A changing position on stretches
PEOPLE who savor an old-fashioned stretch can find themselves limber but lost in today’s fitness world.
Yoga and Pilates have muscled in on stretching’s turf, providing similar moves but with a hefty dose of strength and balance training. The familiar hurdler’s stretch of the quadriceps has been found dangerous.
And a recent study in the Journal of Athletic Training found that pre-exercise stretching doesn’t seem to decrease injury and post-exercise stretching doesn’t seem to reduce soreness.
That research, an analysis of previous stretching studies, comes on the heels of evidence that stretching can impair performance of explosive moves such as sprints and jumps.
Some experts even question the need for regular stretching at all. People with perfect mechanics and alignment may not need to stretch, they say.
“Sitting at your desk in good posture,” says Dr. William Roberts, past president of the American College of Sports Medicine, “will do more to decrease your risk of repetitive injury than stretching.”
Even the term has fallen into disfavor. “The word ‘stretching’ alone isn’t something you hear much in our industry,” says Keith Shiles, a personal training manager at Equinox in Westwood.
That’s not to say stretching is useless. It does play a role in good health. But that role is more limited than once thought -- and should be combined with strength and general fitness training. The goal of stretching should be, simply, to ensure full range of motion.
“It’s a different form of exercise,” Shiles says.
Practically speaking, “full range of motion” means being able to reach a top shelf comfortably and to bend over to pick up a pin. If those movements aren’t possible, gentle exercises -- and stretching -- can make daily activities easier.
“Most normally active individuals only need to maintain normal range of motion to function at a high level and to function safely,” says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise.
Too many people, however, don’t stop here. “They think that if being able to touch your toes is considered normal, then being able to touch four inches past your toes must be better,” Bryant says. “There is evidence to suggest that hypermobility in some people can be a risk factor for injury.”
Trainers say stretching should be tailored for the person, and the trick is to know which muscles need extra help and to focus on those. “In the past everyone was taught to do the same 10 stretches, says Paula Tett, education manager for the Sports Club/LA. “But you don’t want to stretch every muscle,” she says, “just the ones that are tight. If you’re stretching everything, you can create an imbalance.”
Imbalances might include having one shoulder higher than the other, hunching the shoulders or bending forward. Tett recommends taking inventory of everything you do throughout the day then customizing stretches to counteract those activities.
For example, she says, “If you’re sitting in a chair all day, there’s a good chance your hip flexor is tight and needs to be stretched.”
Belinda Cheng, a personal trainer who works at a number of fitness centers, including the Belmont Athletic Club in Long Beach, says she’s seeing more young adults with limited flexibility.
“I’m shocked at the teenagers and twentysomethings in my classes,” she says. “They are so stiff. They have no range of motion, their hip flexors are too tight, their quads, everything. They look like 70-year-old guys who’ve done weight lifting and golf all their lives.”
She chalks it up to our sedentary lifestyles.
“We didn’t have video games when I was a kid,” she says. “Whatever they’re doing, they’re hunched over all the time, and they don’t have proper posture.”
Counteracting normal tightness is what stretching seems to do best. Although some fitness centers still offer stretch classes, the moves are more gentle and less dramatic than those of a decade ago. And the stretches incorporated into other classes are usually designed to complement the more extreme movements muscles are asked to perform.
The beauty of stretching, of course, is that you can do it just about anywhere. So if you’re sitting at your desk right now and feel like a good stretch, you probably need it. Just don’t go too far.
