It is often said that before working out, one should stretch first to prevent injury. However, this piece of advice seems to contradict decades of scientific research, which say that static stretching prior to exercising does not help. In fact, it might make performance worse and increase one’s chances of getting hurt. At least, that’s how it is for runners.
“If the goal is to improve performance, then you usually don't do static stretching prior,” says Nick Kruse, an exercise physiologist at the University of Iowa. Instead, it might be better to swap in another warm-up before your run, and maybe move the static stretches to another part of the day.
But for those who aren’t athletes, static stretching is a big help for the body. There is growing evidence that this activity could improve cardiovascular health.
More details about this over at Discover Magazine.
(Image Credit: Pixabay)
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i stretch before work, whenever i remember, cuz of my bad back
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I prefer to stretch at the end of my workout, when my muscles are most warmed up.
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