. teacher had it all wrong.
If you grew up in the 70s like I did you were likely taught the importance of warm-up exercises and how holding stretches for at least 20 seconds was essential. Well, time has moved on and now scientists maintain that some of those tried and true stretches you did in 7th grade are not only a waste of time but also are bad for you.
According to researchers, the belief that holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds (known as static stretching) primes muscles for a workout is not only antiquated—-it’s dead wrong. Researchers say a new study shows holding a stretch for that long actually weakens muscles.
The new study revealed that static stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30 percent. In addition, researchers say their study proved that stretching one leg’s muscles reduces strength in the other leg because “the central nervous system rebels against the movements.” According to researchers, the straining muscle becomes less responsive and stays weakened for up to 30 minutes after static stretching, which is not how an athlete wants to begin a workout.
Rather than strain your muscles with static stretches scientists say athletes should participate in light jogging, which helps loosen muscles and tendons and increases the range of motion of various joints. These types of movements literally warm up the body, which is what you want to do prior to beginning an intense workout.
Experts say another option is to employ a technique known as dynamic stretching or dynamic warm-ups. This technique increases power, flexibility and range of motion. Researchers say for runners, an ideal warm-up might include squats, lunges and light jogging. For athletes who need to move rapidly in different directions, like soccer or tennis, experts recommend doing dynamic stretches that involve multiple body parts such as “Spider Man,” whereby a person drops onto all fours and crawls a few hundred feet, as if he or she were climbing a wall.
What does your warm-up routine entail? Are you still doing old-school stretches?
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